Aligning International Trade Law with the Energy Transition

The fact that the energy sector is not only the primary source of greenhouse gas emissions but also generates the most widely traded commodities in both value and volume places energy trade at the heart of the intersection between trade and the environment. However, it is only in recent years that the international rules governing energy trade and their environmental implications started to feature more prominently in the longstanding debate on trade and the environment. Among the factors putting energy trade governance under growing scrutiny are the ever-intensifying climate change crisis and the attendant need for a rapid transition away from fossil fuels.