A new grand bargain for sustainability without protectionism

Frontier Economics and The UK Trade Policy Observatory are pleased to invite you to our online panel discussion on trade policy and climate change: A New Grand Bargain for Sustainability without Protectionism.

The intersections between trade and climate policies are numerous, and are the subject of intense debate. There have been some longstanding concerns that cross-country differences in the ambition of climate policy can create an unlevel playing field for trade. More recently, many countries seeking to reboot their economies in response to the shock of Covid-19, are trying to do so by greening growth. Industrial policy activism is once more on the agenda, but how far can this be accommodated within the framework of multilateral trade rules? Many developing countries continue to face multiple challenges of benefiting more from trade and adapting to climatic shocks.

To inform our discussion, we have invited the following experts to contribute their views:

• Prof. L. Alan Winters, UK Trade Policy Observatory
• Ms Isabelle Durant, Deputy Secretary General, UNCTAD
• Dr. Emily Lydgate, UK Trade Policy Observatory
• Matthew Bell OBE , Director, Public Policy, Frontier Economics and former CEO of the UK Committee on Climate Change

The discussion is part of the inaugural Geneva Trade Week, initiative of the Graduate Institute of Geneva.