Trade and Climate: Are their Interlinkages Taken into Account in the WTO and UNFCCC Systems?

Evidence as to how trade and climate change affect one another has been well-documented in recent years, pointing to the need for sound policy synergies in these areas. In this regard, the role of international trade and climate negotiations in framing the required policy space should not be overlooked. In particular, coherence should be ensured between related provisions in negotiating fora such as the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This paper reviews such provisions by analysing climate issues discussed at the WTO as well as trade elements in multilateral climate talks, making a case for taking their linkages into account across multilateral fora.