The Remaking Trade for a Sustainable Future Project
The Remaking Trade Project works to advance pathways that align global trade with sustainable development.
The global trading system is facing mounting pressure—from climate change and technological advancement to rising inequality and shifting geopolitics. To respond to these challenges and remain fit for the 21st century, trust in the system must be rebuilt through deep reform.
Our vision
Launched in June 2021, our work is grounded in the sustainable development mandate of the World Trade Organization’s 1994 Marrakesh Agreement.
Our vision is a trusted and fair global trade system that actively advances the economic, environmental, and social dimensions of sustainable development.
Our collaborators
The Remaking Trade Project is a collaboration among the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy, the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, and the Shridath Ramphal Centre for International Trade Law, Policy and Services at the University of the West Indies. We work with a wide range of stakeholders—including policymakers, researchers /academics, environmental advocates, and private sector representatives—around the world.
An Agenda for Reform of the Multilateral Trade System
Our flagship report, the Villars Framework for Trade System Reform, was produced in collaboration with more than 400 experts around the world and provides a practical roadmap for reshaping global trade governance. Now in its third iteration, this trade system reform agenda aims to reinvigorate the WTO, strengthen the legitimacy of the trade system, and rebuild public and political confidence by demonstrating that trade can deliver real sustainable development outcomes.
A partnership between
How we work
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We catalyze the development and dissemination of new research and policy ideas that advance innovative approaches to trade governance and sustainable development.
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We support champions and coalitions working to advance pragmatic reforms that strengthen the contribution of the global trading system to sustainable development.
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We bring together policymakers, business leaders, academics, and civil society through strategic convenings and network building to foster dialogue, build alignment, and accelerate momentum for reform.
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We help prepare the next generation of leaders and advocates working at the intersection of trade policy, sustainability, and global economic governance.
