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(…) Australia also collaborated closely with economies in developing the 2012 APEC List of Environmental Goods, for which tariffs will be reduced to 5% or less by the end of 2015.

(…) MFN applied tariff rates on 54 items contained in the September 2012 APEC List of Environmental Goods that directly and positively contribute to green growth and sustainable development objectives remain subject to tariffs of 5% or less. (…)

Engagement under the EAS (East Asia Summit) finance stream has been supporting the emergence of the region's economic identity, by focusing Ministers' attention on the regional dimension of global economic issues, and other unique regional challenges. This has included consideration of the equity and environmental dimensions of sustainable economic growth (...)

Australia's prosperity is underpinned by its global economic engagement as articulated through the Government's economic diplomacy agenda. Global trade reform in agriculture, manufacturing, environmental goods, services, intellectual property, energy and resources, investment and tourism are all priorities for the Australian Government.

Australia's objectives in negotiations on trade and environment issues are to liberalise international trade in environmental goods and services, recognising the important role that trade can play in addressing climate change and pursuing other environmental goals. Australia continues to work with other WTO Members on the relationship between WTO rules and specific trade obligations in multilateral environmental agreements, ensuring that trade measures do not clash with other relevant treaties and that environmental measures do not act as an avenue for trade protectionism. Australia is playing a lead role in negotiations with other WTO Members for a plurilateral agreement to liberalise trade in environmental goods.

Australia continues to proactively negotiate plurilateral agreements under the auspices of, and alongside, the WTO. Australia is party to negotiations on the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA), Information Technology Agreement (ITA), and the Environmental Goods Agreement (EGA).

In January 2014, Australia and 13 other WTO Members, including China, the European Union, Japan and the United States launched negotiations for a plurilateral agreement on the liberalisation of trade in environmental goods. The EGA will be a non-preferential plurilateral agreement, reinforcing the multilateral trading system and benefiting all WTO Members by applying the principle of Most Favoured Nation. The EGA will build on commitments made by APEC Leaders in 2012 for reductions in tariffs on a list of 54 environmental goods, and will likely include other goods that directly and positively contribute to green growth and sustainable development. Australia is the current chair of the negotiations, which commenced in July 2014. When concluded, the agreement will eliminate tariffs on an agreed range of goods to help protect the environment and address climate change.

Australia has also sought to pursue environmental objectives and enhance international cooperation in environmental matters of shared interest through FTA negotiations. Provisions are included in all of Australia's FTAs which allow governments to provide legitimate protection for their environments, while simultaneously guarding against trade distorting policies taken in the guise of environmental protection. Three of Australia's finalised FTAs also contain specific chapters on the environment: Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement (AUSFTA), the Australia-Chile Free Trade Agreement (ACI-FTA) and the Australia-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KAFTA).

Table A2. 2 RTAs in force, 2014
Korea-Australia Free Trade Agreement (KAFTA)
- Coverage (selected features): Services, government procurement, intellectual property, competition policy, environment, and labour

Free Trade Agreement between Australia and Malaysia
- Coverage (selected features): Services, competition policy, environment, intellectual property rights, investment, and labour

Australia - United States Free Trade Agreement (AUSFTA)
- Coverage (selected features): Services, investment, government procurement, competition policy, e-commerce, intellectual property rights, labour issues and environmental matters

KAFTA (Korea-Australia Free Trade Agreement) gives Australian exporters significantly improved market access in goods and services and improves bilateral investment protections. (...) The Agreement includes an investor-state dispute settlement mechanism, which incorporates safeguards in policy areas such as public health and environmental measures.