Bridging the Policy Worlds of Trade and Climate

We need a new generation of skilled policymakers – climate diplomats – to address climate change, mitigate its consequences and engage for a sustainable and just development. The 6th IPCC Assessment Report has once more reaffirmed the urgent need to take strong measures. "There are tried and tested policy measures that can work to achieve deep emissions reductions and climate resilience if they are scaled up and applied more widely", according to the scientists in the IPCC report released last week.

With our Joint Master in EU Trade and Climate Diplomacy (EUDIPLO) we aim at bridging the policy worlds of trade and climate by training a new generation of climate diplomats – to engage for a sustainable economy and society with a focus on climate mitigation, circular economy and fair digital trade.

From 13 to 17 March, the EUDIPLO students travelled to Brussels to visit the European institutions and receive first-hand insights by meeting a wide range of EU experts. They started with a visit of the European Council, a working lunch with CIFE alumnae Ramona Samson and Joanna Sullivan, Campaign Strategist, and an EU Policy Lab with Paul Culley, EU Policy Advisor. They also followed lectures about the EU Global Gateway by Fernando Criado Alonso, Senior Administrator at the General Secretariat of the Council of the EU and “The role of EU Diplomacy and its Strategic Foresight in the face of the Geopolitical Challenges” by EEAS Former Senior Advisor Christian Manahl.

During their visit of the European External Action Service (EEAS), the students discussed about Climate Diplomacy with Wouter Wormgoor, Policy Officer at Green Transition Division, and “Tackling Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference” with Uldis Elksnitis, Strategic Communications Officer.

At the European Commission. they were introduced to science diplomacy instruments by Ramona Samson, Chief Economist and Team Leader Strategy at the European Commission. Further conferences at the Commission were held by Marcus Gustafsson, Policy Officer at DG Trade, about “Trade & Investment Diplomacy: EU in Dispute and conflict resolution at WTO” and Jorge Vitorino, Head of Unit at DG Trade, about “Challenges and opportunities of EU trade policy”. The study trip concluded with visits of the European Parliament, an inspiring visit at the House of European History and a guided Walking Tour through the Schuman District.
 
We thank all our experts for their engaging presentations and the precious insights and advice they shared with our students!