Considerations For the First Climate and Trade Dialogue Discussion Paper
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In the context of enhancing international cooperation, the first global stocktake (GST) decision reaffirms that Parties should avoid arbitrary, unjustifiable, or disguised restrictions on international trade. However, ongoing tensions make discussion on climate and trade under the UNFCCC difficult.
At COP30, Parties agreed to a dialogue series aimed at enhancing international cooperation on climate and trade, without a mandated outcome. These dialogues represent the first dedicated space under the Convention or Paris Agreement for Parties to discuss the role of trade.
The COP30 Mutirão decision sets out that three dialogues will take place over the next two years: the first one at the 64th session of the Subsidiary Bodies (SB64) in June 2026; the second in June 2027; and the third in June 2028. To create a safe space for discussion and to build trust, these dialogues should be broad, open, inclusive, and transparent, engaging Parties, relevant international trade organizations, and relevant non-Party stakeholders (NPS).
If the dialogues are managed well and Parties engage constructively, a clearer picture will emerge as to whether and how the UNFCCC process could enhance international cooperation in the nexus between climate action and trade. Ministers could speak to this at the mandated high-level event in 2028. This discussion paper provides:
context on the COP30 decision
lessons learned from relevant dialogues under the UNFCCC
considerations for the preparation of the climate and trade dialogues.
