Dialogue on Trade Policy, Climate Change and Sustainable Development for the Asia-Pacific Region
6th – 7th November 2009 • Co-organised with Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA)
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This dialogue seeks to build on the highly successful dialogue on trade and climate change which ICTSD organised for the region in February earlier this year. This follow-up dialogue will focus on key issues deemed by participants at that initial dialogue as in need of deeper analysis and discussion, such as the facilitation of access to climate-friendly goods and services, and the trade-related aspects of adaptation measures taken to address climate change. Further consultations with stakeholders from the region have also elicited a strong interest in climate-related topics that have acquired more prominence in the intervening months, including the controversial border adjustment measures taken to address emissions leakage and competitiveness.
Given the intensive preparations leading to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change slated at the end of the year and the challenges which confront all economies beyond that, many have deemed it imperative for trade policy-makers in the Asia-Pacific region to take the initiative in considering innovate approaches towards the use of trade measures as legitimate tools in addressing climate change. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in particular has been pointed out as a successful incubator to cutting-edge policy reform initiatives. This experience arms APEC and its member economies with the leverage to explore creative ideas and options under the rubric of a cooperative and voluntary approach.
By deliberately scheduling the ICTSD-SIIA dialogue at the front-end of the APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting this November, we hope trade officials – under Singapore’s APEC leadership - will have the climate change imperative firmly in mind as they discuss the trade agenda.
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