Europe has some of the world’s most outward-facing economies, but its high level of interconnectivity renders the continent particularly exposed to events that manifest beyond its borders. This is partly due to a reliance on complex, global value chains and supply-chain networks for food and other commodity imports. These chains frequently extend from regions that are particularly vulnerable to climate change.
In recent years, we have seen a growing number of cases demonstrating how extreme weather events, such as droughts and flooding, can wreak havoc on global supply chains. Cross-border risks for trade and supply chains have become the subject of increased attention among European policymakers and business leaders, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Suez Canal blockage and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The European Union is increasingly taking account of the international dimensions of climate adaptation, as can be seen in its climate adaptation strategy.
Yet there remain limited capabilities and capacity across the public and private sectors to put in place anticipatory governance structures or pre-emptive measures to mitigate these kinds of cross-border risks.
The inaugural European Climate Risk and Trade Policy Forum will explore the policies, programmes and strategic public-private partnerships that could enhance the resilience of Europe’s supply chains, in ways that deliver wider benefits for workers and their communities. The sessions run on Wednesday 20 September from 12:00 to 15:30 BST and Thursday 21 September from 9:00 to 12.00 BST.
Convening a select group of 30-40 European policymakers, business leaders, NGO representatives, and experts, these two half-day online dialogues, will consider the following critical questions:
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How prepared are European businesses for their supply chains to be disrupted by climate change? Which specific measures are they taking?
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To what extent do low cost, efficient logistics and high-quality manufacturing in high climate-risk regions offset the risks associated with increasing exposure to climate hazards and their cascading effects?
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What are the policy levers that governments can use to embed climate adaptation in European trade relations and supply chains? Which governments are leading on this?
This event is hosted by Chatham House and the Stockholm Environment Institute as part of the European Climate Risk and Trade Policy Programme in partnership with the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and the Swedish Expert Council for Climate Adaptation.
The Forum is invitation only. If you are interested in joining, please contact Chris Aylett.
