Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP) is convening an International Dialogue on Climate and Trade bringing together governments and stakeholders to build consensus on cooperative approaches that can minimize rising frictions between climate and trade objectives and leverage trade to accelerate global climate action.
Context
Climate change and international trade are inextricably linked: While trade facilitated widespread adoption of high-carbon fuels and technologies and today accounts for roughly a quarter of global emissions, it is also indispensable in scaling up the low-carbon solutions needed for the net-zero transition. Increasingly, major economies are deploying green industrial policies including clean energy subsidies and carbon border measures to address both climate and economic objectives. While these measures can help lower the cost of clean technologies, their potential trade ramifications are raising concerns among emerging and developing economies that they are being disadvantaged in the net-zero transition. Left unmanaged, growing climate-trade frictions risk undermining countries’ climate, trade, and development objectives. Cooperative solutions can help ease climate-trade tensions and open opportunities to leverage trade toward more ambitious and equitable climate action.
The Dialogue
The International Dialogue on Climate and Trade aims to build common ground on climate and trade by providing governments and stakeholders a neutral forum to explore core issues and potential solutions.
In phase one of the Dialogue, CGEP and partners organized regional workshops in Brazil, Singapore, and South Africa. The more than 100 workshop participants included officials from 22 governments as well as experts and stakeholders from academia, think tanks, the private sector, labor, and civil society. Conducted under the Chatham House Rule, the discussions helped deepen collective understanding of the sources of rising tension at the climate–trade interface and began to identify potential pathways for cooperative action to better align climate and trade objectives. (See further details and key takeaways below.) A report distilling insights from the three workshops is forthcoming.
Phase two of the Dialogue, to be conducted in 2026, will provide an opportunity for climate and trade officials from select governments to engage in a series of informal discussions with the aim of producing a shared vision to help shape policymaking across international fora.
Support
CGEP is grateful to the BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt and Breakthrough Energy for their generous support of the Dialogue.
Further Information
The Dialogue is led by CGEP Global Fellow Elliot Diringer. For further information, contact Research Associate Victoria Prado.
Regional Workshops
- Singapore — December 11–13, 2024
Co-sponsors: Centre for International Law (CIL), National University of Singapore; Ministry of Trade and Industry, Singapore
Read takeaways »
- Rio de Janeiro — May 21–23, 2025
Co-sponsors: Columbia Global Center, Rio de Janeiro; Brazilian Center on International Relations (CEBRI)
Read takeaways »
- South Africa — August 1–2, 2025
Co-sponsors: Trade & Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS)
Read takeaways » (Forthcoming)
Workshop participants included representatives of the following institutions:
American Council on Capital Formation
ArcelorMittal South Africa
Argentina: Ministry of Foreign Relations, International Trade and Worship
ASEAN Secretariat, Finance and Socioeconomic Issues Division
Asia Society Policy Institute
Australia: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt
BNDES – Brazilian Development Bank
Brazil: Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Itamaraty); Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade, and Services
Brazilian Agribusiness Association (ABAG)
Brazilian Center for International Relations (CEBRI)
Bruegel
BYD
Catavento
Center for Integration and Development Studies
Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University SIPA
Chile: Subsecretariat of International and Economic Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
China: Chinese Academy of Sciences, Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress
Colombia: Ministry of Commerce and Industry
Columbia Global Center, Rio de Janeiro, Columbia University
COSATU
Costa Rica: Directorate General of Foreign Trade
E+ Energy Transition Institute
European Commission
ExxonMobil
Gerdau
Germany: Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK)
Indonesia: Ministry for Economic Affairs
Institute of Energy Economics, Japan
International Energy Agency
International Monetary Fund
Investec
Japan: Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
JERA
Kenya: Executive office of the President
Kingdom of Morocco: Ministry of Economy and Finance
National Industry Confederation, Brazil (CNI)
National University of Singapore
New Zealand: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Nigeria: National Council on Climate Change
Observer Research Foundation, Centre for Economy and Growth
ODI, International Economic Development
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
Petrobras
Philippines: Board of Investment of the Philippines
Sasol
Sigma Lithium
Singapore: Attorney-General’s Chambers, Ministry of Trade and Industry
SOAS University of London
Solutions for Our Climate
South Africa: Department of Trade, Industry and Competition; Just Energy Transition Project, South African Presidency; National Treasury; Permanent Mission to the WTO
Systemiq
Tata Sons
TESS Forum
Trade & Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS)
United Kingdom: Department of Energy Security & Net Zero
United States: Department of State, Office of Senator Bill Cassidy
University of Cape Town, Nelson Mandela School of Governance
Vale
World Economic Forum
World Trade Organization
WRI China
