Trade Justice Trade Deals & Climate Change

In this Podcast we discuss with Ruth Bergan from Trade Justice whether trade deals are often done in secret and equally often conflict with climate change goals. Trade is neither just or fair.

Greenhouse gas emissions and carbon dioxide concentrations are increasing at an ever faster rate. As a result, weather patterns are changing, leading to extreme drought in some areas and rainfall in others, with serious implications for human, animal and plant life.

But binding trade rules govern significant areas of the economy in which countries need the freedom and flexibility to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. For example, investment protection provisions, either in Bilateral Investment Treaties or chapters in trade deals, can be used as both a sword and a shield to protect and advance investments in fossil fuel extraction, shipping and consumption.

Existing trade rules, agreed at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) or bilaterally, place trade promotion and liberalisation ahead of climate goals and threaten to undermine key climate targets. And ISDS (corporate courts) and the lack of democratic scrutiny mean that openness and transparency is absent.

Ruth Bergan leads the Trade Justice Movement’s strategic direction in partnership with 70 member organisations and board, including managing the organisation’s response to Brexit.

She works with partner organisations to develop new and innovative work on economic justice issues. In particular: exposing the injustice in international investment treaties and highlighting links between climate change and trade.