联合国贸易发展委员会-出口在撒哈拉以南非洲和南亚制造业污染中的作用（英）-2021.10-108页_4mb

Summary of "The Role of Exports in Manufacturing Pollution in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia: Towards a Better Trade-Environment Governance"

Core Content

This report, prepared by Instituto 17 under the guidance of UNCTAD and funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), analyzes the environmental impacts of manufacturing exports in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and South Asia, focusing on four case study countries: Kenya, the United Republic of Tanzania, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. It highlights the trade-environment nexus and the role of regional trade agreements (RTAs) and public environmental governance in managing pollution from export-oriented manufacturing.

Main Viewpoints

• Trade and Economic Growth: Trade is a key driver of economic growth, job creation, and poverty reduction in developing countries. However, it also has significant environmental consequences, particularly in export-oriented manufacturing.

• Pollution from Manufacturing Exports: The report identifies that manufacturing exports contribute to various environmental impacts, such as ozone formation, ecotoxicity, water consumption, and land-use changes, depending on the system boundary used in the analysis.

• System Boundaries in LCA: Two system boundaries are considered:

  • Gate-to-gate: Focuses on the manufacturing process within the plant, showing significant contributions to ozone formation and ecotoxicity.
  • Cradle-to-gate: Includes upstream processes, emphasizing water consumption, freshwater eutrophication, and land-use changes, particularly in sectors reliant on agricultural inputs.

• Sector-Specific Contributions:

  • In South Asia, the textile sector is a major contributor to pollution across all impact categories.
  • In SSA, the food and beverage sector plays a significant role, especially under the cradle-to-gate boundary.

• Need for Sustainable Practices: The study emphasizes the importance of adopting sustainable manufacturing practices to mitigate environmental damage and align with global trade trends that increasingly incorporate environmental considerations.

Key Information

Case Study Countries and Sectors

• Kenya: Focus on the food and beverage sector, particularly crude palm oil.
• Tanzania: Analysis of sunflower oil cake and food and beverage sector.
• Bangladesh: Concentrates on the ready-made garment (RMG) sector, including jute yarn and textile sector.
• Pakistan: Examines the textile sector, including woven cotton products and readymade garment industry.

Environmental Impacts

• Ozone formation and ecotoxicity are significant under the gate-to-gate system boundary.
• Water consumption, freshwater eutrophication, and land-use changes are key under the cradle-to-gate system boundary.
• These impacts are linked to the use of renewable raw materials in the food and beverage and textile sectors.

Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs) and Environmental Governance

• RTAs and BTAs can play a role in improving environmental standards and reducing pollution.
• The report recommends policy coherence, transparency, and accountability in the negotiation and implementation of these agreements.
• Environmental information disclosure and institutional strengthening are critical for effective law enforcement and governance.

Recommendations

1. Environmental Law and Public Governance:

   • Consider general exceptions under international trade rules and integrate ratified Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs).
   • Promote policy coherence, transparency, and accountability.
   • Strengthen institutional capacities for law enforcement and environmental governance.
   • Develop mechanisms to address informal activities.
   • Incorporate social sciences and categories such as culture, politics, power, poverty, and gender.
   • Encourage public participation, social movements, and NGOs in environmental governance.

2. Private Sector Governance:

   • Implement green manufacturing guidelines tailored to different sectors and companies.
   • Promote eco-industrial parks (EIPs) to enhance sustainability and resource efficiency.
   • Adopt the National Industrial Symbiosis Programme (NISP) to support EIP development and build capacity in SMEP countries.

3. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA):

   • Use input-output LCA (IO-LCA) and environmentally extended input-output analysis (EEIOA) to better understand environmental impacts.
   • The EXIOBASE database supports IO-LCA analysis.
   • The report highlights the importance of cradle-to-gate and gate-to-gate approaches in assessing environmental burdens.

Conclusion

The report underscores the need for improved trade-environment governance in SMEP target countries to address the environmental impacts of export-oriented manufacturing. It calls for coordinated efforts between public and private sectors, the use of LCA tools, and the integration of environmental and social considerations into policy and governance frameworks. By enhancing institutional capacities, promoting sustainable practices, and leveraging RTAs and BTAs, these countries can work towards more environmentally responsible economic growth.