On 4 July 2024, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment hosted the second annual Trade Horizons Conference as part of the key priority actions under the ‘Trade and Investment Strategy 2022-2026: Value for Ireland, Values for the World’.
The theme of the Trade Horizons Conference 2024 was ‘Trade for a Sustainable Future’. The conference was based on global trade and business connections and highlighted how trade policy and climate action interact with one another, how policymakers and businesses can work together to advance global prosperity, well-being and meaningful action on climate change and the drive for net zero carbon emissions. This urgent agenda will increasingly affect cross-border trade and investment and will challenge manufacturing and distribution systems as organisations grapple with the challenge of substantially lowering emissions embedded in traded goods and services.
Speakers and expert panels
The conference was addressed by both Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Peter Burke and Minister of State Dara Calleary. The highlights of the event included a keynote address by Dr Marion Jansen Director, OECD and Jean-Marie Paugam Deputy Director General, WTO.
The conference was moderated by Áine Kerr who facilitated the first panel discussion on Global Trade and the Climate Action Imperative. This panel discussion included Declan Hughes (Secretary General, DETE), Leo Clancy (CEO, Enterprise Ireland), Dr Marion Jansen Director (OECD), Jean-Marie Paugam (Deputy Director General, WTO) and joining remotely was Caoimhe Buckley (Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Fyffes). There was good discussion on how the complexity and variety of policy and guidelines can hinder progress and potentially be a barrier to smaller companies.
The conversation carried on during the coffee break which provided a great opportunity for attendees to network.
After the break the second panel focused on ‘sustainability and the challenges to being a responsible trading business’. Ben Craig (Head of Partnerships and Business Development, CarbonFit) discussed how his company work with their supply chain partners to achieve net zero targets. Patrick Byrne (CEO, Croom Medical) continued the theme of organisations working together to develop standards and eco-friendly materials while being conscious of the reporting requirements needed for various markets.
Finally, Sinead Hickey (Head of Sustainability, SISK) talked more about reporting and the responsibility being placed on stakeholders to be aware of the reporting requirements along their supply chains. Ian O’Hora (IDA Ireland) and Jennifer Melia (Enterprise Ireland) contributed valuable insights from their agencies activities in support of the department's policy and objectives.
After a Q&A session our moderator Áine wrapped up the conference with a brief run through of the key discussion points and highlights.
The conference provided a platform for discussion on the evolving opportunities and challenges for trade, as well as the first-hand experience of companies operating in this evolving environment.
Related information
Trade and Investment Strategy 2022-2026: Value for Ireland, Values for the World
Delivering Value for Ireland: Trade and Investment Report 2021
White Paper on Enterprise 2022-2030