Registration (deadline: 20 April 2026)
This online course equips participants to harness trade as a driver for low-carbon development, climate resilience, and mitigation. Drawing on UNCTAD’s research and technical cooperation experience on trade and climate change, and on Non-Tariff Measures (NTMs), the course guides participants to identify climate-strategic sectors and design trade-related measures to support the formulation and implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), while promoting coherence and alignment with other national development strategies. Delivered over a 6-week period, it combines short self-paced modules, curated readings and one live introductory webinar with UNCTAD experts.
This new edition of the course builds on the strong response to the first edition of the course, which attracted over 500 applications and brought together participants from government, academia, international organizations, and the private sector across regions, reflecting the growing awareness of the potential contribution of trade to climate action.
Background
Trade can be used as a delivery tool for climate solutions. Well-designed trade measures facilitate access to environmentally preferable goods and services, lower costs, provide low carbon economic diversification opportunities, contributing to technology transfer and upgrading, while improving value-chain resilience. Despite the inclusion of some trade-related measures in national climate plans, recent UNCTAD analysis and findings from technical cooperation projects show that a structured approach for the design and adoption of such measures is needed to better harness their potential to advance national climate goals and contribute to the SDGs.
Learning objectives
- Understand the linkages between trade and climate change and the potential contribution of trade to climate action, including to NDCs
- Identify key categories of trade‑related measures used to promote low‑carbon economic diversification, climate resilience (adaptation), and climate change mitigation
- Contribute to the formulation, adoption, and implementation of trade‑related measures and policies to advance climate and sustainable development goals in NDCs and other relevant national plans and strategies
Content and Structure
- Module 1: Trade and climate change nexus
- Module 2: Trade policy tools for climate action
- Module 3: NTMs and climate change
- Module 4: Identifying climate‑strategic sectors and formulating trade‑related measures
- Optional Module: Sustainable finance tools for trade-related climate action
Target audience
Government officials from trade, environment, industry, agriculture, energy, tourism and finance ministries, quality infrastructure bodies, customs and promotion agencies; Academics and researchers in trade, climate and public policy; Representatives of regional organizations on trade, climate and value chain development; Private sector and finance professionals including exporters, MSMEs, entrepreneurs, industry associations, green technology firms, banks and climate funds; and civil society and specialized NGOs.
At a glance
- Modality: Online (4 self-paced modules + 1 live webinar)
- Duration and workload: 6 weeks, 2-3 h/week - 12–16 hours total
- Language: English
- Certification: UNCTAD Certificate of Completion awarded to participants who successfully complete the course
- Schedule:
- Applications: 17 March to 20 April 2026
- Course dates: 27 April to 8 June 2026
Enrollment confirmations will be notified on 23 April 2026.
