CCG Event in WTO Public Forum 2024
Leveraging China’s Green Transition for Global Climate Mitigation: Perspectives, Opportunities and Challenges
Since the WTO's inception in 1995, global trade has rapidly expanded and become increasingly interconnected. The international trading system has helped lift 1.5 billion people out of absolute poverty and unlocked new opportunities for businesses, workers and consumers. At the same time, the gains from trade have not always been shared equally. This needs to change.
As the WTO celebrates its 30th anniversary, the 2024 Public Forum will look to the future, exploring how re-globalization can help make trade more inclusive and ensuring that its benefits reach more people.
The Center for China and Globalization (CCG) is organizing a session within the WTO 2024 Public Forum on Tuesday, September 10, and taking part in another one on Monday, September 9 ahead of the forum.
Leveraging China’s Green Transition for Global Climate Mitigation: Perspectives, Opportunities and Challenges
Tuesday, 10 September, 13:15 – 14:30
Abstract
Amidst accelerated global warming, governments around world have taken measures to promote green transition and facilitate climate mitigation and adaptation. At the same time, trade and policy fragmentation risk jeopardizing the collective efforts on climate mitigation and adaptation. There is an urgent need to strengthen global cooperation on climate change and alignment with the multilateral trading system.
This session seeks to understand different types of government policies aiming at promoting green transition and respond to climate change, and highlight the opportunities and challenges for international cooperation, from the perspectives of academia, think tanks, private sector and the governments. Questions for discussion include: What measures have governments taken to foster green transition and combat climate change? What are the opportunities and challenges? How to leverage China’s green transition for global climate mitigation?
The Center for China and Globalization (CCG) is organizing a panel on the nexus of China’s green policy and climate mitigation. The session panellists are:
●Moderator: Huiyao Wang, Founder and President, Center for China and Globalization (CCG)
●Amina Mohamed, Founder and President, Trade Negotiations and Investment Forum; former Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary
●Xiaozhun Yi, Former WTO Deputy Director-General
●Elviry Fabry, Senior Research Fellow, Jacques Delors Institute
●Adam Posen, President, Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE)
International Cooperation on Trade, Climate, and Sustainable Development at the WTO: Pragmatic Options & Unconventional Thinking
To open Geneva Trade Week 2024, this public event will focus on how to foster urgently-needed multilateral cooperation and collective action on the nexus of trade, climate, and sustainable development at the WTO.The event will bring together a diverse group of leading international experts and Geneva-based ambassadors to the WTO to share their views on both pragmatic options and unconventional ideas on ways forward.
Event Date 9 September 2024 13:00 - 14:40 CEST
Location Conference Center, Geneva Graduate Institute (Hybrid)
Building on the growing engagement of WTO members in discussions on trade, climate and sustainability and the broad recognition of the need to forge collaboration, the focus of the panel is to spur discussion on a proactive, forward-looking agenda: How can we enhance international cooperation on trade at the WTO to drive action on the Paris climate goals in ways that support sustainable development priorities?
Questions for discussion include:
Where does progress on the global climate agenda most require enhanced trade cooperation?
What are the greatest trade-related challenges frustrating climate action and trade-related needs arising from the impacts of climate crisis - how can these be addressed?
Where are the greatest opportunities for trade cooperation to make a difference - and fast?
What kinds of concrete outcomes can be envisaged at the WTO and what is required to make this happen?
Geneva Trade Week is hosted annually at the Geneva Graduate Institute by the Geneva Trade Platform in the margins of the WTO Public Forum. The event will be webcast live.
Agenda
13:00 – 13:05 Welcome remarks to open Geneva Trade Week
Dmitry GROZOUBINSKI, Executive Director, Geneva Trade Platform
13:05 – 13:10 Introduction to the opening panel
Carolyn DEERE BIRKBECK, Executive Director, Forum on Trade, Environment & the SDGs (TESS) (moderator)
13:10 – 13:20 Opening remarks and setting the scene
Jean-Marie PAUGAM, Deputy Director General, World Trade Organization
13:20 – 13:50 Expert views on pragmatic options and unconventional thinking
5 minute interventions each on the questions above
Rachel KYTE, Professor of Practice in Climate Policy, Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford (online)
Inu MANAK, Fellow for Trade Policy, The Council on Foreign Relations, United States
WANG Huiyao, Founder and President of the Center for China and Globalization (CCG), China
Ignacio BERCERO, former Director, DG Trade, European Commission, Brussels (online)
Jan Yves REMY, Director of the Shridath Ramphal Centre for International Trade Law, Policy and Services, University of the West Indies
Bernice LEE, Hoffmann Distinguished Fellow at Chatham House, United Kingdom (online)
13:50 – 14:35 Roundtable of Ambassadors
5-minute reflections each from a diverse group of Geneva-based Ambassadors to the WTO, including:
H.E. Mr. James BAXTER, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Australia to the WTO
H.E. Mr. Matthew WILSON, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Barbados to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva, Coordinator of the WTO Africa, Caribbean and Pacific Group
H.E. Mr. LI Chenggang, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of China to the WTO
H.E. Ms. Clare KELLY, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of New Zealand to the WTO
H.E. Mr. Ali Sarfraz HUSSAIN, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the WTO
H.E. Mr. Raul CANO RICCIARDI, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Paraguay to the WTO
H.E. Ms. Nella Pepe TAVITA-LEVY, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Samoa to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva
H.E. Mr. Erwin BOLLINGER, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the WTO
14:35 – 14:40 Concluding Remarks
Closing remarks