This section contains:

• key reports published or sponsored by the European Commission (EC) on the impact of international trade on biodiversity, the role of trade policy and related topics

• other publications related to biodiversity and trade.

Key reports published or sponsored by the EC

Methodology to assess the impacts of trade agreements on biodiversity and ecosystems

This study, prepared for the European Commission by external experts, outlines a methodological framework for assessing the impacts of EU Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) on biodiversity, with a stepwise approach and a focus on quantifying the impacts. The methodology is designed to contribute to the Commission’s overall trade impact assessment process, both ex ante and ex post, and to be flexible in order to be used in the context of various agreements and partner countries.

Trade liberalisation and biodiversity. Scoping study on methodologies and indicators to assess the impact of trade liberalisation on biodiversity: final report

This study identifies and evaluates several qualitative and quantitative methodologies that could be used to improve biodiversity-related aspects of Sustainability Impact Assessments (SIAs) of trade agreements, with a view to assist the European Commission in developing a robust methodology and related indicators to assess the impacts of trade liberalisation on biodiversity.
 

Reforming the WTO. Towards a sustainable and effective multilateral trading system

This report, produced by the Directorate-General for Trade of the European Commission, explains the importance of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the need to reform it to focus on sustainable development, including the protection of biodiversity. The report further proposes solutions and ways to achieve the WTO reform.

Measuring the impact of agricultural supply chains on biodiversity. A corporate needs assessment

This report, based on a limited and rapid review of business and expert opinions provided through a series of consultations, highlights the business needs for improving the measurement of impacts and dependencies on biodiversity by companies with agricultural supply chains, the challenges faced in this endeavour and potential solutions.

Assessment of Biodiversity Measurement Approaches for Businesses and Financial Institutions: Update Report 3

This report is the third update of the series “Assessment of Biodiversity Measurement Approaches for Businesses and Financial Institutions”, which has been produced by the European Business and Biodiversity Platform (EU B@B Platform) since 2018. The Update Report 3 has two distinctive features: (1) it marks the launch of the Biodiversity Measurement Navigation Wheel, a pragmatic decision framework to select the most suitable measurement approaches for a specific business context, and (2) it centres around case studies, i.e., real-life applications of biodiversity measurement approaches by businesses and financial institutions.

Other publications 

Report of the online workshop on trade and biodiversity for the post-2020 global biodiversity framework

The report contains key findings of the online workshop organised on 24/03/2021 by the BioTrade Initiative of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in cooperation with the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) on how to include trade in the post-2020 global biodiversity framework.

Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services

The Global Assessment Report (2019) produced by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) provides an authoritative assessment of the status and trends of biodiversity and ecosystem services at the global level, and their impact on human well-being.  

Trade and Biodiversity

This report, commissioned by the European Parliament's Committee on International Trade (INTA), provides an in-depth analysis of the impacts of international trade on biodiversity and of the effectiveness and efficiency of instruments that can be used in the context of EU trade policies and international trade agreements to protect global biodiversity.

How can international trade contribute to sustainable forestry and the preservation of the world’s forests through the Green Deal?

This in-depth analysis requested by the European Parliament's Committee on International Trade (INTA) proposes eleven measures that could be considered to promote sustainable forestry and deforestation-free value chains via EU trade policy. These measures, applicable at the unilateral, bilateral and multilateral level, combine inter alia incentives (e.g. preferential tariffs for market access) and obligations (e.g. for investors) to promote the application of the principles of sustainable production and sustainable management of timber and forest-risk products in producer countries.

Biodiversity as a human right and its implications for the EU’s external actionBiodiversity as a human right and its implications for the EU’s external action

This study provides an in-depth analysis of biodiversity as a human right to inform the European Parliament’s work on how the EU’s external action, including trade agreements, can best contribute to a holistic and human rights-based approach aimed at stopping biodiversity loss and degradation.

The Economics of Biodiversity: The Dasgupta Review

The Review includes several sections that are relevant to trade and biodiversity, including a chapter on Trade and the Biosphere, which reviews the recent empirical literature on the impacts of trade on biodiversity and discusses possible actions in the context of trade practices and policies to support a shift towards sustainability.  

Biodiversity, Natural Capital and the Economy: A Policy Guide for Finance, Economic and Environment Ministers

This Policy Paper, prepared by the OECD for the G7 Presidency of the UK (2021), analyses four priority action areas for governments. The fourth priority area is about improving biodiversity outcomes linked to trade, including by reforming environmentally harmful government support.

OECD‑FAO Guidance for Responsible Agricultural Supply Chains

This document provides a common framework to help agri-businesses and investors contribute to sustainable development by identifying and mitigating adverse impacts associated with their activities. It also provides a step-by-step approach on how companies can integrate due diligence into their operations and supply chains.  

Assessing Implementation of Environmental Provisions in Regional Trade Agreements

This OECD Working Paper focuses on the extent to which governments have complied with the environmental commitments made in the trade agreements to which they are a Party. It is based on a review of implementation and evaluation reports associated with environmental provisions in such agreements and a survey of government officials, trade negotiators and other experts.

Making trade work for the environment, prosperity and resilience

This joint UN Environment - World Trade Organization (WTO) publication identifies how governments can work together to ensure that trade and a healthy environment reinforce each other.  

International Trade in Resources: A Biophysical Assessment

This report produced for the International Resource Panel hosted by UNEP examines trends in the international trade of natural resources, focusing on upstream requirements such as materials, energy, water and land used at the point of extraction or production.

CITES and the WTO: Enhancing Cooperation for Sustainable Development

This document, a joint initiative of the secretariats of the CITES and the WTO, examines how the relationship between the two organisations has evolved and how global trade and environmental regimes can support each other and work coherently to achieve shared objectives.

Global Resources Outlook 2019: Natural Resources for the Future We Want

This report, produced by the International Resource Panel (IRP) of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), presents an analysis of the impacts of the growing use of renewable and non-renewable natural resources, including impacts on biodiversity, and develops scenario projections for resource efficiency and sustainable production and consumption that decouple economic growth from environmental degradation.  

Biodiversity footprints in policy and decision-making: State of play and future opportunities

This briefing from the Institute for European Environmental Policies (IEEP) gives an overview of the state of knowledge and current application of biodiversity footprint methods and tools in the EU and identifies key future needs and opportunities for using these methods to support more sustainable decision-making.

Impacts of wildlife trade on terrestrial biodiversity

This academic article presents a quantitative meta-analysis of the wildlife trade that synthesized 506 species-level effect sizes from 31 studies, estimating trade-driven declines in mammals (452 effect sizes), birds (36) and reptiles (18). Overall, species declined in abundance by 62% (95% confidence interval, 20 to 82%) where trade occurs.

Global agricultural trade and land system sustainability: Implications for ecosystem carbon storage, biodiversity, and human nutrition

This academic review article investigates how global agricultural trade flows have affected land systems and resulting impacts on food and nutrient availability, natural habitat conversion, biodiversity loss, and ecosystem carbon storage. It reveals that the effects of trade on land systems are highly heterogeneous across regions and commodities and identifies six pathways for how future research can contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of how agricultural trade can positively contribute to meeting global sustainability goals.