Making trade work for climate change mitigation: the case of technical regulations

Climate change-related technical regulations are generally seen as facing less political constraints when compared with other measures such as carbon taxes. They might also be easier to implement in developing countries than carbon pricing mechanisms. Despite their greater acceptability and generalizability, the lack of harmonization of technical regulations and standards results in increased information and compliance costs which can hinder developing countries’ competitiveness and market access. A greater level of harmonization of climate change related technical regulations and their alignment on common standards can help alleviate this problem The UNFCCC recognizes that measures taken by developed countries to mitigate climate change could negatively impact developing economies and impede sustainable development efforts. It also provides a set of guiding principles to mitigate these impacts. These principles call among others for the consideration of the special circumstances and needs of developing countries, and the provision of technical and financial support to minimize negative impacts. Enhancing developing countries’ capacity to adopt and comply with climate change-related technical regulations is crucial for the global uptake of carbon efficient products and the equity of technologies.