15 December 2015: Experts from throughout Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) gathered at a seminar to discuss issues relating to climate change, environmental sustainability and international trade, focusing on recent multilateral, regional and private initiatives including the Paris Climate Change Conference. Titled ‘Seventh International ECLAC Environmental Footprint Seminar: Environmental Standards in International Trade,’ the event was organized by the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).

The seminar reviewed relevant international environmental trade standards and measures to reduce the environmental footprint of exports from the LAC Region, including instruments to support the transition towards a low-carbon economy.

ECLAC Deputy Secretary Antonio Prado opened the seminar stressing progress made by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, noting that climate change will impact countries’ future trade strategies worldwide. He underscored the need for LAC countries to accelerate the transition towards low-carbon economies, and improved measurements of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the environmental footprint of international trade.

During the seminar, participants considered: updates on sustainable trade and its environmental footprint; challenges and opportunities for private companies; and the participation of LAC countries in the development of European environmental standards. Participants shared the view that the need to address climate change will lead to a shift in production and consumption patterns in the region, noting the need to better understand interrelations between climate change, international trade and sustainable development.

The Seventh International ECLAC Environmental Footprint Seminar was held from 14-15 December 2015, at ECLAC headquarters in Santiago, Chile. [ECLAC Press Release] [Statement of ECLAC Deputy Executive Secretary Antonio Prado (Spanish)] [Seminar Agenda (Spanish)]