Principles for embedded emissions accounting to support trade-related climate policy

Public webinar presented by Associate Professor Emma Aisbett, Australian National University

As the world transitions to net zero, governments around the world are rapidly introducing policies targeting emissions embodied in these traded products.

To support these policies, governments are investing in the development of public embedded emissions accounting frameworks, known as EEFs. The Australian Government’s ‘Guarantee of Origin’ scheme is a world-leading example.

While EEFs have enormous potential to support the transition to a net-zero global economy, they equally have the potential to inhibit trade, slow the transition, and have a disproportionate impact on developing countries – both through their design, and through potential incompatibilities between accounting developed in different jurisdictions. Our research has identified a set of eight design principles for EEFs to be compatible with both international trade law and climate change mitigation regimes.

Watch a recording of the webinar: