Singapore, New Zealand, South Korea Advance Green Trade Pact

By Daniel Okafor

Singapore, New Zealand and South Korea will resume Green Economy Partnership Agreement talks in early 2027, according to their joint statement.

Senior officials from the three countries met on Nov. 5, ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders Week. The officials reviewed progress and discussed key emerging features of the proposed agreement. A joint statement released on Thursday said the talks covered trade-related climate measures, low-emissions goods, environmental certificates and sustainable aviation fuel.

The joint statement dates the launch of GEPA to Gyeongju, South Korea, on Oct. 31, 2025. The partners describe it as "an open and evolving framework for cooperation on green trade." They say it aims to reduce regulatory fragmentation. It also seeks better compatibility between sustainability rules and practices across markets.

The statement cited two forces shaping the agreement. Businesses face growing sustainability requirements and trade-related climate measures across different markets. At the same time, commercial opportunities are emerging in environmental goods, low-emissions products and environmental attribute certificates.

What does GEPA seek to standardise?

The agreement includes a proposed module on trade-related climate measures. The partners describe it as "the world's first module on trade-related climate measures."

Under the proposal, shared principles would guide the design of such measures. Where relevant, the module would also cover monitoring, reporting and verification systems. The partners say this would give businesses greater certainty when operating across markets.

This resembles a shared playbook: design principles guide the measures, while monitoring, reporting and verification systems show how they operate in practice.

Where could trade expand?

According to the joint statement, the partners are also exploring ways to facilitate trade in environmental and low-emissions goods. Their discussions include low-carbon steel, which the statement places in hard-to-abate sectors.

They are considering improved mutual recognition of standards, definitions and certification processes. The partners say broader recognition could encourage wider adoption of these products.

On environmental attributes, GEPA aims to explore opportunities to develop trading markets in collaboration with industry. The statement says this could support credible supply and demand for high-integrity environmental attributes. It could also encourage investment in positive environmental outcomes.

The two tracks address different commercial questions. One covers physical goods; the other covers demand for environmental attributes and the certificates that represent them.

What else sits inside the talks?

The joint statement identifies several other workstreams. Negotiators are seeking greater coherence in international sustainability reporting requirements. They plan to support aviation decarbonisation and energy resilience through improved access to affordable sustainable aviation fuel. Sustainable building and construction practices form another area of work.

Food systems receive separate attention. The partners want cooperation on scientific and technological developments, emissions measurement and regulatory approaches. They also seek policies that improve sustainability, productivity and resilience.

The agreement therefore reaches beyond physical products. It links those goods to reporting standards, aviation fuel access, building and construction practices, and food-system policy.

How will the partners test the framework?

According to the joint statement, GEPA is designed to function as a platform for practical cooperation. That platform could involve all three partners or interested countries. The parties intend it to translate shared priorities into tangible outcomes.

The joint statement said the three countries will continue negotiations and explore opportunities for practical cooperation at their next negotiating round in early 2027.

The early-2027 round will test whether shared principles and mutual recognition can produce more tradeable low-emissions products and credible environmental attributes.