Aid for Trade: a vehicle to build climate resilience?
Trade has an essential role to play in creating a more resilient system – one that can resist or adapt to environmental and economic shocks. It can do so by facilitating the exchange of goods, services and technology—including environmentally sound technologies—required for adaptation, mitigation and disaster preparedness and response. In this way trade contributes to the achievement of the Paris Agreement, SDGs and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
Developing countries face the challenge of “double exposure” to both economic shocks and environmental challenges such as climate change and natural hazards, which are becoming more frequent and severe. Investments in low emission, climate resilient agriculture, renewable energy generation, and climate smart infrastructure, for example, could help reduce vulnerability to extreme weather events and build economic resilience.
Aid for Trade investments, especially those targeted at productive capacity building and economic infrastructure, present opportunities to build resilience and promote export diversification into green sectors. But should environmental considerations be systematically integrated into Aid for Trade investments? How can countries better benefit from Aid for Trade in terms of building resilience and protecting the environment? How can international organizations support such efforts?
This event provides a platform to discuss this timely topic.
Speakers:
- The Honorable Bob Loughman, Deputy Prime Minister, Republic of Vanuatu
- Ms Madelaine Tuininga, Head of Trade and Sustainable Development Unit, DG Trade, European Commission
- H.E. Mr Eloi Laourou, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Benin to the United Nations Office and other International Organisations in Geneva
- H.E. Mrs Mere Falemaka, Ambassador and Permanent Representative, Permanent Delegation of the Pacific Islands Forum to the UN, WTO, and Other International Organizations in Geneva
- Mr Aik Hoe Lim, Director, Trade and Environment Division, WTO
Moderator: Mr Steven Stone, Chief, Resources and Markets Branch, UN Environment
Session 69 - Aid for Trade: a vehicle to build climate resilience?
Date: Thursday, 4 July 2019
Time: 16:30 – 17:45
Location: Room W, World Trade Organization, Rue de Lausanne 154, 1202 Genève
Organizer(s): UN Environment and EU
For further information and to register: https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/devel_e/a4t_e/gr19_e/gr19_e.htm