Call for Evidence

Terms of reference 

We welcome submissions which address any of the following questions: 

• How wellare the Government’s free trade agenda and its environmental policies aligned? And is the Government ambitious enough in its approach? 
• To what extenthave the Department for International Trade and UK Export Finance changed their working practices in order to bring together the Government’s environment and trade policies?  
• What mightbe the impacts of measures introduced by the UK’s trading partners designed to reduce reliance on carbon-intensive fossil fuels – for example carbon border adjustment mechanisms – on UK trade? And what could a UK carbon border adjustment mechanism mean for its imports and exports? 
• What are the benefits and costs of the UK’sapproach to environmental and climate change commitments in free trade negotiations to date? And to what extent might the inclusion of Investor-State Dispute Settlement clauses in free trade agreements affect the UK’s climate change policies?  
• By what measures should the environmental impacts of new free trade agreementsbe assessed?  
• How effective is the Government’s engagement with international forums to ensure that there is a broadconsensus among its trading partners on how to align trade with environmental issues?   
• What can the UK learn from how other countries’ experiences of aligning trade and environmental policies? How have other countries innovated in this area? 
• What opportunities are there for the Government to innovate to create more opportunities for “green”goods and services to export, to decarbonise and green supply chains? 
• To what extent is the UK’s trade policykeeping up with demands from consumers on issues such as sustainability, deforestation, eco-labelling and greener supply chains? 

We read all the evidence we receive. The evidence you give may help to shape our inquiry and final report.