ISSU ES AT THE C OU NTRY LEV EL: A DIAGNOSTIC FR AMEW OR K
Closely monitor developments in the environmental-climate requirements of Vietnam’s main trade partners Monitoring would allow Vietnam to anchor its trade policy or trade legal framework with that of its main trade partners (EU, EEA, and United States), which are increasingly interested in environmental sustainability. For example, by implementing a national carbon tax system, Vietnam’s exports will be exempt from carbon border fees imposed by other countries (UNCTAD 2021, 38). Gender mainstream climate change adaptation and mitigation-related trade laws and policies Trade policy is not gender-neutral, considering that women and men play different roles in society and in the economy and enjoy different opportunities. Therefore, the distributional outcomes of trade are different for women than for men. If trade policies and measures are designed without considering their gender-specific outcomes, these policies risk magnifying existing gender gaps (UNCTAD 2017) and exacerbating the negative implications of climate shocks for women, particularly in rural areas. The Vietnamese government should prioritize gender mainstreaming in trade policies and laws in light of climate change. Such mainstreaming can be done by conducting ex ante gender impact assessments of trade measures and including gender considerations in the text of trade agreements, among others. Participate more actively in the negotiation of international rules on environmental goods and services as well as their application The WTO is currently the best forum for these negotiations. Vietnam is eligible for the benefits of special and differential treatment. This designation would help the country to (a) secure more time for transitioning to green standards set by highincome countries, while maintaining access to these markets; and (b) access funding and technical assistance from high-income countries as well as from the WTO (Aid for Trade) for the transition to green standards that are acceptable internationally. Furthermore, the WTO provides a viable forum for pursuing the elimination of trade measures and barriers, such as agricultural subsidies in high-income economies, which negatively affect Vietnam’s trade performance. Finally, the WTO is a feasible avenue through which Vietnam could secure its global interests in environmental goods and services—for instance, by influencing the inclusion in the list of environmental goods and services categories in which Vietnam has a comparative advantage.
Ethiopia Ethiopia is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate variability and climate change due to its heavy reliance on rain-fed agriculture and other primary commodities and natural resources and its limited capacity to deal with the potential adverse impacts. Ethiopia’s challenges include the underdevelopment of water resources, weak health services, a high population growth rate, low economic development, inadequate road infrastructure in drought-prone areas, weak institutional structure, and lack of climate risk awareness (World Bank 2020b). Ethiopia has a complex geo- ecological setting, and virtually all of its ecosystems are fragile.
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