WTO Workshop on Environmental Goods and Services

Geneva, Switzerland

2325 September 2009

Final Programme

The WTO Secretariat is organizing a Workshop on Environmental Goods and Services from 2325 September in Geneva, Switzerland. The purpose of this Workshop is to help Members deepen their understanding of issues arising under the mandate of Paragraph31(iii) of the Doha Ministerial Declaration, including developmentrelated aspects, without prejudice to ongoing negotiations in the CTESS.[1]

The Workshop will include speakers from governments, the private sector and international organizations with relevant expertise in the area of Environmental Goods and Services. It will therefore provide a platform for an interactive exchange among delegations and experts on key issues of relevance to the CTESS mandate.

The Workshop will be held at WTO, Centre William Rappard (154 rue de Lausanne), RoomW on 23 September and at the World Meteorological Organization (7bis Avenue de la Paix), RoomA on 2425 September. Participants can register at the Visitor's centre at the WTO from 8.30a.m. on Wednesday 23 September.

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WEDNESDAY, 23 SEPTEMBER 2009

14:3014:45

Opening Remarks by Mr. Harsha V. Singh,WTO DeputyDirector General

Part I:Developing Markets for Environmental Goods and Services: Overview of Key Environmental Categories

The first part of the workshop will attempt to provide an overview of key Environmental Goods and Services categories, namely: Renewable Energy, with a particular focus on Wind and Solar Energy; Solid and Hazardous Waste Management; Water and Waste Water Treatment; and AirPollution Control and Environmental Technologies.

The various sessions will include speakers from governments,private sector and international organizations with relevant expertise, who will be invited to address issues such as: Whatare some of the goods and technologies of particular importance under this category? What are their environmental benefits? What characterizes trade in this sector? What are the market drivers at the country and/or international level? What is the potential for growth in that sector? What has been the role of supportive policy measures in promoting market deployment, production and exports? What are the main nontariff barriers (NTBs) faced by exporters and how can they be overcome?

14:4518:00Renewable Energy

Moderator:Mr. Ronald Steenblik, Senior Trade Policy Analyst, Trade and Agriculture Directorate, OECD

Speakers:

  • Mr. Ralph Sims, Senior Analyst, Renewable Energy and Climate Change, International Energy Agency (IEA) and Professor of Sustainable Energy, Director, Centre for Energy Research,Massey University, New Zealand
  • Ms. Veena Jha,Expert, International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD)

Wind

  • Prof. Mohamed S. El-Sobki,Manager, Renewable Energy and Energy EfficiencyProgram,IndustryModernizationCenter, Ministry of Trade and Industry,Egypt
  • Mr. Chintan Shah, Head, Strategic Business Development, Suzlon Energy Ltd, India

Q&As

Solar

  • Dr. Moses Ikiara, Executive Director, Kenyan Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA), Environment for Development in Kenya
  • Mr. Dylan Tudor-Jones, Managing Member, Solar Heat Exchangers, Chair of the Solar Water Heating Division of the Sustainable Energy Society of Southern Africa (SESSA)

Q&As

THURSDAY, 24 SEPTEMBER 2009

Moderator:Mr. Pierre Portas, President, Waste Environment Cooperation Centre

14:3016:30:Solid and Hazardous Waste Management

Speakers:

  • Ms. Katharina KummerPeiry, Executive Secretary, Basel Convention on the Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Waste and their Disposal
  • Ms. Marba Visagie, Deputy Director Environment, Department of Trade and Industry, SouthAfrica
  • Dr. Jean Bogner, President, Landfills Plus Inc., Research Professor at University of Illinois, Chicago, United States

Q&As

16.30 -18.00Water and Waste Water Treatment

Speakers:

  • Ms. Chizuru Aoki, Senior Programme Officer, United Nations Environment Programme International Environmental Technology Centre (UNEP IETC)
  • Dr. Suda Bunduwongse, General Manager and Senior Environmental Engineer, Aquathai Co. Ltd,Thailand

Q&As

FRIDAY, 25 SEPTEMBER 2009

Moderator: Mr. Pedro Roffe, Senior Fellow, ICTSD

10:0011:30Air Pollution Control and Environmental Technologies

Speakers:

  • Mr. XU Qinghua, Director-General, Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Environment Protection, China
  • Prof. Shozo Kaneko, Kaneko Laboratory, Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo, Japan
  • Mr. Peter Bruijns, President, Biorem Technologies, Canada

Q&As

11:3013:00

Part II:Improving Access to Green Goods and Technologies to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals

This session will focus on developmentrelated aspects of trade in Environmental Goods and Services, especiallyon the issue of technology transfer. Speakers will be invited to present their perspective on the particular needs of developing countries in this regard and to discuss concrete actions that may contribute to building domestic capacity of developing country Members with respect to green goods and services. The session will address some of the main drivers of technology transferin relation to specific examples of environmentallysound technologies.

Speakers:

  • Mr. Heinz Leuenberger, Director, Environment Management Branch, UNIDO
  • Mr. Muthukumara S. Mani, Senior Environmental Economist, Sustainable Development Department, World Bank

Q&As

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[1] The mandate under Paragraph31(iii) of the Doha Declaration calls for "the reduction, or as appropriate, elimination of tariff and nontariff barriers to environmental goods and services."