WTO to Launch Sixth ‘Trade and Environment Week’ Highlighting Role of Commerce in Environmental Action
Geneva, Switzerland – June 29, 2025 — The World Trade Organization (WTO) is gearing up to inaugurate its sixth edition of “Trade and Environment Week” starting tomorrow, bringing together global leaders, environmental advocates, and trade experts to explore how trade can serve as a driver for sustainability and ecological resilience.
Spearheaded by Swiss Ambassador Erwin Bollinger, the initiative aims to deepen international dialogue on aligning trade mechanisms with environmental objectives. In his opening message, Ambassador Bollinger encouraged broad participation, inviting stakeholders to engage in discussions around “how trade can be a meaningful contributor to solving today’s environmental challenges.”
Over the course of the week, the event will host high-level panels, interactive sessions, and technical briefings, delving into key areas such as climate-smart trade policies, green innovation, circular economy integration, and environmental goods and services. Sessions will also address the emerging role of trade rules in supporting global climate commitments and biodiversity protection.
The WTO has positioned this event as a crucial platform for fostering policy coherence, particularly at a time when the world faces accelerating climate impacts, ecosystem degradation, and pollution threats. By promoting trade as part of the solution rather than a source of environmental strain, the forum seeks to encourage policy frameworks that are both economically and ecologically sound.
This year’s event carries added urgency as governments and industries seek to transition toward greener economies while maintaining equitable global trade. The WTO emphasizes that trade, if properly guided, can help diffuse clean technologies, create green jobs, and scale up sustainable practices across borders.
Open to member delegations, NGOs, academia, and the private sector, the discussions will be livestreamed globally, allowing broader access to the ideas and proposals presented. As in past years, the outcomes from “Trade and Environment Week” may feed into future WTO deliberations and shape long-term strategies for integrating sustainability into the international trading system.
