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Trade and Climate Change Panel

Organized by CTEI, IISD and the World Bank

12 November 2009

Alison Curtis, Intern - The Center for Trade and Economic Integration (CTEI), International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), and the World Bank jointly organized a panel on trade and climate change at the World Trade Organization (WTO) on 12 November 2009.  Richard Baldwin of the Graduate Institute and CTEI presented bold statements and possible scenarios.  He suggested that the WTO needs a coping strategy for climate change, rather than a solution, as its efficiency and legitimacy will be questioned and hampered when nations dispute climate change policies in the future.  He brought attention the issue of sharing, and declared it to be the cause of a potential “train wreck.”  He proclaimed that the key to dealing with climate adaptation is climate cooperation.  However, his prediction of the outcome of Copenhagen next month was bleak, saying that they will agree “upon policies that have already been agreed upon” and “to hold more meetings in the future.”  

Dominique van der Mensbrugghe of the World Bank followed by saying that if the world returns to a “business as usual” approach, damage will occur thirty years earlier than already predicted.  He stated that the agricultural sector is the most vulnerable, especially in developing countries, and suggests the investment in R&D, water management, infrastructure, safety nets, and diversification.

Aaron Cosbey of IISD suggested that in order to deal with climate change, we must tackle one of the three factors that contribute to its impact:  population, affluence, and technology.  He believes that more patents are needed for a true technology transfer, and opposes the stance that intellectual property rights provisions must be weakened.  He emphasized the importance of investment in technology, but pointed out that the money necessary for these investments will not come from governments.

Participants voiced their concerns regarding how money will be obtained in order to make changes and policies.  It was also noted that climate change affects human health, and that these impacts must be considered.  While the comprehension of climate change impacts and the urgency to address this issue is increasingly apparent, there has yet to be a distinct path of policies and solutions on this issue.

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