The Department of Commerce on Friday held the first workshop in the proposed series at Vanijya Bhawan in New Delhi. The discussions come as sustainability-related provisions gain prominence in Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and new regulations such as the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), and trade actions under the US Trade Act reshape global commerce.
The day-long workshop, titled Trade and Sustainable Development (TSD): Evolving Policy Landscape, featured discussions on India’s domestic carbon framework, global trends in sustainability provisions in FTAs, evolving carbon regulations worldwide, and policy options for India’s future trade strategy.
Addressing the workshop, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal described Trade and Sustainable Development as a cross-sectoral issue requiring coordinated action across trade, industry, sustainability and competitiveness.
He said sustainability regulations and unilateral environmental measures have become a lasting feature of the global trading system and stressed the need to create an enabling ecosystem that helps Indian businesses adopt sustainable practices.
Early adaptation, he said, would improve the competitiveness of Indian exporters and better prepare the country for the changing global trade landscape.
The discussions focused on the growing role of carbon markets, carbon pricing, carbon border taxes, sustainability standards and regulatory cooperation, and their implications for India’s trade and industrial competitiveness.
Participants also reviewed India’s evolving domestic sustainability framework, including the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS), the proposed Indian Carbon Market, the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework, and the country’s accreditation and conformity assessment ecosystem.
The Commerce Ministry said these initiatives could help strengthen India’s preparedness for emerging sustainability-linked trade rules and inform its approach in future trade negotiations.
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