This briefing note identifies a set of rationales, priorities, and outcomes for enhanced international cooperation on trade-climate measures that have been raised by various WTO members in formal submissions and in various WTO settings.

Overall, cooperation in this area tends to respond to four main considerations or rationales; namely the need to enhance coherence, foster transparency, reflect development considerations, and support interoperability and equivalences of existing and future measures. Discussions so far have also identified four levels of cooperation that could be explored to achieve those objectives from more general to very specific considerations: (i) general principles of international law relevant to trade-climate measures; (ii) processes and practices for the development and implementation of such measures; (iii) design features associated with specific measures; and (iv) technical aspects of measures. In each of these areas, the paper provides examples of existing international processes, sector-specific initiatives, and public-private partnerships already taking place.

Based on these considerations, the paper identifies existing gaps and areas where discussions at the WTO could add value.

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Christophe Bellmann is Head of Policy Analysis and Strategy, TESS.

Carolyn Deere Birkbeck is Founder and Executive Director, TESS.

Yasmin Ismail is Senior Policy Advisor, TESS.

Brian Kelly Nyaga is an independent policy analyst specializing in international trade and carbon markets.

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Recommended citation: Bellmann, C., Deere Birkbeck C., Ismail, Y., & Nyaga, B.K. (2025). Fostering enhanced international cooperation on trade-related measures with climate objectives at the WTO: Coherence, transparency, development, and interoperability. Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs (TESS).