Brussels, 19 January 2023
Today, the European Commission, EU Member States, and 26 partner countries will launch “The Coalition of Trade Ministers on Climate”, the first ministerial-level global forum dedicated to trade, climate and sustainable development issues. The Coalition will foster global action to promote trade policies that can help address climate change through local and global initiatives.
The Coalition aims to build partnerships between trade and climate communities to identify the ways in which trade policy can contribute to addressing climate change. It will promote trade and investment in goods, services and technologies that help mitigate and adapt to climate change.
The Coalition is open to new countries to join, and so far consists of more than 50 ministers from 27 jurisdictions. The four co-leads are Ecuador, the EU, Kenya, and New Zealand. The other participants are: Angola, Australia, Barbados, Cabo Verde, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Iceland, Gambia, Japan (Foreign Affairs & Trade), Republic of Korea, Maldives, Mozambique, Norway, Philippines, Rwanda, Zambia, Singapore, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States and Vanuatu.
Valdis Dombrovskis, Executive Vice-President and Commissioner for Trade, said:
“The climate crisis is an unprecedented challenge which requires a global response. Trade can help in finding solutions to achieve mitigation and adaptation to climate change, for instance by spreading access to the right technologies and investments. Through this Coalition, we will be able to provide high-level leadership and guidance to boost international cooperation and promote trade policies, initiatives and actions towards climate-resilient economies. Time is of the essence to face the devastating impact of climate change on people and economies worldwide.”
A press release is available online.
Source – EU Commission