Research briefing: Will the Inclusion of Voluntary Standards in Trade Agreements Lead to More Sustainable Trade?

Research briefing: Will the Inclusion of Voluntary Standards in Trade Agreements Lead to More Sustainable Trade?

This research briefing explores the growing use of voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs) in free trade agreements (FTAs), and the challenges and opportunities for scaling the use of VSS in trade more generally. Based on a partnership between ISEAL and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), we explore the use of voluntary market based instruments in promoting sustainable trade, production and consumption.