What is Sustainability Impact Assessment (SIA)?
An SIA is a process seeking to identify economic, social and environmental impacts of trade agreements. It also aims at devising policy packages to maximise positive impacts of trade and mitigate any negative consequences. Sustainability Impact Assessment is a process undertaken before and during a trade negotiation which seeks to identify economic, social and environmental impacts of a trade agreement. The purpose of an SIA is to integrate sustainability into trade policy by informing negotiators of the possible social, environmental and economic consequences of a trade agreement. The idea is to assess how best to define a full package of domestic policies and international initiatives to yield the best possible outcome, not just in terms of liberalisation and economic growth, but also of other components of sustainable development. An SIA should also provide guidelines for the design of possible accompanying policy measures. Such measures may go beyond the field of trade as such, and
