ICTSD » Information note

Climate Change and Trade on the Road to Copenhagen

sderksen — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 15:41:59 +0000

The global effort to address climate change will require a fundamental transformation of our economies and the ways we use energy. The current phase of negotiations under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is set to lay the groundwork for the necessary policy reform, and will require concerted and cooperative efforts by individual countries, the business sector and civil society. Innovation – both with regard to the technologies of the future and the regulatory frameworks used to usher them in at the scale needed – will be key to success.

Climate Change and Fisheries: Policy, Trade and Sustainable Development Issues

sderksen — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 14:30:13 +0000

Trade in fish and fishery products can play a key role in the development strategies of many developing countries. In fact, for many Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Small and Vulnerable Economies (SVEs), and Small Islands Developing States (SIDS), the fisheries sector is a large source of employment and export revenue, a key dietary input and an important element of local livelihood. However, overexploitation of fish stocks, as well as climate change impacts are threatening the survival of the industry in many countries as well as millions of people that depend on it for their livelihood. Given its vital socioeconomic importance, concerned countries need to rapidly develop adaptive capacities, in order to make fisheries more resilient to external shocks, while mitigating environmental challenges. This information note discusses the likely impacts of climate change on fisheries and the role of trade and trade policies in supporting adaptation and mitigation measures in fisheries.

Trade and Climate Change Adaptation: Sustainable Development Objectives for LDCs, SVEs, and SIDS

sderksen — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 13:59:48 +0000

Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Small and Vulnerable Economies (SVEs), and Small Islands Developing States (SIDs) are highly vulnerable to climate change physical impacts, including droughts, floods, and hurricanes. Key economic sectors such as fisheries, agriculture, and tourism could face important risks in the context of climate change. Given these countries’ high dependence on such sectors for economic growth, food security and livelihood security, climate change poses imperative economic, social, and environmental challenges for LDCs, SVEs, and SIDs. New and effective sources of funding will thus be fundamental in order to address these underlying issues. Moreover, during the 13th UNFCCC Conference of the Parties in Bali, the need for deepening analysis and understanding of the trade and climate change nexus was highlighted. Indeed, trade policy could play an instrumental role in enhancing the adaptation measures taken by LDCs, SVEs, and SIDs. This information note identifies key trade and development areas where trade policy could facilitate climate change adaptation and the attainment of sustainable development objectives.

Fostering the Development and Diffusion of Technologies for Climate Change: Lessons from the CGIAR Model

Tamara Asamoah — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:38:00 +0000

In negotiations leading to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) meeting in Copenhagen, negotiators and other stakeholders, are examining international partnerships in the area of joint research and development (R&D) to draw lessons for fostering the development and diffusion of technologies for climate change mitigation and adaptation. Several proposals have been made in this regard. One such proposal that is attracting growing support aims at the establishment of regional technology innovation centres.

It is against this background, that the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) is becoming the subject of increased interest on the part of stakeholders actively involved in climate change talks. The CGIAR is a strategic partnership of international agricultural centres that mobilizes scientific research to achieve sustainable food security and reduce poverty in developing countries.

This policy brief aims to provide an overview of the CGIAR, in particular its organisation and its evolution, taking into consideration the challenges it has faced since its establishment. It also discusses a number of questions raised by the CGIAR model that may inform efforts that aim to promote the development and diffusion of climate change mitigation and adaptation technologies.

How do food prices affect producers and consumers in developing countries?

Ammad Bahalim — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:09:20 +0000

High food prices in 2008 brought global attention to the difficulties that producers and consumers in developing countries have faced for many years. This note examines trends in global agricultural production and surveys some of the newest information that has come to light to probe how food prices have affected agriculture.

Capping Unusually High Tariffs: The WTO Doha Round and ‘Tariff Peaks’

Ammad Bahalim — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:46:09 +0000

This information note examines the proposed tariff cap and what this would mean for countries with extremely high tariffs. The tariff peaks of Iceland, Japan, Norway and Switzerland are examined in closer detail.

Climate Change and Fisheries

Paolo Ghisu — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:33:11 +0000

Trade in fish and fishery products can play a key role in the development strategies of many developing countries. In fact, for many Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Small and Vulnerable Economies (SVEs), and Small Islands Developing States (SIDS), the fisheries sector is a large source of employment and export revenue, a key dietary input and an important element of local livelihood. However, overexploitation of fish stocks, as well as climate change impacts are threatening the survival of the industry in many countries as well as millions of people that depend on it for their livelihood. Given its vital socio-economic importance, concerned countries need to rapidly develop adaptive capacities, in order to make fisheries more resilient to external shocks, while mitigating environmental challenges. This information note discusses the likely impacts of climate change on fisheries and the role of trade and trade policies in supporting adaptation and mitigation measures in fisheries.

Liberalization of Climate-friendly Environmental Goods: Issues for Small Developing Countries

Paolo Ghisu — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:24:03 +0000

Liberalization of environmental goods that are climate-friendly could aid climate mitigation efforts by lowering costs of these goods by reducing or eliminating higher tariffs and non-tariff barriers (NTBs). But, as WTO negotiations to selectively accelerate liberalization of these goods, the exercise is fraught with a number of challenges, a major one being that there is no universally accepted definition of environmental goods that exist. A number of environmental goods both intrinsically as well as the way they are classified for customs purposes have ‘dual’ i.e. both environmental and non-environmental uses. Further, most of the major producers and exporters of these technologies and products are developed and the larger, middle-income developing countries. Therefore, unless products such as bio-fuels or lower-technology components are deemed to be ‘environmental goods’ many smaller income developing countries may see little export benefits from liberalization. On the other hand potential does exist for a number of smaller developing countries to specialize in parts and components lower down the value-chain of certain climate-friendly technologies and such opportunities need to be explored further. Another major conclusion of the research has been that supportive Government policies and public and private financing are a key market driver particularly in the area of renewable energy. Thus, for many smaller developing countries, bilateral and multilateral technical and financial assistance both as part of a trade-liberalization package (within or outside the WTO) as well as in other relevant forums such as the UNFCCC will be critical in enabling them to emerge as attractive markets for climate-friendly technologies as well as enable them to build and develop capacity at higher levels of the value chain.

Trade and Climate Change Adaptation

Paolo Ghisu — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:03:49 +0000

Technologies for Climate Change and Intellectual Property

Paolo Ghisu — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 08:19:52 +0000

Development and transfer of technology has emerged as a basic building block in the crafting of a post-2012 global regime on climate change. A number of technologies needed for adaptation and mitigation (e.g. water saving, disease and pest control technology, energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies, etc.) have been identified. The role of intellectual property (IP) in promoting the transfer of technology, though generally controversial, is particularly complex in relation to Least Developed Countries (LDCs). This information note aims to provide an initial review of the links between these issues from the perspective of LDCs and outline some of the relevant measures that could be developed in support of a post-Kyoto climate regime.