Seminar on WTO Law and Practice

Chinese Taipei - 16 February 2022

Trade topics: COVID-19, Climate Change

Climate change has become the most pressing concern around the world. Goal 13 of the United Nations Description Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) urges Members to take immediate action to combat climate change. Goal 7 of the SDGs also advocates to facilitates access to renewable energy. Trade may intensify climate change, but it is also an essential part of the solution. When countries engage in global warming mitigation or adaptation initiatives, such as carbon border adjustment, green liberalization/green energy subsidy as well as sustainability standards, how to make WTO law reinforce the global response to the challenges of climate change and environmental sustainability remains crucial. Particularly, how to address the suffering of developing countries and LDCs’ exports in an expected carbon-constrained world remains to be seen.

Against the above background, this semester, we will mainly focus our discussion on issues on climate change and WTO law. In addition, we will add a special session on the COVID pandemics, as part of the WTO Chairs Progromme (WCP), where National Taiwan University has been approved as the new WTO Chair.

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