Environmental goods and services (EGS) are critical to tackling the world’s most urgent challenges — climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss, and the transition to a green economy. Yet despite growing political interest and the clear need for action, EGS remain underdeveloped, understudied, and underrepresented in trade policy and legal research.
The EGSTradeHub platform was created to help close this gap.
Our Mission
EGSTradeHub is a curated, open-access platform designed to bring together the latest research, data, legal texts, policy documents, and commentary on trade in environmental goods and services.
It exists to support a wide audience:
- Researchers and scholars exploring EGS and trade law
- Policymakers and negotiators working on environmental trade issues
- Civil society actors and journalists seeking clarity on green trade policy
- Students and educators looking for accessible resources
At its core, EGSTradeHub is about accessibility, clarity, and evidence-based insight on a field that is often opaque and fragmented.
Why We Built This Platform
The idea for EGSTradeHub emerged from four key observations:
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Information on EGS trade is scattered and siloed There is no single place where users can explore what counts as an environmental good or service, how EGS are treated in trade agreements, or what policy tools exist to promote them. Relevant content is spread across WTO documents, academic journals, grey literature, and national databases — often with little coherence or consistency.
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The legal and policy dimensions of EGS are underexplored While technical and economic studies on EGS exist, trade law and policy analysis is still developing. Many trade agreements include EGS provisions, but the legal implications are not always clear or well-understood.
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There is no shared taxonomy or definition of EGS Negotiations over EGS are regularly hindered by disputes over definitions and classifications. EGSTradeHub aims to clarify how EGS are defined in law and policy — and how these definitions evolve over time.
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There is demand for informed, practical, and searchable content From negotiating green trade agreements to implementing national policy reforms, stakeholders need quick access to relevant materials, precedents, and best practices. EGSTradeHub was designed with this use case in mind.
What You'll Find on EGSTradeHub
The platform brings together diverse resources, including:
- Curated databases of treaties and legal texts mentioning or governing EGS
- Explainer articles that break down key legal, economic, and policy concepts
- Searchable repositories of academic and policy research
- Case studies and examples of EGS-related trade measures
- Regular updates on international negotiations and initiatives
Everything is searchable, categorised, and written with a focus on clarity and usability.
How It Was Developed
EGSTradeHub was developed as a practical and educational resource after the need was identified through ongoing academic and policy collaboration. It draws on real-world challenges encountered in research, teaching, international legal work, and policy engagement related to EGS and sustainable trade.
A Living Resource
This platform is not static. It will grow as the field of EGS evolves — through:
- Contributions from the wider academic and policy community
- Feedback from users
- Integration of new agreements, data, and legal analysis
EGSTradeHub aims to become the go-to resource for anyone working at the intersection of trade and the environment.
Explore the platform, suggest resources, and join the conversation on how international trade can support a greener, fairer future.