The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) will co-host a Trade Pavilion at the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), to be held from March 12-30, 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. At the UN Climate Conference, for the first time, climate policymakers and experts will discuss trade-related measures and facilitate consensus on them to help advance climate and sustainable development action.
UNCTAD will also contribute to the COP28 Trade Day on March 4, the first time a climate summit has devoted a full day to discussing the role of trade in climate action.
Rebecca Greenspan, Secretary-General of UNCTAD, said: “Climate policy and trade policy need to go hand in hand. As the world grapples with the devastating effects of global warming, trade has a role to play in shaping climate action for inclusive and sustainable development…
The Trade Pavilion will demonstrate how trade-led development can accelerate a just global transition to a low-carbon economy by strengthening climate action in a coordinated and inclusive manner. The Trade Pavilion will also provide a platform for global stakeholders to exchange knowledge and co-create solutions in favor of development.
The pavilion will host expert panel discussions on topics including
Ensuring a just energy transition from a development perspective
South-South trade in environmentally preferable products and services
Trade-related measures to facilitate the implementation of nationally owned contributions
Services in support of the energy transition
The role of alternatives to plastics
Sustainable investment
The role of finance and the blue economy in supporting a just transition
The link between trade and climate change has never been clearer. Trade-related emissions, i.e. those associated with the production and distribution of goods and services globally, account for about a quarter of total carbon dioxide emissions. Therefore, more cooperation is needed to reduce trade-related emissions in order to achieve the climate goals of the Paris Agreement.
Trade can also be a powerful tool to accelerate the energy transition and support low-emission resilient development pathways. It can facilitate access to environmentally sound goods and services, as well as to technologies and know-how that are essential for fostering innovation and capacity-building to support mitigation and adaptation efforts in all countries.
UNCTAD co-hosted the Trade Pavilion at the twenty-eighth session of the Conference of the Parties, which was an important step in raising awareness of the importance of trade in climate action and in fostering dialogue and cooperation among stakeholders to develop and implement effective trade-related climate policies.