Les conversations internationales sur le commerce et le climat : de l’Organisation mondiale du commerce à la Convention-cadre des Nations Unies sur les changements climatiques

This research paper analyzes the transition of international trade and climate discussions from abstract principles to practical implementation. It examines the role of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in managing climate-related trade measures, such as carbon border adjustments and deforestation regulations, ahead of the WTO's 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14).

• Climate-related trade measures are moving from political debate to concrete implementation. The European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) entered its final phase in January 2026, with a proposal to expand its scope to include 180 steel- and aluminum-intensive products, such as household appliances and machinery. Other jurisdictions are also pursuing similar instruments: the United Kingdom's CBAM is set for January 1, 2027, and Australia, Canada, and Chinese Taipei are actively studying similar tools. Additionally, Brazil and Turkey are referencing carbon leakage risks in their legislation while developing emission trading systems.
• The European Union adopted a targeted revision of its deforestation regulation in December 2025. Compliance deadlines are set for December 30, 2026, for large and medium operators, and June 30, 2027, for small and medium enterprises.
• Discussions within the WTO during 2025 centered on three recurring themes: equity and development (highlighted by the African Group and the LDC Group regarding market access), fragmentation and compliance costs (emphasized by China and Japan regarding interoperability and emission measurement methodologies), and the WTO's role as a technical and transparency forum. A collective proposal by Australia, Chile, Costa Rica, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, and the United Kingdom supports non-binding guidelines and technical cooperation.
• The WTO's Committee on Trade and Environment (CTE), under Swiss Ambassador Erwin Bollinger, has shifted toward a multilateral format focusing on transparency, interoperability, and development. Separately, 79 WTO members in structured discussions on trade and environmental sustainability produced a mapping of climate-related trade policies to improve mutual understanding, which is expected to be presented at MC14.
• At COP30 in Belém, Brazil, the theme of trade was introduced into UNFCCC multilateral discussions for the first time. This resulted in the 'Mutirão' decision to establish three technical dialogues on international cooperation regarding trade from 2026 to 2028, culminating in a 2028 report. Additionally, the Brazilian presidency launched the Integrated Forum on Climate Change and Trade, a non-binding and non-negotiated initiative also intended to run until the end of 2028.

APA

Baršauskaitė, I., & Bonnet, A. (n.d.). Les conversations internationales sur le commerce et le climat : de l’Organisation mondiale du commerce à la Convention-cadre des Nations Unies sur les changements climatiques. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/fr/articles/policy-analysis/international-conversations-trade-climate

Chicago

Baršauskaitė, Ieva, and Antoine Bonnet. Les conversations internationales sur le commerce et le climat : de l’Organisation mondiale du commerce à la Convention-cadre des Nations Unies sur les changements climatiques. International Institute for Sustainable Development, n.d. https://www.iisd.org/fr/articles/policy-analysis/international-conversations-trade-climate.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Baršauskaitė |first1=Ieva |last2=Bonnet |first2=Antoine |title=Les conversations internationales sur le commerce et le climat : de l’Organisation mondiale du commerce à la Convention-cadre des Nations Unies sur les changements climatiques |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |url=https://www.iisd.org/fr/articles/policy-analysis/international-conversations-trade-climate |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{barauskaitndles, author = {Baršauskaitė, Ieva and Bonnet, Antoine}, title = {{Les conversations internationales sur le commerce et le climat : de l’Organisation mondiale du commerce à la Convention-cadre des Nations Unies sur les changements climatiques}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/fr/articles/policy-analysis/international-conversations-trade-climate}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }