Search Climate Insights Directory

The report analyzes the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions, alongside the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM), concluding that these instruments are unlikely to fully protect human health and the environment due to structural shortcomings and insufficient political will. It identifies five core challenges: implementation capacity, sustainable finance, information gaps, narrow scope, and 'treaty fatigue.' To address these, the authors propose two paths: enhancing existing agreements (particularly SAICM) or establishing a new, legally binding Global Chemicals Convention (GCC) that would integrate existing treaties as protocols and mandate the internalization of environmental costs by the chemical industry.

The document analyzes the French corporate duty of vigilance law passed on March 23, 2017, which requires large companies to prevent human rights and environmental violations in their supply chains. It uses case studies involving Total's palm oil biorefinery, Société Générale's financing of LNG terminals in the US, and French supermarkets' banana sourcing in Ecuador to demonstrate the law's necessity. The report concludes by advocating for a binding UN treaty to internationalize these standards and ensure victims' access to justice globally.

The document examines the risks of chemical, biological, and nuclear (CBN) weapons proliferation by non-State actors in Africa, specifically how illicit networks and terrorist groups like Al-Shabaab exploit weak trade controls. It assesses the implementation of UNSCR 1540 across African States, noting a gap between strong political commitment and weak practical enforcement of border and export controls. The brief argues that the AfCFTA Agreement, which aims to boost intra-African trade and industrialization in sectors like pharmaceuticals and energy, provides a strategic platform to harmonize these security controls. It concludes with recommendations for the AfCFTA organs and the 1540 Committee to collaborate on capacity building, shared data analysis, and public-private engagement to secure trade flows.

The paper examines the use of trade measures in U.S. and EU climate policies, identifying objectives such as preventing carbon leakage and incentivizing global action. It argues that while protecting domestic industry is not a legitimate use of such measures under WTO and UNFCCC principles, properly designed measures to prevent emissions leakage may be permissible. The author highlights the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACESA) as a proposal that could allow the U.S. to unilaterally determine the equity of other countries' emissions commitments, potentially conflicting with the UNFCCC principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. Given the high risk of WTO disputes, the paper recommends that the UNFCCC COP establish principles and procedures to limit the use of trade measures.

The paper examines how the U.S. and EU are considering trade measures to address industrial competitiveness, carbon leakage, and free-riding in their post-2012 greenhouse gas emissions legislation. It highlights a potential conflict between these unilateral measures and the principles of the WTO and UNFCCC, noting that U.S. proposals could penalize developing countries even if they comply with international agreements. The author argues that the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties should establish guiding principles for trade measures to prevent legal disputes and protect the UNFCCC's legitimacy as a global standard-setter.