Trade Reports
Should the AfCFTA have a Protocol on Climate Change?
The AfCFTA has become the focal point of discussions about a wide range of matters, including how to boost intra-African trade and economic integration, how the State Parties can industrialise and develop value chains, how to accommodate the needs of women traders, and how to deal with technological and digital developments. It has been argued that the AfCFTA also needs a protocol on the environment, and more specifically on climate change. Such a protocol will have to be negotiated, adopted, and ratified by the 55 Members of the African Union (AU). This will be a daunting task, and the new protocol will overlap with existing multilateral and regional climate-related arrangements. Is an additional Protocol on Climate Change under the AfCFTA arrangement therefore needed?