Rafael Leal-Arcas, Professor of European and International Economic Law at Queen Mary's Centre for Commercial Law Studies, was part of a team of global experts involved in discussions and deliberations on the topic of the nexus between trade and on climate change. Members of the group were convened by the World Economic Forum and the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development as one part of the overall “E15” effort to offer to global decision-makers options for strengthening the global trade and investment system for sustainable development.
The report, entitled “Global Rules for Mutually Supportive and Reinforcing Trade and Climate Regimes”, was released at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, January 2016. In this report, a number of options are offered, both for reconciling and enhancing the trade and climate regimes while freeing trade and fighting climate change. This is not a consensus report. As the report explains, not all of members agree with all of the options offered for consideration. But all members agree that the relationship between trade and climate change is a matter that must be addressed by both the trade and climate regimes as they work together on behalf of the overriding global goals for sustainable development. And all do agree on the importance to this task of highlighting these options.