Integrated Forum on Climate Change and Trade : COP30
The 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change formally launched an integrated forum on Climate Change and Trade (IFCCT).
- It is a politically supported forum where countries can address the increasingly contentious intersection between trade policies and climate action
- It was launched at COP30, Belem (Brazil), on 15 November 2025.
- It bridges divides between climate ambition and trade policy and could help developing countries gain a stronger voice in shaping emerging trade rules.
- It will be co-chaired by Brazil and a developed country partner, and open to all Parties to the UNFCCC.
- The IFCCT will be institutionally independent of both the WTO and the UNFCCC.
- The Forum will not negotiate binding outcomes or interpret existing agreements or adjudicate disputes or evaluate specific national measures
- It will begin with an open-ended consultation process extending into 2026 to define what topics to be discussed and forum’s jurisdiction.
- It creates an opportunity of interoperability rather than fragmentation related to climate negotiations.
- It will bring together civil society organisations, business associations, and international initiatives.
