Trade and Climate at the 2026 Bonn Climate Meetings

Drawing on longstanding IDOS research, experts in Bonn discussed how trade can better support climate action and resilient development.

The focus of this year’s official UNFCCC side event by IDOS was on how the newly established Mutirão dialogue on climate change and trade can catalyse new incentives, opportunities, and innovative approaches that enable trade systems to work constructively in tandem with climate and development priorities. This focus builds on longstanding IDOS research on the interplay between trade and climate, including on trade elements in the NDCs under the Paris Agreement and climate provisions in trade agreements.

IDOS organised the side-event together with the Southern and Eastern Africa Trade Information and Negotiations Institute (SEATINI), the Forum on Trade, Environment & the SDGs (TESS). The panel discussion, chaired by Clara Brandi (IDOS), featured Herbert Kafeero, Deputy Executive Director, SEATINI Uganda; Avantika Goswami, Programme Manager, Climate Change and Green Economy Programme at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE); Alden Meyer, Senior Associate, E3G; Josra Riecke, Policy Advisor on International Trade and Development, GIZ; and Yasmin Ismail, Senior Policy Advisor, TESS. The event brought together experts from civil society and academia to highlight concrete experiences, policy innovations, and cooperation pathways to illustrate how trade can be shaped and governed to support climate ambition and climate‑resilient development.

Together with TESS, IDOS also organised a “Trade and Climate Roundtable”. The informal roundtable brought together around 25 experts on trade, climate, and sustainable development present in Bonn to share and discuss views on: key priorities for advancing international cooperation on trade for climate action and resilient development and for the multi-year Climate and Trade Dialogue agreed in the Mutirão decision at COP30.