Trade and climate change

Trade and climate change

Trade and climate change are closely linked. Trade contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, while climate change affects production, transport and supply chains.

Trade can also supports climate action by expanding access to green goods, services and technologies, promoting low-carbon economic diversification and strengthening resilience and adaptation.

As countries pursue more ambitious climate goals, trade policy is increasingly key to achieving them. Climate-related measures, industrial policies and subsidies can also affect competitiveness, market access and trade flows.

UNCTAD supports developing countries in addressing the links between trade, climate change and sustainable development. Its work helps countries align trade and climate policies, strengthen resilience, promote low-carbon economic diversification and support just and inclusive transitions.

Areas of work

UNCTAD's work on trade and climate change focuses on:

  • Research and analysis of the trade and development implications of climate change and climate action.
  • Support for international cooperation, including relevant processes under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and other regional and global initiatives.
  • Technical assistance to help developing countries use trade as a driver of climate action, resilience and sustainable economic transformation.

This work is closely linked to UNCTAD's broader activities on trade and environment, including green export strategies, the circular economy, the blue economy, voluntary sustainability standards and BioTrade.

Mandate and alignment

UNCTAD's work is guided by the Geneva Consensus and supports international efforts to integrate trade into climate action. 

This includes contributions to initiatives related to nationally determined contributions (NDCs), climate resilience, low-carbon economic diversification, the UNFCCC Dialogues on Trade and Climate Change, and the Integrated Forum on Climate Change and Trade (IFCCT).

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