Climate Change: Safeguarding the Trade of Small States and LDCs

13 – 14 June 2011

International trade, as shaped by both the multilateral rules and disciplines under the WTO and the evolving structures of the global trading system, is an important factor that can influence a developing country’s economic development prospects. Trade policy is therefore an important element in any developing country’s policy tools to use in advancing its development objectives. At the same time, climate change and its impacts are increasingly shaping the environment under which economic activity takes place in developing countries.

The meeting was facilitated to improve the understanding of Commonwealth Small States and LDC members of the variety of policies implemented by governments, such as regulatory measures and economic incentives to address climate change and in identifying the practical impact or likely impact these measures are likely to have on their terms of trade. The deliberations also provided an opportunity to identify policies and strategies that could be considered by these economies to address the possible challenges and realise potential opportunities emanating from these developments. The meeting also enabled the identification of key priority area of work where the Commonwealth Secretariat could provide assistance in future to assist in awareness raising and in the formulation, negotiation and implementation of forward looking policies supportive of growth in these economies.

The meeting program and presentations are provided below:

DAY 1: Monday 13 June

9:00 – 9.15 Opening
Commonwealth Secretariat

9.15 – 10.30 Session 1: Trade and Climate Change WTO Rules
Presentation by Ludivine Tamiotti, Counsellor, Trade and Environment Division, WTO Secretariat

10.45 – 1.00 Session 2: Climate Change Policy Instruments and Small States and LDC Exports

Border Carbon Adjustment Measures and Small States
Presentation by Dr. Peter Holmes, CARIS, University of Sussex

Carbon Labels and Standards: development hero or villain?
Presentation by Tom Birch, International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)

2.00 – 3.00 Session 3: Trade Restrictive Climatic Policy Measures Impacting Small States and LDC Exports

Trade Climate Change and Vulnerability of Small States and LDCs: Agriculture/Fisheries/Tourism/Extractive Industries
Presentation by Aaron Cosby, IISD-Canada (video-link)

3.30 – 4.30   Travel and Tourism: Tax and Border Adjustment Measures including the Air Passenger Duty (APD)

Air Passenger Duty: Recent Developments and WTO Law Aspects
Presentation by Dr. Lorand Bartels, University of Cambridge

Aviation, Climate Policy and Trade Interactions
Tom Birch, International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)

Dr. Keith Nurse, Shridath Ramphal Centre for International Trade Law, Policy and Services, University of West Indies, Barbados

DAY 2: Tuesday 14 June

9.30 – 10.30 Sessions 4: Promoting Development in Small States and LDCs

Export Diversification and Climate Change: Overcoming the new physical and regulatory constraints
Presentation by Jodie Keane, Overseas Development Institute (ODI)

Financial Mechanisms to Promote the Development and Deployment of Climate Friendly Technologies
Presentation by Ludivine Tamiotti, Counsellor, Trade and Environment Division, WTO Secretariat

10.45 – 1.00 Round Table: Exchange of Experience

Subhas Gujadhur, Permanent Mission of Mauritius to the UN

Aaron Buncle, Resource Economist, South Pacific Regional Environmental Program

Dr Keith Nurse, Shridath Ramphal Centre for International Trade Law, Policy and Services, University of West Indies, Barbados 

2.00 – 3.00 Climatic Challenges and Economic Resilience of Small States
Presentation by Lino Briguglio, University of Malta

3.30 – 4.30 Sessions 5:  Presentation by Session Rapporteurs

4.30 – 5.00 Sessions 6: Way Forward & Conclusions