Opening Remarks for SAIIA’s Trade and Climate Change Conference, October 2009

Opening remarks delivered at a South African Institute of International Affairs conference in October 2009, discussing the intersection of trade and climate change policy, specifically in the context of the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen.

• The speaker describes the climate crisis as a critical global issue, citing scientists who call it 'unequivocal', political leaders who view it as the 'preeminent geopolitical and economic issue of our era', and economists who describe it as 'the greatest market failure the world has ever seen'.
• The United Nation’s Framework Convention on Climate Change (the Convention) establishes that all countries must contribute to addressing climate change, with developed countries leading by providing finance and technology to developing countries, who hold 'common but differentiated responsibilities' based on national circumstances.
• The speaker asserts that the analysis and understanding of the interface between trade and climate change policy in Africa is 'fractured' and fails to consistently provide coherent messages for decision-making processes.
• The outcome of the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen is presented as having significant implications for global trade: success could provide a model for resolving stalled trade talks, whereas failure could trigger 'climate related protectionist barriers' and 'trade anarchy' during a period of global economic crisis.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2009). Opening Remarks for SAIIA’s Trade and Climate Change Conference, October 2009. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/dttp_cnf_mollo_opening_remarks.pdf

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Opening Remarks for SAIIA’s Trade and Climate Change Conference, October 2009. 2009. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/dttp_cnf_mollo_opening_remarks.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Opening Remarks for SAIIA’s Trade and Climate Change Conference, October 2009 |date=October 2009 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/dttp_cnf_mollo_opening_remarks.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2009opening, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Opening Remarks for SAIIA’s Trade and Climate Change Conference, October 2009}}, publisher = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2009}, month = oct, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/dttp_cnf_mollo_opening_remarks.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }