Final Report for the 15th Sub-Committee on Standards and Conformance (SCSC) Conference: Leveraging Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS) to Strengthen APEC Member Economies’ Trade Partnerships and Economic Cooperation

The APEC project “SCSC_203_2023A: 15th SCSC Conference on Standards and Conformance: Leveraging Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS) to strengthen APEC member economies’ trade partnerships and economic cooperation” aimed to promote understanding of VSS among APEC, addressing both opportunities and challenges for their implementation; and to analyze how VSS interact with trade agreements to ensure coherence and synergy in promoting sustainability. It targeted sustainable and equitable growth in line with APEC’s Putrajaya Vision for 2040. VSS are rules that producers, traders or service providers may be asked to follow so that the things they make, grow or do not hurt people and the environment. 

This final report compiles all the findings and lessons from (1) the diagnostic report; (2) the pre-conference survey; (3) the 15th APEC Sub-Committee on Standards and Conformance (SCSC) Conference held in Lima, Peru in 15-16 August 2024; and (4) the post-conference survey. Then, it presents policy recommendations for APEC economies.