Sustainable Trade Fundamentals
This course is part of Global Sustainability Governance.
This comprehensive course explores the intersection of international trade and sustainable development, focusing on making global value chains more environmentally and socially responsible. Students learn about trade's role in addressing poverty, employment, and innovation while managing sustainability challenges like climate change and human rights. The course emphasizes voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) as key market-based tools, examining certification systems like Fairtrade and FSC. Topics include trade governance, VSS implementation and effectiveness, impact assessment methodologies, and public policy integration. Through expert videos, interactive exercises, and case studies, students gain practical knowledge of sustainable trade practices and their real-world applications. This course is part of the Global Sustainability Governance Professional Certificate program.
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What you'll learn
Understand international trade operations and global value chains
Explore the relationship between trade and sustainable development
Master voluntary sustainability standards and certification systems
Analyze the effectiveness and impact of sustainability standards
Evaluate trade governance tools for sustainable development
Understand public policy integration with sustainability standards
Skills you'll gain
This course includes:
PreRecorded video
Graded assignments, exams
Access on Mobile, Tablet, Desktop
Limited Access access
Shareable certificate
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There are 10 modules in this course
This course provides a comprehensive understanding of sustainable trade and its implementation through voluntary sustainability standards. Students learn about international trade mechanics, global value chains, and their relationship with sustainable development. The curriculum covers various trade instruments for sustainability, focusing on voluntary sustainability standards' role, implementation, and impact assessment. Special attention is given to the interaction between private standards and public policy, exploring how different governance tools can work together to promote sustainable trade practices. The course combines theoretical knowledge with practical applications through case studies and real-world examples.
Introduction to Trade
Module 1
Trade and Sustainable Development
Module 2
Trade Instruments for Sustainable Development
Module 3
Voluntary Sustainability Standards
Module 4
Effectiveness of VSS: Adoption
Module 6
Effectiveness of VSS: Measuring Impacts
Module 7
Effectiveness of VSS: Sustainability Impacts
Module 8
VSS in Public Policy
Module 9
Final exam
Module 10
Fee Structure
Individual course purchase is not available - to enroll in this course with a certificate, you need to purchase the complete Professional Certificate Course. For enrollment and detailed fee structure, visit the following: Global Sustainability Governance
Instructors
7 Courses
Expert in Global Governance and Sustainable Development Policy
Axel Marx serves as Deputy Director of the Leuven Centre for Global Governance Studies at KU Leuven, where he has managed over 70 funded research projects since 2007. His academic credentials include degrees from the University of Leuven, University of Hull, and University of Cambridge, followed by a PhD in Social Sciences from KU Leuven. His scholarly impact is evidenced by over 200 publications in ten languages, appearing in leading journals and influential edited volumes on global governance, labor rights, and trade policy. As Deputy Director, he has pioneered educational initiatives including MOOCs on Sustainable Development Goals and Sustainable Trade for EdX, while co-chairing the Academic Advisory Council of the United Nations Forum on Sustainability Standards. His expertise has been sought by numerous international organizations, including European institutions, United Nations organizations, and multiple national governments. He has developed significant contributions to understanding voluntary sustainability standards, human rights, global governance, and EU trade policy, while serving on prestigious committees such as the Evidensia Research Council and ILO Labour Provisions steering committee. Through his leadership at the Centre, which holds distinctions as both a KU Leuven Centre of Excellence and Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence, he continues to shape international policy and research in global governance and sustainable development, while maintaining active engagement in consulting work for major international organizations and government bodies.
4 Courses
Specialist in Sustainability Standards and Environmental Governance
Charline Depoorter serves as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Basel, building on her doctoral research at KU Leuven's Leuven Centre for Global Governance Studies and Division of Bioeconomics. Her academic foundation includes an MSc in Global Environment, Politics and Society from the University of Edinburgh and an MSc in International Politics from KU Leuven. Her research focuses on the intersection of sustainability governance and global trade, particularly examining voluntary sustainability standards and their effectiveness in creating positive environmental and social outcomes. As a key contributor to the field, she has led research initiatives at UNCTAD examining voluntary sustainability standards and sustainable development due diligence, while her work investigates how these standards address crucial issues such as deforestation, climate change, and labor rights violations in global value chains. Through her analysis of governance mechanisms and institutional design, she continues to advance understanding of how non-state governance instruments can effectively promote sustainability in international trade, particularly in developing countries and agricultural sectors, while contributing to academic discourse through publications and presentations at international conferences.
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