The mandate of Competition Authorities has grown to cover not only competition issues, but broader national policy issues such as employment, investment and national security. This is certainly true of South Africa and the Global South, but more recently, the Global North has begun to elevate environmental sustainability as a “public interest” issue. Factoring in issues of environmental sustainability in merger control and enforcement has the potential to create imbalances in both trade and competition that can place developing economies at a disadvantage.

For instance, prioritising sustainability can potentially be used to justify regional and global concentration and limit the ability of developing countries to enter and compete in these markets. Panellists will discuss the trend of Authorities considering sustainability factors, the potential risks for developing countries and the impact of trade barriers on national antitrust and competitiveness.