For decades, European trade policy has aimed to liberalise international trade, allowing European companies to access foreign markets, raw materials and labour, leading to deregulation often against the public interest and contributing to negative social and environmental impacts both here and abroad. This form of unfettered economic globalisation has deepened global inequality, concentrated wealth and brought the world to the brink of climate catastrophe and natural resource depletion, making us vulnerable to global pandemics such as COVID-19.
The current model of international trade is deeply unsustainable and must be transformed. Instead of harming people and the planet, international trade and trade policy could play an important role in avoiding climate breakdown if we align it with climate policies. To this end, we demand:
- Trade agreements must not contradict or restrict climate policies.
- Trade policy must become an instrument of climate policy and help to transform the economy towards climate neutrality. This includes bringing the volume of traded goods back to a level that respects planetary boundaries.
- Trade policy needs substantial reform, not greenwashing.
