In their policy paper "International Trade Policy in the Context of Climate Change Imperatives" for the Committee on International Trade, Christiane Gerstetter, Michael Mehling and Tanja Srebotnjak examine the relationship between trade and climate change as well as the potential of trade and trade policies to contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation.
The standard briefing International Trade Policy in the Context of Climate Change Imperatives [pdf, 720 KB, English], a policy paper written by Ecologic Institute, sheds light on the most important aspects of the relationship between trade and climate change policies. The policy paper investigates which trade-related policies should be adopted to combat climate change and reviews the compatibility of those measures with the law of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
The paper concludes that the relationship between international trade and climate policies is a complex one. This article provides recommendations on trade policies that can be pursued by the European Union in light of the challenges posed by climate change. It is available for download.