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Meeting - Trade and Climate Change

   
 

Trade and Climate Change
Thursday, 12th November, 2009  I  12.45 to 14.30


Venue
World Trade Organization, Room D
154, rue de Lausanne, Geneva

Organised by
Centre for Trade and Economic Integration, in collaboration with the World Bank and the International Institute for Sustainable Development

 

  
  Background
  With the negotiations in Copenhagen on climate change due to culminate in a few short weeks, the consequences of global warming for trade - and for the multilateral system - merit careful attention. The most recent evidence indicates that warmer climates associated with the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere will have potentially severe implications for the retention of water in glaciers, rainfall availability, and agricultural productivity. Rising sea levels could reduce availability of arable land and have severe implication for tourism in several countries. Moreover, increasing weather variability could increase the frequency of storms and floods, putting vulnerable populations at risk. All of this will have enormous consequence for the pattern of international trade.
   
  Moreover, as governments respond to these challenges with new policies to curb emissions and promote adaptation, policies will necessarily require careful coordination in the multilateral system. On the one hand, increases in development assistance and possible access to technology could help developing countries curb their emissions and grow greener. On the other, avoiding beggar-thy-neighbour policies in the name of curbing emissions assumes a new and high priority as the world trading system adjusts to multilateral efforts.
   
Speakers

  Dominique van der Mensbrugghe, Lead Economist at the World Bank
Probable changes in patterns of international trade that rising global temperatures might precipitate

  Aaron Cosbey, International Institute for Sustainable Development
Implications for technology transfers and development assistance

  Richard Baldwin, Professor at the Graduate Institute and CTEI Director
Possible implications of Copenhagen outcomes for the world trading system and coping policies to minimise conflicts in the trading system 		 

 

  Registration
  Kindly advise Ms Isabelle Taylor itaylor@worldbank.org whether you can attend or call 022/748-1000. For those coming from outside of the WTO, sign up is particularly important to comply with new security procedures. Please mention your name, affiliation, title, email address and telephone number, and the term Trade and climate change in the subject.
   
  Coffee and cookies will be provided.