Course summary:
Our world is facing irreversible climate change unless action is taken quickly.
The European Union (EU) has defined his own response: the integrated
energy and climate change policy (, a engagement to cut emissions of 'greenhouse'
gases by at least 20 % by 2020. This will help to prevent the world's
temperatures rising by 2 °C, the level which is increasingly thought by
scientists to be the point of no return.
Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)´s Climate
Change program focuses on the international trade and Economic aspects of climate policies, biofuels and the Kyoto Protocol´s clean Development mechanism (CDM).
UNCTAD:
- leads initiatives to assess the international trade and development implications of climate change policies,
- helps promote investment and secure development gains in developing
countries (CDM- Clean Development Mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol);
- provides support for governments, corporations and non-governmental
organizations in assessing biofuels potential in developing countries, a
- supports compatibility between climate policy and trade rules
The WTO (World Trade Organization) and the environment
The World Trade Organization (WTO) has no agreement dealing with the environment. However, the WTO agreements confirm right to protect the environment. The Doha Development Agenda includes
negotiations on trade and environment and some tasks assigned to the regular
International Trade and Environment Committee.
