Green Industrial Policy Round Table 1: Setting the Stage
Green Industrial Policy Round Table 1 brought together policy-makers and experts to identify key issues and lay the groundwork for future work in the area.
This first round table in a series exploring green industrial policy set the stage for a multi-year dialogue on the future of industrial policy in a rapidly changing global landscape. Against the backdrop of climate urgency, development challenges, and fractured geopolitical relationships, participants explored how industrial policies are evolving and what this means for trade, development, and global cooperation.
The opening session examined the drivers of today’s industrial policy resurgence, focusing on how major economies are reshaping global strategies and redefining the rules of engagement. This was followed by a discussion on the evidence base: what current data reveal about the tools governments are using, their priorities, and the impacts on competitiveness, sustainability, and trade flows. Participants highlighted both the insights and the limitations of available analysis in capturing the full consequences of policy choices.
Discussion later shifted attention to the experiences of emerging, developing, and least-developed countries. Discussions emphasized the unique challenges these economies face in designing and implementing industrial policies that balance growth and climate ambition, while also responding to policy shifts in larger economies. Participants then turned to geopolitics, exploring how security concerns, techno-nationalism, and shifting power dynamics are reshaping industrial strategies. This raised critical questions about the resilience of the multilateral trading system and the prospects for cooperation in an increasingly fragmented order.
Together, these discussions underscored the complexity of today’s industrial policy debates and the need for deeper analysis, dialogue, and inclusive governance to ensure that industrial strategies support both national objectives and global well-being.
Insights from these discussions will help shape the direction of IISD’s Green Industrial Policies workstream and guide future research.
These round tables are part of a 4-year project led by the International Institute for Sustainable Development and funded by Open Society Foundations.
Green Industrial Policy Roundtable Series
- Round table 1 | Setting the Stage
- Round table 2 | Deep Dives into Sectoral Industrial Policies and Development
- Round table 3 | Industrial Policies and the Global Trade Framework
Upcoming events
IGF 22nd Annual General Meeting
The 22nd IGF AGM will be held under the theme of Trust in an Interdependent World: Advancing inclusion and resilience in mineral value chains
Exploring Sustainable Markets and Trade Opportunities for COMESA Countries
This webinar series for COMESA member states, producers, and small and medium-sized enterprises aims to enhance their understanding of sustainability standards and regulatory developments.
Policy Workshop: Inclusive and Sustainable Growth Beyond GDP in Ghana
Policymakers will explore core concepts, global approaches, and key components of "beyond GDP" and assess their relevance for Ghana.
Student Workshop: Inclusive and Sustainable Growth Beyond GDP in Ghana
Students will confront the limitations of GDP and explore alternative and complementary measures to GDP and their policy implications for Ghana.