Economic opportunities and environmental impacts of liberalising trade in environmental goods and services

After the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) negotiations to promote trade in environmental goods stalled in 2016, several WTO members have expressed renewed interest in the topic over the past two years. This has, amongst others, resulted in the launch of the Trade and Environmental Sustainability Structured Discussions (TESSD). The EU could be a driving force in gathering broader support and accelerating such discussions, but to do so it needs to better position itself in these discussions and work towards shared objectives.


To realise this, the Netherlands need to gain insights into the economic opportunities and environmental impacts of liberalising trade in environmental goods and services (EGS) for the Dutch economy. We have been commissioned by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs to carry out this study.

The objective of the study is threefold:

  1. to review existing criteria for defining EGS and explore potential extensions;
  2. to forecast the potential economic and environmental impacts of different liberalisation scenarios; and
  3. to advance the understanding of non-tariff barriers (NBTs) to trade in EGS and barriers to trade in environmental services, with a focus on sectors of particular interest for the Netherlands.

The study will leverage both quantitative evidence and in-depth consultation with Dutch business interests, with the aim to inform the Dutch strategic position in the context of trade policy dialogues at the WTO and other fora.

The project started in August 2022 and is expected to be completed in early 2023. For more information, please contact Michele Delera.

24 August 2022

1 minute read



Key Experts

Michele Delera

Consultant