Resilient by Design: Reimagining Trade for Climate Justice in Africa and Beyond

This statement argues that current global trade frameworks often hinder the ability of developing nations, particularly in Africa, to pursue low-carbon transitions and climate justice. It highlights the negative impacts of protectionist policies and the breakdown of multilateralism, while proposing that regional initiatives like the AfCFTA and strategic leadership during South Africa's G20 Presidency can create a new trade agenda focused on green industrialization, adaptation, and economic diversification.

• Current global trade policies and the 'securitization' of trade are perceived by developing countries as barriers to environmental transitions, potentially narrowing access to green technologies and reinforcing power asymmetries.
• The European Union's Carbon-Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is viewed by some African and developing nations as a protectionist tool that may conflict with the Paris Agreement, with research indicating African countries could face annual losses of up to $25 billion.
• Several international mechanisms are identified as obstacles to climate-aligned policy in Africa, including the International Maritime Organization's 2028 fuel carbon emissions tax, which is seen as insufficient for funding transitions, and investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) provisions that limit the ability of African states to regulate in the public interest.
• The African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) and its Investment Protocol are presented as key opportunities to reimagine trade as a development tool, enabling the growth of regional value chains and intra-African trade in climate-resilient goods and services in sectors like energy, agriculture, and waste management.
• South Africa's G20 Presidency is identified as a strategic opportunity to establish a trade policy framework that integrates climate risk, just transitions, and green industrial development to promote economic diversification across the African continent.

APA

Fakir, S. (2025). Resilient by Design: Reimagining Trade for Climate Justice in Africa and Beyond. Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs. https://tessforum.org/latest/resilient-by-design-reimagining-trade-for-climate-justice-in-africa-and-beyond

Chicago

Fakir, Saliem. Resilient by Design: Reimagining Trade for Climate Justice in Africa and Beyond. Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs, 2025. https://tessforum.org/latest/resilient-by-design-reimagining-trade-for-climate-justice-in-africa-and-beyond.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Fakir |first1=Saliem |title=Resilient by Design: Reimagining Trade for Climate Justice in Africa and Beyond |publisher=Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs |date=19 August 2025 |url=https://tessforum.org/latest/resilient-by-design-reimagining-trade-for-climate-justice-in-africa-and-beyond |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{fakir2025resilient, author = {Fakir, Saliem}, title = {{Resilient by Design: Reimagining Trade for Climate Justice in Africa and Beyond}}, publisher = {Forum on Trade, Environment, \& the SDGs}, year = {2025}, month = aug, url = {https://tessforum.org/latest/resilient-by-design-reimagining-trade-for-climate-justice-in-africa-and-beyond}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }