On 3 December 2025, the Ministry of Trade and Industry (“MTI“) issued a public consultation to seek feedback on ways in which a Green Economy Partnership Agreement (“GEPA“) between Singapore, Chile and New Zealand could advance business interests and support Singapore’s growth in the green economy.
By way of background, Singapore, Chile and New Zealand launched negotiations for the GEPA on 31 October 2025. Due to technological breakthroughs in alternative energy sources (such as low-carbon fuels and waste-to-energy and growth in low-carbon solutions) in recent years, growth and sustainability are increasingly recognised as mutually reinforcing.
The GEPA is a new rules-based trade agreement which aims to support new opportunities and efficiencies for businesses and enhance trade and investment in green sectors while advancing the decarbonisation of economies.
The potential topics for the GEPA include:
- enhancing trade and investment in environmental goods and services;
- enhancing interoperability of standards and eco-labelling;
- fostering coherence of emerging trade-related climate measures;
- supporting trade in intangible environmental attributes, such as carbon credits and renewable energy certificates; and
- deepening collaboration to promote the uptake of low-carbon solutions and sustainable practices among Singapore’s, Chile’s and New Zealand’s key sectors.
The public consultation period ended on 16 January 2026 and negotiations for the GEPA will continue this year.
As Singapore is setting its sight on modernising the green economy in alignment with international standards and practices, this presents a growth opportunity for companies keen in decarbonisation and the broader enabling ecosystem. Provision of products and services that have environmental sustainability as a competitive advantage will shape a segment of international trade and investment. The clarification of their rules in trade will be inevitable and a welcomed development. Parties involved along the trade life cycle including investors, importers and exporters, can approach the Rajah & Tann Sustainability team of lawyers for legal solutions.
Singapore-based enterprises developing or investing into environmental goods and services and their supporting solutions can tap on our environmental, social and governance (ESG) legal fee subsidy for environmental related legal advisory under the Sustainability Legal Catalyst Programme with Enterprise Singapore. Terms and conditions apply. You can reach out to us at [email protected].
Click on the following link for more information:
- MTI Press Release titled “Public Consultation on the Green Economy Partnership Agreement” (available on the MTI at www.mti.gov.sg)
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