Speaking recently at the Rethinking World Trade 2023 conference, WTO Deputy Director General (DDG) González said that “there can be no inclusive trade without a fair climate transition and there can be no fair climate transition without globally integrated markets.” She called on WTO members to do more to promote greater coherence across climate standards and to avoid green protectionism. She also called on them to support the capacity of small businesses, women and poor rural communities to meet increasingly stringent climate standards so that they can be part of the clean supply chains of the future. “In a segmented market, the cost of green technologies increases, the opportunities for green investment dwindle, and the incentives for green innovation weaken,” DDG González said, adding that “this not only hurts developing countries the most, but also slows down the climate transition.”
