Only 7% of climate-related provisions in recent trade agreements address tariff and non-tariff barriers to climate technologies, according to a new UNCTAD report.
Global exports linked to solar and wind energy value chains exceeded $1.8 trillion in 2025, highlighting the rapid growth of clean energy trade.
More than half of trade agreements signed between 2016 and 2021 included climate provisions, but most recent commitments remain non-binding.
As COP31 gets under way, UNCTAD calls for stronger trade cooperation, technology transfer and financial support to help developing countries access clean technologies.
Despite a surge in global trade in clean energy technologies, only 7 per cent of climate-related provisions in recent trade agreements address barriers to accessing them, according to a November 2026 report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
The world is on track to exceed the Paris Agreement’s 1.5 degrees Celsius (°C) temperature goal, with the global average temperature in 2025 reaching about 1.4°C above pre-industrial levels. Climate change could reduce global gross domestic product (GDP) by 10 per cent at 3°C of warming, while exports of goods linked to solar and wind energy value chains exceeded $1.8 trillion in 2025, the report said.
The report comes as the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change began in Antalya, Turkey, on November 9, 2026. The summit, scheduled to run until November 20, is taking place amid widening climate finance gaps and concerns over the pace of the global energy transition. Turkey holds the COP31 presidency, while Australia is leading negotiations under an arrangement agreed at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, in 2025.
In its report, Accelerating Climate Action Requires Trade Cooperation, UNCTAD said trade policies and international cooperation could help developing countries access affordable climate technologies, diversify their economies and strengthen resilience. However, gaps in finance, technology and institutional capacity continue to constrain progress.
Global exports of goods associated with solar and wind energy value chains, from primary inputs to finished products, exceeded $1.8 trillion in 2025, growing faster than exports of other manufactured goods. Trade in batteries and electric cars increased by 29 per cent and 11 per cent, respectively, in the first half of 2026.
Exports of wastewater treatment products exceeded $273 billion in 2024, with developing countries accounting for 34.7 per cent of global imports.
Of the 41 developing countries that identified or updated their climate technology priorities since 2015, more than half identified water augmentation and climate-resilient agriculture as adaptation priorities. Solar power, hydropower, bioenergy and low-carbon transport were among the mitigation priorities.
However, tariffs, technical regulations and product standards can raise the cost of accessing these technologies, particularly for countries lacking the resources to meet compliance requirements.
More than half of the trade agreements signed between 2016 and 2021 included climate-related provisions, compared with 18 per cent of agreements concluded between 1990 and 2015.
UNCTAD identified 179 climate-related provisions across eight regional trade agreements signed between 2023 and 2025 that reference the Paris Agreement. These cover areas including technology transfer, capacity building, renewable energy and climate-resilient food systems.
However, most rely on best-endeavours commitments rather than legally enforceable obligations. Only 7 per cent address the reduction of tariff and non-tariff barriers, while 22 per cent comprise general statements of climate intent and 18 per cent call for cooperation.
Implementation remains limited. Of the 174 countries surveyed by the United Nations in 2025 on digital and sustainable trade facilitation, only seven reported fully implementing measures for green and climate-smart goods. Another 12 reported partial implementation, 14 were planning measures and 57 had not implemented them.
UNCTAD said differences in technical regulations, carbon accounting methods, traceability requirements and certification standards can increase compliance costs for exporters. Small and medium-sized enterprises in developing countries often lack access to adequately equipped testing laboratories and accredited verifiers.
The report called for cooperation on regulatory compatibility, standards, certification, technical assistance and investment. It also highlighted opportunities in sustainable trade sectors, including biodiversity-based goods, ocean goods and services, and non-plastic substitutes.
Developing economies exported more than $1.3 trillion in biodiversity-based goods in 2024 and $1.2 trillion in ocean goods and services in 2025. Exports of non-plastic substitutes were estimated at $204 billion in 2024.
UNCTAD said trade agreements must move beyond general commitments towards concrete measures, including technology transfer and capacity building, to help developing countries participate in low-carbon and climate-resilient value chains.