Trade and environment in the Pacific
Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat · Trade and Investment Advocacy Fund 2+ (TAF2+) · 2024–2025
Supporting Pacific engagement on trade and environmental policy
Pacific Island countries face a distinctive combination of environmental vulnerability, limited capacity and exposure to rapidly changing international trade and environmental rules.
The Pacific Islands Forum was therefore strengthening its capacity to engage strategically on the relationship between trade and environmental sustainability, including through participation in the WTO Committee on Trade and Environment and related international initiatives.
The challenge
Trade and environmental policy are increasingly interconnected. New measures addressing climate change, deforestation, plastics and other environmental challenges can create both opportunities and adjustment challenges for vulnerable developing countries.
For Pacific small island developing states, limited technical capacity and the costs of adapting to new requirements can make these developments particularly significant. The challenge was to help Pacific officials understand complex and rapidly evolving policy developments, assess their implications, and develop a stronger basis for strategic engagement at the WTO, and with their capitals.
My contribution
As Trade and Environment Expert, I provided technical assistance and strategic advice to the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and its WTO member countries, with a particular focus on the WTO Committee on Trade and Environment (CTE).
I prepared briefings, draft interventions, strategies and talking points, translating developments in WTO discussions into practical implications and negotiating considerations for Pacific countries. This included advice on trade-related climate measures, plastics pollution, fossil-fuel subsidies and sustainable trade initiatives.
A particular focus was the emergence of new trade-related environmental measures, including the EU’s Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). I analysed their potential implications for Pacific countries and exporters, including the need for targeted technical and financial assistance and support for businesses adapting to new requirements.
The work also extended beyond written analysis. I briefed Pacific ambassadors and senior officials, worked with regional environmental stakeholders, supported the organisation of a side event during WTO Trade and Environment Week, and delivered training for officials in Pacific capitals.
Findings and impact
The work helped strengthen the Pacific’s capacity to engage with rapidly evolving trade and environmental policy at the WTO.
Analysis and briefings highlighted the particular adjustment challenges faced by small island developing states and the importance of technical assistance, appropriate transition periods and effective consideration of development constraints in the design and implementation of environmental trade measures.
The training and strategic support also helped connect technical developments in Geneva with the priorities and institutional capacity of officials in the Pacific, strengthening the evidence base and positioning for regional engagement.
More broadly, the work contributed to a more strategic Pacific perspective on how trade policy can support environmental sustainability and resilient development, rather than treating trade and environmental policy as separate agendas.
An independent assessment undertaken at programme close found that TAF2+ made a “strong and credible contribution” to improving developing country participation in trade negotiations, while strengthening technical capacity, institutional coordination, and the collective influence of small and vulnerable economies within the global trading system.
Project context
I was contracted by Adam Smith International as Trade and Environment Expert under the UK Trade and Investment Advocacy Fund 2 Plus (TAF2+) programme. Adam Smith International was contracted by Cowater International, which manages the TAF2+ programme, to support the Pacific Islands Forum.
The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat was my principal counterpart and the direct client for the work. TAF2+ was an FCDO-funded programme providing on-demand technical assistance and support to developing countries engaging in international trade negotiations, with the Pacific Islands Forum a core beneficiary of its WTO support.
Related services:
Trade, sustainability and economic transformation · Economic and policy analysis · Capacity building and training
If you are looking for independent economic analysis, research expertise or specialist support within a wider project team, get in touch to discuss how I could contribute.