By Paul Davies and Michael Green

Prior to the G20 Leaders’ Summit on 4 September, China and the US ratified the Paris Climate Agreement during a ceremony in Hangzhou, China. This commitment from the world’s largest carbon dioxide emitters is expected to prompt developed nations in Europe to follow suit.

The adoption of the Paris Agreement by 195 countries is widely considered to be one of the most ambitious international environmental agreements, whereby parties committed to limiting the increase in the global average temperature to 2˚C above pre-industrial levels while striving to limit the temperature increase to 1.5˚C.

China and the US join 25 other signatories who have ratified the Paris Agreement – the majority of whom are islands particularly vulnerable to climate change, for example, the Bahamas and Nauru. With China and the US now among the signatories, it is likely to accelerate the entry into force of the Paris Agreement.

By Paul Davies, Charles Claypoole and Michael Green

We have commented previously about the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and its relationship with environmental obligations. Here, following Brexit, we turn our attention to future trade arrangements for the UK and the implications for environmental law.

As a member of the EU, the UK was not able to negotiate its own trade agreements with non-member countries, and could only do so as part of the EU Common Commercial Policy (CCP). Following Brexit, and assuming that a post-Brexit relationship between the EU and the UK does not involve UK participation in the CCP as a means for participating in the Internal Market, the UK can negotiate in its own trade agreements with non-member states and put in place trade arrangements with the EU following its withdrawal (assuming Brexit proceeds).  As such, the UK Government has already suggested that discussions will take place on a new free trade deal with China – which has never had a free trade agreement with any EU country.  Further, Commonwealth countries, such as Canada, Australia, India and Singapore, have also expressed interest in negotiating trade agreements with the UK.