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Climate and Trade Task Force

The Climate and Trade Task Force is an independent and non-partisan group co-chaired by Caroline Freund, Dean of the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy, and The Most Honourable Andrew Michael Holness, Prime Minister of Jamaica and Co-Chair of the United Nations Climate Change Financing Initiative (with President of France Emmanuel Macron). It is composed of experts on climate and trade from academia, business and government.

The purpose of the Task Force is to provide timely and practical direction to policymakers for climate and trade policies and practices. Trade is an essential component of economic cooperation, and simultaneously implicated in strategies to address climate change, via policies, practices and international institutions.

The 2021 report focuses on the most salient points of intersection: Finance for Climate Adaptation, Border Carbon Adjustment measures, Clean Technologies and Supply Chains, Agriculture Trade, and the World Trade Organization and Fishery Subsidy Reform. The latter, although not specifically a climate issue, is an important test case for the world’s largest trade agreement to facilitate progress on environmental matters. Our recommendations reflect extant political economy constraints.

Download the report (PDF):
“The Role of Trade in Addressing Climate Change: Recommendations for Policies and Practices,” a Report from the Center for Commerce and Diplomacy Task Force on Climate and Trade

Task Force and Report Members

Co-Chairs

 Project Leaders

  • Renee Bowen, Professor of Economics and Director of the Center for Commerce and Diplomacy at the School of Global Policy and Strategy, UC San Diego
  • J. Lawrence Broz, Associate Director of the Center for Commerce and Diplomacy and Professor of Political Science, UC San Diego

Report Authors

  • Jennifer Burney, Marshall Saunders Chancellor’s Endowed Chair in Global Climate Policy and Research at the School of Global Policy and Strategy, UC San Diego 
  • Christopher Costello, Professor of Environmental and Resource Economics, UC Santa Barbara
  • Michael R. Davidson, Assistant Professor, School of Global Policy and Strategy and the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department, UC San Diego
  • Haishi “Harry” Li, Postdoctoral Fellow, Center for Commerce and Diplomacy, UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy, and Assistant Professor in Economics, University of Hong Kong
  • James E. Rauch, Professor of Economics, UC San Diego

Advisors

  • Douglas A. Beck, Vice-President, Worldwide Education, Health and Government at Apple, Inc.
  • The Honorable Pearnel Charles, Jr., Minister of Housing, Urban Renewal, Environmental and Climate Change, Government of Jamaica
  • UnaMay Gordon, Principal Director, Climate Change, Government of Jamaica
  • Rafael Pastor, Chair of the International Advisory Board of UC San Diego’s School of Global Policy and Strategy
  • David Victor, Center for Global Transformation Endowed Chair in Innovation and Public Policy at the School of Global Policy and Strategy and Co-director, Deep Decarbonization Initiative, UC San Diego 

Media

Report Released at COP26 Presents Ideas on Trade, Developing Country Finance and Climate Mitigation
Nov. 9, 2021
Professors from the University of California share findings to help define future cooperation on the nexus of climate and trade policies

Report Launch Event: Nov. 9, 2021

Climate, Trade and Developing Economies: Recommendations for Policies and Practices
Nov. 9, 2021 | Video | Photos | Presentation
UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), Glasgow
CARICOM Pavilion, Hall 4, Scottish Event Campus (SEC) 

Presented by the Government of Jamaica and the Center for Commerce and Diplomacy, UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy

On Nov. 9 the center convened a panel discussion to launch the findings of the report “The Role of Trade in Addressing Climate Change: Recommendations for Policies and Practices.” The launch event focused on the needs of developing economies and features a distinguished external panel of policymakers and experts from both developed and developing countries, to comment on and discuss the report. The aim is to coalesce on actionable items to cement the commitment of advanced economies and the developing world to addressing their shared economic and climate future.

Remarks: 

Speakers and Panelists: 

  • Renee Bowen, Professor of Economics and Director of the Center for Commerce and Diplomacy at the School of Global Policy and Strategy, UC San Diego
  • Jennifer Burney, Marshall Saunders Chancellor’s Endowed Chair in Global Climate Policy and Research at the School of Global Policy and Strategy, UC San Diego 
  • UnaMay Gordon, Principal Director, Climate Change, Government of Jamaica
  • Dan Kammen, Advisor for Innovative Energy Solutions, USAID and Professor of Energy and Katherine Law Distinguished Chair in Sustainability, UC Berkeley 
  • Margaret Leinen, Director, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Vice Chancellor for Marine Sciences and Dean, School of Marine Sciences, UC San Diego
  • David Victor, Center for Global Transformation Endowed Chair in Innovation and Public Policy at the School of Global Policy and Strategy and Co-director, Deep Decarbonization Initiative, UC San Diego  

Download the presentation (PDF)

Watch the event (YouTube):