With its ratification by the European Union, the agreement received enough contracting parties to enter into force on 4 November 2016. They heard an updated overview of the negotiations on the Agreement on Climate Change, Trade and Sustainability and discussed the challenges faced by developing countries in achieving the necessary climate goals anchored in low-carbon development strategies. Claudia Mvula Pollen, Consumer Unit Trust Society, Zambia, described the challenges developing countries face in achieving the necessary climate goals anchored in low-carbon development strategies. Least developed countries (LDCs) are primarily concerned with development and achieving middle-income status. To the extent that climate goals intersect with this aspiration, much of it is about adapting to climate impacts rather than mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, which are usually few. Nature-based solutions such as forestry and agriculture, as well as blue carbon ecosystems that enable coastal and marine carbon capture, are in line with this orientation, she noted. Brett Longley, from New Zealand`s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, gave an overview of the work of the Climate Change, Trade and Sustainability Agreement (ACCTS) – a plurilateral negotiating effort currently underway between six WTO members – New Zealand, Costa Rica, Fiji, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. The raison d`être of the ACCTS, he said, is the belief that trade policy and law can contribute to climate solutions, and the recognition that multilateral negotiations are “daunting and time-consuming if they can be concluded at all.” The negotiations, which are in the consolidated text phase after six rounds, focus on environmental goods, environmentally relevant services, fossil fuel subsidies and voluntary eco-labels. Mr. Longley cited preliminary lessons, including the need for a wide range of participants, the focus on providing in-depth information to negotiators, the value of virtual negotiations and the leadership of development discussions by developing countries. He noted that ACCTS should ultimately be open to all WTO Members who wish to do so and support multilateral rules and institutions. Robert Watt, Stockholm Institute of the Environment (SEI), moderated the session. He stressed the urgent need and opportunity for international trade institutions to contribute to the achievement of climate protection objectives.
The Paris Agreement, which has now been ratified by 148 of the 197 countries, is an important step in saving the world people want to destroy. While U.S. President Donald Trump`s decision to withdraw from the deal earlier this year drew sharp criticism from domestic and international parties, the cumulative effect could help reduce the burden caused by the U.S. decision if other countries seek to exceed the agreement`s goals rather than simply meet them — such as Sweden, the UK and China have all done so. The 1. In June 2017, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. would withdraw from the deal. [24] Pursuant to Article 28, the earliest possible date for the effective withdrawal of the United States is November 4, 2020, with the Agreement having entered into force in the United States on November 4, 2016. If it had chosen to withdraw from the UNFCCC, it could enter into force immediately (the UNFCCC entered into force for the United States in 1994) and a year later. On August 4, 2017, the Trump administration sent an official notice to the United Nations stating that the United States intended to withdraw from the Paris Agreement as soon as it was legally allowed to do so. [25] The formal declaration of withdrawal could only be submitted once the agreement would have been in force for the United States for 3 years in 2019.
[26] [27] The Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) organised an event to discuss how the World Trade Organisation (WTO) can contribute to the fight against climate change and a green recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic through multilateral or plurilateral negotiations on issues of importance for climate change. Participants discussed the possibilities of a trade and climate agreement and what it might entail. On 4 November 2019, the United States notified the depositary of its withdrawal from the Agreement, which is to take effect exactly one year after that date. [30] According to Climate Home, Gareth Redmond-King, head of climate and energy at the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), reacted to the passage of the law in a statement: “Today is an important victory, not only for Sweden, but for all those who care about the future of our environment. Emilie Eriksson, from the Swedish Chamber of Commerce, shared the findings of her upcoming report on how the trade regime could help achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. She said the report focused on liberalizing trade in environmental goods and related services – by reducing tariff and non-tariff barriers and through market access concessions – and reducing fossil fuel subsidies. With regard to environmental goods and services, the paper examines which goods and services could be included in an agreement and proposes several new categories. It also examines how to eliminate non-tariff barriers, for example through mutual recognition of conformity assessments and international harmonisation of product standards. When considering the legal avenues for an agreement, Eriksson argued that a plurilateral agreement would be preferable, but perhaps difficult to achieve, as it requires consensus and, therefore, alternatives such as a reference document approach are also under consideration.
She said the document will be available here in the coming months. In the ensuing discussion, Eriksson noted that the need for a critical mass of parties in the event of an agreement on environmental goods and services is low, as the parties would benefit from obligations to each other. In contrast, she said a critical mass in reform efforts to subsidize fossil fuels is crucial to ensure that commitments do not lead to the transmission of emissions to other producers. Krister Nilsson, State Secretary, Swedish Minister for Foreign Trade and Nordic Affairs, highlighted the Twelfth WTO Ministerial Conference (MC 12) and the Glasgow Climate Change Conference (COP 26), arenas that offer opportunities to focus on the essentials. He cited the pioneering example of Sweden, which reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 24% between 1990 and 2019, while tripling its gross domestic product (GDP) and reforming its export credit system in line with climate targets. As part of the Paris Climate Agreement, Sweden had originally planned to be carbon neutral by 2050. By advancing this five-year goal, it is the first nation to set a much higher standard since the agreement was passed in 2015. Both the EU and its Member States are individually responsible for ratifying the Paris Agreement. It has been reported that the EU and its 28 Member States deposit their instruments of ratification at the same time to ensure that neither the EU nor its Member States commit to commitments that belong strictly to each other[21], and there have been fears that disagreement over each Member State`s share of the EU-wide reduction target, as well as the British vote to leave the EU may delay the Paris Pact.
[22] However, on 4 October 2016, the European Parliament approved the ratification of the Paris Agreement[23] and the EU deposited its instruments of ratification on 5 October 2016. October 2016 with several EU Member States. [22] Yesterday, June 15, the Swedish government adopted a proposal to make the country climate neutral by 2045. .