In recent years, governments have been looking for solutions to the environmental challenges associated with unsustainable patterns of natural resource extraction, processing, and use. Many countries have adopted roadmaps or guidelines for a transition toward a more circular economy—a model that promotes enhanced resource efficiency and the decoupling of economic growth from extractive, wasteful, and polluting processes.

Moving from a linear, extractive produce–use–discard model to a more circular approach will involve a paradigm shift and significant changes to existing business models. In today’s highly integrated world economy, international trade will play a critical role in enabling this transition by facilitating the diffusion of circular solutions and exploiting international comparative advantages. While most thinking in this area has focused on the role of trade in goods, much less attention has been paid so far to the role of trade in services in supporting this transition, although services play an essential role in supporting circular economy businesses along the value chain.

This report compiles new evidence on trade in services related to the circular economy based on a survey conducted among 96 individual firms involved in circular economy business models, complemented by a series of in-depth interviews. The results provide some initial insights on services and trade in services trade related to the circular economy—topics that have not been deeply researched until now. The results indicate that a wide range of services are relevant to the circular economy, including recycling services, research and development and other professional services like IT services. Many of the respondents were very specialized micro or small to medium-sized enterprises, a surprisingly high proportion of which were engaged in international trade in services, in particular via mode 1 (digital trade) and mode 3 (commercial presence offshore).

While 40% of survey respondents did not report encountering barriers to the import or export of services related to the circular economy, but others reported specific barriers created by differences in regulation, particularly regarding the treatment of waste and regarding standards for reporting on environmental impact. These specific barriers, in addition to those commonly found in the trade of digital or digitally enabled services (which include many services relevant to the circular economy) suggest that increasing access to services traded via mode 1 and integrating market access for goods and services relevant to the circular economy could be opportunities to support the transition to a more circular economy.

This report outlines the integration of authoritative Copernicus Climate Data from the Climate Data Store (CDS) into a Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi). It describes how several climate indicators obtained from the CDS were integrated into the SAVi Roads model and how its analysis has improved as a result. In light of this integration, IISD can generate sophisticated SAVi-derived analyses on the costs of climate-related risks and climate-related externalities.

This document presents:

• A summary of the literature review on the climate impact on roads, including the equations that link climate variables to the performance of roads.
• How the above information was used to select relevant indicators from the Copernicus database.
• How outputs of the CDS datasets are integrated into the SAVi System Dynamics (SD) Roads model.
• How simulation results can be affected using this new and improved set of indicators.

This report outlines the integration of authoritative Copernicus Climate Data from the Climate Data Store (CDS) into a Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) of nature-based infrastructure. It describes how several climate indicators obtained from the Copernicus CDS were integrated into the SAVi Nature-Based Infrastructure model and how its analysis has improved as a result. In light of this integration, IISD can generate sophisticated SAVi-derived analyses on the costs of climate-related risks and climate-related externalities.

This document presents:

• A summary of the literature review on the climate impact on nature-based infrastructure, including equations that link climate variables to the performance of nature-based infrastructure.
• How the above information was used to select relevant indicators from the Copernicus database.
• How outputs of the CDS datasets are integrated into the SAVi System Dynamics (SD) Nature-Based Infrastructure model.
• How simulation results can be affected using this new and improved set of indicators.

This report outlines the integration of authoritative Copernicus Climate Data from the Climate Data Store (CDS) into a Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) Irrigation model. It describes how several climate indicators obtained from the CDS were integrated into the SAVi Irrigation model and how its analysis has improved as a result. In light of this integration, IISD can generate sophisticated SAVi-derived analyses on the costs of climate-related risks and climate-related externalities.

This document presents:

• A summary of the literature review on the impact of climate on irrigation infrastructure, including equations that link climate variables to the economic performance of irrigation projects.
• How the above information was used to select relevant indicators from the Copernicus database.
• How outputs of the CDS datasets are integrated into the SAVi System Dynamics (SD) Irrigation model.

This report outlines the integration of authoritative Copernicus Climate Data from the Climate Data Store (CDS) into the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) Energy model. It describes how several climate indicators obtained from the CDS were integrated into SAVi and how its analysis has improved as a result. In light of this integration, IISD can generate sophisticated SAVi-derived analyses on the costs of climate-related risks and climate-related externalities.

This document presents:

• A summary of the literature review on the impact of climate variables on energy (power generation) infrastructure, including equations that link climate variables to the economic performance of various power generation technologies as well as power grid efficiency: wind technology, wave technology, solar technology, hydropower, gas power, coal power, nuclear power, geothermal power, and the power grid.
• How the above information was used to select relevant indicators from the Copernicus database.
• How outputs of the CDS datasets are integrated into the SAVi System Dynamics (SD) Energy model.

