English Français

Key Message

China will probably become the world's largest economy by the middle of this century. At the same time, its integration into the global economy has created complex ecological ties with the rest of the world. Ensuring that China works toward sustainable development requires domestic effort, international cooperation and creative policy-making.

China, Trade and SD

Lending support to the world's fastest growing economy

IISD has been involved in China through the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development for many years. The CCICED is a high-level advisory body that makes recommendations to the Chinese government on environment and development issues.

Under the framework of the China Council, IISD worked with a group of international and Chinese experts (the Working Group on Trade and Environment) and several key Chinese research institutes on various trade and environment issues.

After China became a WTO member in 2001, IISD was engaged in a new China Council Task Force on WTO and Environment addressing trade and environment issues in the context of WTO, and helping assess the environmental impacts of China's WTO accession.

While continuing to be involved in the China Council through IISD's Distinguished Fellow and former President, Arthur Hanson, serving as a Lead Expert of the China Council and through working with Task Force on Green Accounting, IISD is also working with China's Ministry of Commerce on a project called Sustainable Development: China and Global Markets.

Contents