Many discussions are now taking place on trade and climate change at the WTO and in a range of other international settings. Yet most are dominated by concerns, policies, and proposals from more advanced economies. This TESS series supports the bottom-up identification and formulation of developing country perspectives and priorities on trade and climate change mitigation and adaptation and climate-resilient development, including how to advance them at the regional and multilateral levels.

In today’s highly integrated global economy, achieving climate goals will not only require effective domestic policies, but also concerted and inclusive international collaboration. This implies overcoming traditional silos of policymaking to bring climate and trade policymakers together, and taking into consideration the reality and needs of third countries, including vulnerable economies that are most impacted by the climate crisis and developing countries which need pathways to thrive in the climate-resilient, low-carbon economy.

The starting point for the analysis is the urgency of climate action to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, recognizing the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, as well as the importance of nationally determined contributions. To facilitate feedback and dialogue on priorities and opportunities for action, consultations of stakeholders from each region were convened, involving government officials, trade negotiators, and also regional organizations, academia, and civil society.