This report outlines the integration of authoritative Copernicus Climate Data from the Climate Data Store (CDS) into the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) Buildings model. It describes how several climate indicators obtained from the CDS were integrated into SAVi and how its analysis has improved as a result. In light of this integration, IISD can generate sophisticated SAVi-derived analyses on the costs of climate-related risks and climate-related externalities.

This document presents:

• A summary of the literature review conducted on the impact of weather on buildings.
• Equations found in the literature that link climate variables to the performance of infrastructure services across all of these subsectors. For example, these services include power generation, irrigation, wastewater treatment, and mobility solutions. In the case of nature-based infrastructure, these services include ecosystem services and their derived infrastructure and climate adaptation benefits.
• How the above information was used to select relevant indicators from the Copernicus database.
• An indication of how outputs of the CDS datasets are integrated into the SAVi system dynamics models and how simulation results can be affected using this new and improved set of indicators.

This report outlines the integration of authoritative Copernicus Climate Data from the Climate Data Store (CDS) into the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) tool. It describes how several climate indicators obtained from the CDS were integrated into SAVi and how its analysis has improved as a result. In light of this integration, IISD can generate sophisticated SAVi-derived analyses on the costs of climate-related risks and climate-related externalities.

This document presents:

• A summary of the literature review conducted on the impact of weather on several subsectors of infrastructure—energy, water, nature-based infrastructure, buildings, materials management, roads, and transport.
• Equations found in the literature that link climate variables to the performance of infrastructure services across all of these subsectors. For example, these services include power generation, irrigation, wastewater treatment, and mobility solutions. In the case of nature-based infrastructure, these services include ecosystem services and their derived infrastructure and climate adaptation benefits.
• How the above information was used to select relevant indicators from the Copernicus database.
• An indication of how outputs of the CDS datasets are integrated into the SAVi system dynamics models and how simulation results can be affected using this new and improved set of indicators.

Based on a survey of over 900 households in Jharkhand, this report finds that residential electricity subsidies are not well targeted and that wealthier households in Jharkhand receive more than twice the share of benefits received by poor households. In rural areas, the top two quintiles—the richest 40%—received 61% of subsidy benefits, and the bottom two quintiles received 25%. Among urban households, the top two quintiles received 60% of benefits and the bottom two received 25%.

The research evaluated three mechanisms that can improve subsidy targeting and deliver savings for the state government. In light of COVID-19’s impacts on the affordability of living, the research recommends taking a highly cautious approach in the short term to prevent any further hardships at the current time. In the medium term, however, it recommends rationalizing subsidies for better-off households to better target support to the poorest.

Even today, Jharkhand can confidently restrict subsidies for households consuming more than 300 kWh of electricity per month, as very few households are well-off enough to consume at this level. For the medium term, the research recommends an incrementally decreasing subsidy for consumption blocks between 50 kWh and 200 kWh. We estimate this would generate fiscal savings of least USD 44 million, which could be used to increase support for the poorest or contribute to tackling the current health and economic crisis.

Many other state governments in India have tariff and subsidy structures similar to Jharkhand. The statewide survey could represent a larger national trend, where residential electricity subsidies are skewed toward non-poor households. But the lack of good data on targeting electricity subsidies is a major knowledge gap across the country. The report recommends making energy access fairer for poor households by encouraging state governments, electricity regulators, and electricity distribution companies to analyze who benefits most from electricity subsidies and test different targeting strategies.

This paper examines the provisions that relate to micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in regional trade agreements and the World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements, considering what these may mean for discussions underway in an Informal Working Group on MSMEs that was established in December 2017. The paper reviews general rule-making trends and analyzes specific provisions. It also includes a dedicated section noting the interaction between such provisions and gender considerations and provisions. The author then considers the discussions under the Informal Working Group on MSMEs in relation to other Joint Statement Initiatives that were also launched in December 2017, where applicable. The paper concludes with key takeaways from the analysis for the Informal Working Group and others to consider.

This material has been produced with funding by UK aid from the UK Government. The Umbrella Grant is a project of the Trade and Investment Advocacy Fund (TAF2+) and is implemented by the International Institute for Sustainable Development, in consortium with CUTS International, Geneva; BKP Economic Advisors; and InterAnalysis. These papers benefited from the review of our editorial oversight committee, including Nathalie Bernasconi-Osterwalder, Rashid Kaukab, Julien Grollier, Julian Mukiibi, Soledad Leal Campos, Rashmi Jose, Susan Joekes, and Sofía Baliño.

Views expressed in the publication are the authors’ own and do not necessarily reflect HM Government’s official positions or those of TAF2+.