WTO PUBLIC FORUM 2007, GENEVA

The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), Friends of Earth Europe, the German Development Institute, the German NGO Forum on Environment and Development, Germanwatch, Greenpeace and the International Forum on Globalization (IFG)

have the pleasure to invite you to their panel debate in Geneva:

TRADE AND CLIMATE CHANGE:

PERIL OR PROMISE?

Friday 5 October 2007, 14:15h - 16:15h, Room W

WTO Public Forum - Session 31

http://www.wto.org/english/forums_e/public_forum2007_e/programme_e.htm

Climate change is the greatest threat our world faces. However, the debate on trade and climate change is still new and looking at trade’s contribution to the problem as well as trade’s role in combating climate change is urgently required. The session will address challenges and opportunities of the climate and trade nexus and raise the following questions:

• What is the contribution of energy services liberalization to key energy reforms and/ measures to combat climate change?
• Do trade rules support or undermine efforts to establish necessary energy sector reforms or measures to combat climate change?
• Are Intellectual Property Rights a prerequisite or a threat for measures to combat climate change?
• Are bilateral trade agreements an option to achieve coherence between climate and trade policies?
• Can the liberalization of “green markets” through the negotiations on environmental goods and services be more than a mercantilist market access agenda for industrialised countries and truly lead to technology transfer and appropriation by developing countries?