Aid for Trade Global Review 2019 side event - Aid for trade: a vehicle to build climate resilience

Trade has an essential role to play in creating a more resilient system – one that can resist or adapt to environmental and economic shocks. It can do so by facilitating the exchange of goods, services and technology—including environmentally sound technologies—required for adaptation, mitigation and disaster preparedness and response. In this way trade contributes to the achievement of the Paris Agreement, SDGs and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Developing countries face the challenge of “double exposure” to both economic shocks and environmental challenges such as climate change and natural hazards, which are becoming more frequent and severe. Investments in low emission, climate resilient agriculture, renewable energy generation, and climate smart infrastructure, for example, could help reduce vulnerability to extreme weather events and build economic resilience.

Aid for Trade investments, especially those targeted at productive capacity building and economic infrastructure, present opportunities to build resilience and promote export diversification into green sectors. But should environmental considerations be systematically integrated into Aid for Trade investments? How can countries better benefit from Aid for Trade in terms of building resilience and protecting the environment? How can international organizations support such efforts? 

This event provides a platform to discuss this timely topic.