Category: Trade

The COP that No-One Likes

It is normal for countries to leave the COP disgruntled but resigned to the outcome, with wins and losses for everyone. But this year’s finance COP left a deeply bitter taste in the mouth for developing countries, with Nigeria calling the US$300 billion finance target a joke, and more questions than answers about whether to disband the COP process entirely. But there were some wins on trade, adaptation and carbon markets within the morass of despair on finance. In our roundup we look back and discuss the key issues and outcomes.

Adaptation, Article 6, COP29, Loss And Damage, Trade

Your Guide to COP29: A Tamer but Still Tumultuous Affair

African countries are going to COP with a long menu of agenda items to address: the new finance target (NCQG), revised NDCs, adaptation, mitigation and just transitions, loss and damage, and trade. In this explainer we discuss the key issues, points of contention, and some of the African positions ahead of the COP.

Adaptation, Article 6, COP29, Loss And Damage, NetZero and the Just Transition, Trade

Does a Legal Challenge to the CBAM have Merit?

There have been numerous complaints and threatened legal actions against the EU’s CBAM alleging it violates global trade rules, but do these bear any prospect of success? Saweria Mwangi, a trade lawyer and former WTO dispute settlement attorney unpacks the legal underpinnings and merit of these claims.

Trade

Bridging the Divide between Global Trade Policy and Climate Action

In response to the global push to shore up green technology developments, African countries are increasingly looking to localise benefits from green minerals. But they face higher tariffs on processed green minerals and products made from them. A more open discussion on how the global trade environment facilitates African green mineral beneficiation is needed at this year’s COP.

African Climate Policy, Trade

No Place to Discuss the CBAM, not even the WTO

Hopes were high that the WTO’s 13th Ministerial Conference that ended on 2 March, would address climate change and trade, including measures like the CBAM. However, like COP28, countries could not agree to its inclusion, with India blocking discussions on what it considered to be a “non-trade issue”.

Trade

COP28 and Trade: Will Anyone Say Anything?

Despite climate related trade measures like the CBAM being one of the most controversial climate developments this year, it is still not clear whether they will formally be addressed at COP28. After a sour ending at the Bonn climate talks in June this year, countries still can’t agree whether to even discuss these types of unilateral response measures. Developed countries argue they should be addressed under the WTO, whilst African countries also want it dealt with under the global climate regime.

COP28, Trade

UAE to Put Trade on COP28 Agenda as Australia Joins Climate Club

The UAE intends to introduce a special focus on trade at COP28, as countries are increasingly using trade to pursue their climate and growth objectives. The decision comes as Australia decides to join the G7’s Climate Club, a group that may increasingly see trade used to disadvantage countries with unambitious targets.

COP28, Trade

SA calls CBAM “Policy Coercive” and LDCs call them “Beggar Thy Neighbour” Instruments

The South Africa government has called the EU’s CBAM “policy coercive” and a threat to a “delicate national consensus”, as it imposes climate mitigation policy onto developing countries and hinders the country’s independence to create policy in this space.

Trade

WTO Review of EU Trade Policies highlights significant unease about CBAM

The EU’s CBAM and its other green policies came under fire during the EU’s 15th Trade Policy Review at the WTO. China said it would unfairly penalise developing countries, and Russia complained it would fundamentally challenge the structure of global goods flows and the state of competition.

Trade

Kenya to join Global Climate Club. Quo Vadis the Glasgow Mitigation Work Programme?

Kenya intends to join a Climate Club that aims to enhance mitigation ambition through trade cooperation and possibly industrial sector targets. What does this mean for the Mitigation Work Programme?

COP28, Trade