Climate change: the role of trade policy

The report, drafted by Alain Lipietz (Greens/EFA, FR), argues that "the current economic model, which entails constant maximisation of consumption, production and trade, is unsustainable as this results in ever-increasing demand for resources and transport and a growing quantity of waste and emissions".  

 

 

For two decades, international trade has been growing at a rate of two to two and a half times the rate of global production, as a result of the search for an international division of labour that optimises salary and tax costs - but in a context where greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are not properly internalised into transport costs.  More specifically, the volume of sea transport is 40 times that of air transport (in tonnes/km) and yet produces only twice its greenhouse gas (GHG) contamination, whilst lorries produce 4 times more GHG emissions than trains per tonne/km.

 

 

The European Parliament therefore stresses the need "to raise public awareness of consumer products' total environmental costs" and "calls on the Commission and the Council to propose measures for the provision of information on the energy consumed, and greenhouse gases emitted, during the manufacture and transport of products placed on sale within the EU". A good example is the UK Government's proposal to introduce carbon footprint product labels displaying the level of CO2 emissions caused by the production, transport and eventual disposal of a product.

 

The rapporteur stresses that the means of transport is just as important as the distance a product has travelled: for a British consumer, a New Zealand lamb chop has a higher GHG cost than an English chop if it arrives by plane, but not if it arrives by boat. Therefore it is the GHG content that must be assessed.

 

 

Among its proposals the report argues for strong cooperation between the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Climate Change Convention and the WTO, and asks the Commission to develop an initiative to support this aim. 

 

The House calls on the Commission to ensure that energy and particularly the question of renewable energy and efficiency, and their connection to energy security, becomes an integral part of all external EU relations, with a particular emphasis on the European Neighbourhood Policy.

 

MEPs invite the Commission to consider whether it would be appropriate to evaluate the rules on trade defence measures, such as the rules on anti-dumping or subsidies, under the WTO aegis, with a view to taking into account, in some way, the disrespect of global, social and environmental agreements or international covenants as forms of dumping or undue subsidy.

 

 

The report also urges the Commission "to systematically include environmental protection clauses, with special reference to reducing carbon dioxide emissions, in its trade agreements with third countries".  It adds that "the transfer of energy efficient and other environmentally friendly technologies from the EU to developing countries has a crucial role to play in decoupling economic development from greenhouse gas emissions".  And among other things, the report urges industrialised countries to take responsibility for the widespread deforestation caused by international trade.