Building on the successful launch in 2025 of the TESS annual conference on Trade, Climate, and Sustainable Development, TCSD 2026 will take place on 15-16 October at the Geneva Graduate Institute. The conference will bring together a regionally diverse range of experts—from research centres, think tanks, academia, international organizations, stakeholder organizations, the private sector, and government—to identify concrete steps and innovative pathways for effective international cooperation on critical issues at the nexus of trade, climate, and sustainable development, and to bridge the communities and actors vital for collaborative action. TCSD 2026 will feature hybrid public panels complemented by thematic, interactive sessions to deepen dialogue and generate practical ideas for concrete outcomes, collaboration, and ways forward. We're excited to work with a range of knowledge partners and speakers in the coming months to develop a forward-looking, dynamic, timely, and inclusive programme to be shared in spring 2026. 

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In the lead up to the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14), TESS continues its work to foster cooperation on trade and sustainability, both in the context of the range of WTO processes where issues of sustainability arise, including the WTO Committee on Trade and Environment, in the context of the WTO reform agenda, and in the member-led environment initiatives, including the work of the Dialogue on Plastics Pollution (DPP), the Fossil Fuel Subsidies Reform (FFSR) initiative, and the Trade and Environmental Sustainability Structured Discussions (TESSD). Among other activities, the TESS team will be on the ground at MC14 connecting with colleagues across the trade and sustainability communities at the IISD Trade+Sustainability Hub, learning more about work underway in the African region, and exploring opportunities to forge and deepen collaborations. 

Africa's Role in Shaping WTO Reform for a Sustainable and Inclusive Future High-Level Workshop Convening of the Remaking Trade Project

Dates: 24 March, 16:00-17:30 WAT and 25 March 2026, 08:30-17:00 WAT

Location: Star Land Hotel, Yaoundé Cameroon

Overview: TESS is partnering with the Remaking Trade Project and others to convene this invitation only high-level, Africa-led strategic dialogue designed to contribute constructively to WTO reform discussions. It is not a negotiating forum, but a space for reflection, agenda-setting, and coalition-building among African policymakers, WTO officials, experts, and development partners.

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Trade Cooperation on Africa's Critical Minerals: Pathways for Equitable Clean Energy Transitions and Sustainable Development

Date: 27 March 2026, 14:00-15:30 WAT

Location: IISD Trade+Sustainability Hub: Hilton Yaoundé Hotel, Yaoundé, Cameroon

Overview: This Trade+Sustainability Hub session—co-organized by TESS, UNCTAD, and UNECA—will explore cooperative approaches to trade in critical minerals that support sustainable development in Africa and global climate goals.

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January was a busy month for policy announcements relevant to trade and sustainability, and geopolitical positioning on the international economy. At InTent, held alongside the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, TESS Executive Director Carolyn Deere Birkbeck joined collaborative conversations with a range of actors working for a more sustainable, net-zero, nature positive economy. This dynamic event was an opportunity to consolidate partnerships, forge new ones, and get a sense of how key actors in the business and finance sectors view the challenges and opportunities for advancing sustainability outcomes.

Following on the success of the 2025 Synergies series on how the trading system can help address the climate crisis and support climate-resilient development, TESS is inviting contributions to our 2026 series exploring a next generation of trade arrangements for advancing environment and sustainable development goals. Stay tuned for more on that new Synergies series!

Recently published

4 December 2025

For a Just Transition, Trade Cooperation Should Focus on Areas of Highest Impact for Both Climate and Development

The intersection of trade and climate is the new frontier of our global economic system.

By Amina Mohamed, Chairperson of the Trade Negotiations & Investment Forum (TNIF)

8 December 2025

Opportunities for Trade Policy and Cooperation to Shift Course on Climate Change and Nature Loss

Trade policy and cooperation are major levers to make adequate progress on nature and climate.

By Daudi Sumba, Chief Conservation Officer at WWF International

15 December 2025

Regulating Food and Agricultural Trade: Time for a Radical New Approach

The Agreement on Agriculture Re-Imagined initiative proposes a new set of rules to govern food and agricultural trade.

By Caroline Dommen, Co-lead of the Agreement on Agriculture Re-Imagined initiative

20 January 2026

As Chaos Reigns, the “Rest of the World” Fitfully Prepares for the Future of Trade

Governments have opportunities to set up institutions and commitments better suited to the challenges of the future.

By Deborah Elms, Head of Trade Policy at the Hinrich Foundation.

TESS kicked off 2026 with our fifth Ambassadors’ Roundtable on Trade and Sustainability, bringing together 18 ambassadors from across the WTO’s membership for a breakfast conversation in mid-January. The roundtable series seeks to bring together a diverse group of ambassadors in an informal, off-the-record setting to reflect on the state of play at the WTO on trade, environment, and sustainable development, and to share views on priorities and opportunities for enhanced cooperation. In this session, ambassadors exchanged views on a range of issues, including possible outcomes on the trade and sustainability agenda at MC14, as well as priorities and opportunities for advancing sustainability priorities at the WTO in 2026, including in the context of WTO reform discussions.

We are delighted to announce that we have added two new senior staff members to help drive our mission forward. As Head of Programmes, Dr Lee Ann Jackson will oversee the design and delivery of our programmes and ensure effective management, reporting, and coordination across teams. As Manager of Communications and Stakeholder Engagement, Andrew Aziz will lead our communications strategy, oversee outreach and stakeholder engagement, and guide the development of digital content and strategic messaging. These are both familiar names at the intersection of trade, environment, and sustainable development and we're delighted to welcome them to the TESS team.

This week in London, TESS Head of Programmes Lee Ann Jackson participated in Chatham House’s Fair Water Footprints Conference on the intersection of global trade and fair and sustainable water use. The event explored a range of issues, including the impacts of trade patterns on fair and sustainable water use in sectors like agriculture and textiles, concrete approaches to reshape trade in support of sustainability outcomes, and opportunities for international trade cooperation in support of fair water footprints. TESS joined the dialogue with policymakers, industry leaders, and civil society organizations to identify opportunities for cooperation across global value chains. 

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This new policy paper by Peta-Gay Facey Wilson (co-published with the Shridath Ramphal Centre, University of the West Indies) explores how Caribbean countries can stay competitive, build resilience, protect livelihoods, and diversify in a global economy where climate expectations are increasingly written into the rules of trade and their recurring climate shocks impact their economies. It advances a set of priority policy actions to integrate just transition principles into CARICOM’s trade agenda. 

Listen to a summary | Read the full paper