Faced with the worsening economic risks related to climate change, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) calls for strengthening international trade cooperation.
In its Global Trade Dynamics report, published on November 9, 2026, UNCTAD stresses that trade can facilitate access to climate technologies, support vulnerable economies and accelerate the transition to low-carbon activities.
Climate change represents a growing threat to the global economy. According to the estimates cited in the report, a 3°C warming could lead to losses equivalent to 10% of the global gross domestic product (GDP). In the poorest countries located near the equator, this proportion could reach 17%. Other projections, based on a scenario of high emissions, suggest a contraction that could be around 40% of global GDP by 2100.
The UNCTAD thus underlines the urgency of translating climate commitments into concrete measures. It considers that trade policy can contribute to this transformation, provided that it facilitates the movement of technologies, equipment and goods necessary for climate change adaptation and emission reduction.
Access to technology, a central issue
The report emphasizes the role of climate technologies in the fight against global warming. Of the 41 assessments of technology needs examined, more than half identify water collection and storage and solutions to strengthen the resilience of agriculture as adaptation priorities.
To reduce emissions, solar, hydroelectric and bioenergy technologies, as well as low-carbon means of transport, are among the most frequently mentioned solutions. However, many of these equipment are produced within international value chains. Trade policies therefore directly influence their cost, availability and distribution. Global exports of goods associated with solar and wind energy value chains are expected to exceed $1.8 trillion in 2025, with a growth higher than other manufactured products.
Reducing unnecessary trade barriers could thus make these technologies more accessible, especially to developing countries whose financial and industrial capacities remain limited.
Trade agreements further integrate climate
The climate dimension also occupies an increasing place in trade agreements. More than half of the agreements signed between 2016 and 2021 included climate provisions, compared to only 18% between 1990 and 2015. The analysis of eight agreements concluded between 2023 and 2025 and referring to the Paris Agreement identified 179 climate clauses. However, their scope remains variable: about 22% express general intentions, 18% focus on cooperation and only 7% provide for a reduction in tariff duties or non-tariff barriers.
For UNCTAD, the challenge now is to go beyond declarations of intent and strengthen operational mechanisms. The harmonisation of standards, technological cooperation and the facilitation of product trade related to the ecological transition are among the advanced avenues.
Sustainable industries, new export prospects
The development of sustainable industries also opens up diversification prospects for developing economies. The report highlights the growing importance of trade in goods and services related to biodiversity, maritime activities and plastic substitution solutions. Exports of biodiversity goods reached $1.3 trillion in 2024. Those for maritime goods and services amounted to $1.2 trillion in 2025. While exports of non-plastic alternatives are estimated at $204 billion in 2024.
These activities can broaden the productive and export bases of the countries concerned, while strengthening their ability to withstand economic and climate shocks. However, UNCTAD stresses that these opportunities must be accompanied by increased creation of local value, employment prospects and environmental guarantees.
Move from commitments to implementation
The report finally calls on governments to better articulate climate policies and trade policies. It advocates extended access to technology, closer cooperation between economies, better integration of value chains and increased support for developing countries. For the latter, the issue is not limited to importing green equipment. It also involves acquiring the skills, industrial capabilities and financial resources necessary to participate in the global production of climate technologies.
International trade could thus become an instrument of adaptation and ecological transition, provided that its profits are more widely distributed and that the commitments announced result in concrete achievements
