Transition, Trade and Trust – Industry Decarbonisation in Uncertain Times.
In Geneva on 23 and 24 October 2025, the Forum on Trade, Environment and the SDGs (TESS) organised its first annual conference on the theme Trade Cooperation Pathways for Climate Action, Resilience and Justice. The event gathered leading experts from the worlds of trade and climate policymaking, including LeadIT’s Head of Secretariat, Per Andersson. This is his account of the discussions over the two days.
Timely discussions
The intersection of trade and climate affairs has long been a topic of global discussion. It is increasingly debated within the multilateral trade bodies of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and other forums, such as the Group of Twenty (G20), as well as being incorporated into emerging bilateral free trade agreements. An ambition of decarbonization in one region may present a trade barrier in another and vice versa. Ensuring a just and equitable transition requires cooperation and mutual understanding, particularly among leading and emerging industrial nations and regions across the South, North, West, and East. It was therefore with growing importance and urgency that the Geneva-based Forum on Trade, Environment and the SDGs organised the conference “Trade Cooperation Pathways for Climate Action, Resilience and Justice”.
The conference took place as many parts of the global puzzle of industrial decarbonization were being discussed around the world and just a few weeks ahead of COP30 in Belém, Brazil. On the same day, the European Council of EU leaders met with transition and climate on their agenda, WTO reform was in focus in Geneva, and steel continued to dominate global trade discussions. Industries from across the world were calling for fair trade standards. The implications of the recent opinion from the International Court of Justice on the responsibility of states regarding climate action and emission mitigation—issued only a few weeks before the conference—were also highlighted. The introduction of the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which has dominated the trade-versus-climate debate for years, remained a central topic. Less visible in the headlines, but well noted at the conference, was the rise of carbon pricing and carbon credit systems being developed in many markets, regions, and nations around the world. The growing focus on industrial policy was also evident, including debates about the future of green state subsidy regimes.
In an era of uncertainty and growing scepticism toward the rules-based multilateral system, bilateral free trade agreements were reported to be gaining in importance—the EU–India free trade agreement being one such example, where a parallel revival of cooperation included the steel and cement sectors.
The concept of technology transfers has long been on the WTO agenda, often in relation to intellectual property rights, investment, and international law. The dilemma remains – how to make green technology more widely and rapidly accessible to mitigate emissions while still protecting the incentives to develop and invest in that technology. The conference highlighted the importance of demonstrating real cooperation and showing what technology co-development might look like in practice. Ahead of COP30, this served as a strong and timely message—to take on board, and to bring to Belém.
Read the LeadIT brief on green trade published as part of the TESS Synergies series.
Pathways to inclusive green industrial policy: building shared opportunities across economies