High Level Forum on Trade, Climate Change and Oceans Economy

On the front line of climate change - at the ocean-land interface – coastlines and coastal communities are among the first and most affected. One group of Parties to the Paris Agreement are particularly active and vocal: the Small Island Developing States, or SIDS. SIDS may not be able to change the political course of efforts to mitigate climate change, but what the international community does or does not do will determine their fate. Sea-level rise, an increased frequency and magnitude of storms, flooding, erosion, and associated damage to coastal infrastructure, fisheries and ecosystems threaten the physical, economic and social fabric of coastal regions.

Oceans-based economic diversification could enhance the Nationally Determined Contributions of SIDS to the implementation of the Paris Agreement. While trade can be an enabling factor in adaptation and in mainstreaming oceans-based economic activities in SIDS, where domestic markets remain small and remoteness is an intractable hindering factor.  Disciplining fish and related fuel subsidies in the WTO as well as a sound tax policy reform can support mitigation efforts and create incentives for carbon-neutral technologies and best practices in key sectors such as transport, fisheries, and tourism.

Plastic pollution constitutes a serious threat to world’s oceans, affecting biodiversity, ecosystem services and livelihoods.  Curbing plastic pollution is not simply a matter of changing consumer and municipality waste patterns because pollution sources are often linked to technologies and decisions applied in the manufacturing stages of products entering the global supply chains. At the same time, remediating plastic pollution already dispersed throughout the oceans is infinitely more challenging, although efforts are succeeding in removing plastics from coastlines and neighboring waters. As some aspects of manufacturing-related plastics pollution can be dealt with by circular approaches and other strategies, this session brings together advocates, researchers, producers and donors to discuss research, industrial and behavioural initiatives aimed at dealing with this problem.

Climate Summit in 2019.
To boost ambition and accelerate actions to implement the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, UN Secretary-General António Guterres will host the 2019 Climate Summit on 23 September to meet the climate challenge. The Summit will showcase developments in the real economy to send strong market and political signals to countries, companies, cities and civil society. The UNCTAD event is meant as a contribution to the Summit from the trade and developmental community.