On 19 July 2024, Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, delivered the third University of Cambridge Lecture on Globalisation, Sustainability, and the Power of Ideas. She was joined by Sir Laurie Bristow, Hughes Hall President, alongside scholars from across the University including Dr Jellie Molino, Post-Doctoral Research Associate at the Centre for Climate Engagement, based at Hughes Hall, University of Cambridge.
Trade and investment flows are often criticised for their lack of positive sustainability impacts, yet, if harnessed properly through cutting-edge international law and governance, trade can help rather than hinder progress to deliver the global sustainable development goals. The discussion highlighted how trade law and policy is evolving to address our global challenges, underlining the idea that the WTO can and must be part of an urgent re-globalisation towards sustainability, building on its poverty-eradication potential and green comparative advantage.
Dr Jellie Molino, Post-Doctoral Research Associate at the Hughes Hall Centre for Climate Engagement, shared her question to the global biennial lecture experts:
“Public procurement accounts for approximately 15% of the global greenhouse emissions…making greening public procurement crucial for reducing emissions related to government activities. Given that the WTO agreement on government procurement can be an important trade policy to increase low carbon goods, what are the specific measures that the current WTO is taking to promote this strategic use of public procurement?”
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The event was part of the Democratising Education for Global Sustainability and Justice programme, which offers online courses on sustainable development law and policy. These courses explore how legal frameworks can support the SDGs and the Global Biodiversity Framework, often in conjunction with trade rules. More information is available at DEGSJ Educational Offerings.
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