Wednesday, December 6, 2023

The Trade House pavilion at COP28

1 - 12 December 2023. The Trade House pavilion at this year's United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) is a dedicated space to spark discussions and solutions on how trade can help drive climate and sustainable development actions. For the first time, trade is featured as a specific theme at the conference, as part of the United Arab Emirates’ COP28 Presidency Programme. The pavilion is hosted by four international agencies: the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the International Trade Centre (ITC), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and the World Trade Organization (WTO) Secretariat. Activities at the Trade House will focus on accelerating climate action through trade-led development, using coordinated and inclusive approaches to ensure a just transition to a low-carbon economy.

Extracts of the program


5/12 Protecting the world's forests: Learnings from local efforts & international trade measures on deforestation-free Global Value Chains


The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report highlights that forest conservation, improved management, and restoration offer the most substantial potential for economic mitigation. This panel will facilitate a meaningful and solutions-oriented dialogue toward achieving deforestation-free global value chains. The conversation will highlight national and international efforts of forest protection, private sector initiatives, innovative sustainable business models, and key enabling policy solutions. In recognizing that deforestation is just one factor that exacerbates climate change and nature loss challenges, the panellists will explore how businesses, including smallholders, local communities and indigenous peoples can prepare for changing frameworks on environmental sustainability, and how trade and related policies can support this transition.
  • Pamela Coke-Hamilton, Executive Director, International Trade Center 
  • Mahmood Patel, Coco Hill – regenerative agroforestry project, Barbados 
  • Hung Tran, Climate Excellence Centre, Fairtrade Association, Vietnam 
  • Mario Boccucci, Head, UN-REDD Programme Secretariat 
  • ITC Partner – European Union 
  • ITC Partner country – Malaysia 
  • TC Partner country – Brazil 
  • ITC Partner country – Ghana 
Recording @2:29:23

9/12 Unlocking inclusion on Nature and Bioeconomy - the role of trade


Around 1.6 billion people depend on forests for their livelihood, including some 70 million indigenous people. At the same time, the small business sector represents 90% of the world’s businesses and more than half of global employment. Fostering sustainable business models of nature-based value chains is essential to delivering inclusive and sustainable socio-economic development, and to accelerating the green transition. Particularly within developing economies and countries with significant biodiversity, the bioeconomy offers a path to better livelihoods, while preserving native flora and fauna. The session will bring together parties, practitioners, international and regional agencies and SMEs to explore the role trade can play in fostering sustainable and inclusive bioeconomy value chains. 
  • Ana Margarida Castro Euler, Business Executive Director, Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa – Agropecuária (EMBRAPA), Brazil
  • Sofia Rubio, Chief Executive Officer, Shiwi, Peru
  • Mahmood Patel, Chief Executive Officer, Coco Hill, Barbados
  • Fiona Shera, Director Sustainable and Inclusive Trade, International Trade Centre 
  • United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) 
01:35:23 Unlocking inclusion on Nature and Bioeconomy - the role of of trade (Session host: ITC)

10/12 Global green deal: How would it fit the Global South? How can the agroecology transition play a role in it?


The need, opportunities and impact for transforming global food systems in the face of climate change must be understood and assessed as many countries design their measures to address the climate goals and those measures will likely impact the global trade. To secure the low carbon future, producers organizations, small holder farmers, Agri-MSMEs and rural communities cannot be left behind. They are living through the changes in climate, are vulnerable from it, while at the same time are already providing sustainable and inclusive solutions for transforming food system. This session will discuss the role that food systems can and should play to promote social, economic and environmental development and help deliver a just agroecology transition.
  • Moderation: Hernan Manson, Head Inclusive Agribusiness Systems, International Trade Centre
  • Juan Pablo Solis, Senior Advisor Climate and Environment, Fairtrade International 
  • Butch Bacani, Programme Leader, UN Environment Programme’s Principles for Sustainable Insurance Initiative 
  • Dinesh Prasad Parajuli, Managing Director at Agriculture Enterprise Center, FNCCI, Nepal 
  • Josephine Akia Luyimbazi, Country Coordinator Uganda, Participatory Ecological Land Use Management (PELUM) 
  • Mario Cerrutti, Chief Institutional Relations and Sustainability Officer, Lavazza Foundation 
00:02:34 Global green deal: how would it fit the global south? How can the agroecology transition play a role in it? (Session host: ITC)

This session delved into the intricate relationship between trade dynamics, agricultural policies, and sustainability within global food systems. The session deepened understanding of how international trade practices and policies impact sustainable food systems, emphasizing the challenges and opportunities in global agricultural trade. By examining diverse agricultural policies, the discussion will highlight their crucial role in ensuring sustainable practices, fair trade, and food security. Additionally, the session will explore innovative solutions and collaborative approaches, promoting sustainability, environmental conservation, and social equity in the agricultural sector. Participants can expect insightful discussions that encourage collaboration and offer actionable strategies for a more sustainable and equitable global food system.
  • Moderator: Dhanush Dinesh, Founder and Chief Climate Catalyst, Clim-Eat Speakers: 
  • Marion Jansen, Director, Trade and Agriculture, OECD 
  • Juan Carlos Mendoza, Director, Environment, Climate, Gender and Social Inclusion Division, IFAD 
  • Aik Hoe Lim, Director, Trade and Environment Division, WTO 
  • Gaurav Pundir, Coordinator, Trade and Investment Working Group, G20 Presidency of India 
  • Martien van Nieuwkoop, Global Director for the Agriculture and Food Global Practice, World Bank 

10/12 Trading safely: Why stronger SPS systems matter for climate change resilience?

Facilitating safe trade to regional and international markets offers a pathway for farmers, small businesses and governments in developing countries to transform agricultural development, deepen regional integration and promote sustainable economic growth, poverty reduction and food security. But climate change is creating new and increased sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) risks for agri-food trade, as recognized by WTO Members in the 12th Ministerial Conference SPS Declaration. Against this backdrop, this dialogue will ask: How does investing in SPS capacity support more sustainable agri-food systems and markets that protect biodiversity and the environment, and are more resilient to climate change? Why is collaboration key? What are the innovations and lessons from STDF's safe trade partnership? The event will build on STDF work on climate change and SPS systems. The discussions will inform an ongoing STDF learning assessment to improve mainstreaming of the environment, biodiversity and climate change in SPS capacity development.
  • Moderator: Marlynne Hopper, Deputy Head, STDF 
  • David Laborde, Director of the Agrifood Economics Division (ESA), FAO 
  • Martien van Nieuwkoop, Global Director, Agriculture and Food Global Practice, World Bank Group 
  • Jeremy Adamson, Senior Policy Advisor, Foreign Agricultural Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, United States 
  • Dr Dinesh Prasad Parajuli, CEO, Agro-Enterprise Centre, Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (AEC/FNCCI), Nepal
06:05:06 Trading safely: Why stronger SPS systems matter for climate change resilience? (Session host: WTO)

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