Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment she has made of the importance of environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards to (a) international and (b) UK free trade.

In our outline approaches to Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with the US, New Zealand, and Australia, we have committed to high labour and environmental standards, for example by supporting Research and Development and innovation in sectors such as offshore wind. The Government also publishes scoping assessments of the broad impacts of new FTAs, prior to negotiations commencing. These include preliminary assessments of the potential implications for the environment.

Internationally, the UK is also intent on demonstrating global leadership at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and other multilateral forums. In March last year, the Secretary of State for International Trade announced that the environment would be one of the UK’s top priorities at the WTO.