unctad.org | About the Climate Change Programme

The Programme

UNCTAD´s Climate Change Programme focuses on the trade and economic aspects of climate policies, biofuels and the Kyoto Protocol´s clean development mechanism (CDM). Through exchanges of information, analytical studies, expert meetings and workshops, the Branch:

leads initiatives to assess the trade and development implications of climate change policies,
helps promote investment and secure development gains in in developing countries under the Clean Development Mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol;
provides support for governments, corporations and non-governmental organizations in assessing biofuels potential in developing countries, and
supports compatibility between climate policy and trade rules

Since 2005 UNCTAD has given high priority to biofuels, particularly as a trade and investment opportunity for developing countries, highlighted in the Secretary-General´s Report to UNCTAD XII (section 96) as one of the key trade and development issues in the current global environment. It has been conducting a major work programme in 2006 and 2007.

With the Earth Council, in June 1997 UNCTAD established a Global Policy Forum on Carbon Markets for trading permits for greenhouse gas emissions.

Under the UNFCCC*/Kyoto Protocol on greenhouse gas emissions, UNCTAD supported efforts to engage the private sector in the clean development mechanism with a project in Brazil that ended successfully in 2003 and a project in Tanzania as part of a programme giving emphasis to LDCs.

_{* United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change}