Trade policies can have an impact on the climate change mitigation efforts of countries, just as policies for addressing climate change can influence trade among countries, says UNCTAD in its latest Policy Brief.

A new UNCTAD Policy Brief addresses the relationship between trade and climate change policy as it enters a new phase in 2015, with significant changes in the policy landscape emerging from the adoption by the United Nations of a universal post-2015 development agenda, sustainable development goals and a climate change agreement.

Key points:

• In the post-2015 development framework, the relationship between climate change and trade policies should change to a more positive one, in which climate change policies with economic and trade aspects and trade policies with environmental and climate change aspects are considered, regulated and implemented as mutually supportive in achieving sustainable development and poverty eradication in the post-2015 period.

• UNCTAD can contribute by supporting UNFCCC and its various bodies in addressing economic and trade issues arising from a new climate change agreement, and by assisting developing countries in progressively greening their productive capacities and expanding trade in green goods and services.