Green Trade Lab Workshop 2026

 Call for Papers

The 5th Annual Green Trade Lab Workshop

Embedding Trade within Planetary Boundaries:

Towards a Common, Equitable Future

University of Basel, Switzerland

22–23 June 2026

We are delighted to invite submissions for the 5th Annual Green Trade Lab (GTL) Workshop, to be held at the University of Basel on 22–23 June 2026. We welcome submissions from all disciplines engaging with the trade–environment nexus, including but not limited to political science, economics, law, sociology, geography, and environmental studies. Established in 2021, the Green Trade Lab has evolved into a vibrant interdisciplinary network of researchers investigating the complex interfaces between international trade and environmental sustainability. The annual GTL workshop offers a supportive, interactive forum to present new research and develop collaborative projects across disciplines.

The nexus between trade and the environment remains a dynamic and contested terrain. Seven of nine planetary boundaries have now been exceeded due to global production and consumption systems, while single autocrats deem wars, trade wars, and existential threats to neighbors as adequate behavior for the 21st century. Efforts to avoid these lose-lose scenarios and to embed trade within planetary boundaries unfold amid overlapping challenges. These systemic tensions, ranging from trade wars to the securitization of supply chains, threaten to undermine the cooperative frameworks and international legal advancements established to manage global commons. Furthermore, persistent asymmetries between the Global North and Global South continue to shape heterogeneous visions of what a green transition entails. Yet, there is consensus across epistemic communities in democratic societies and beyond that an equitable, cooperative future within planetary boundaries is possible. This workshop invites contributions that analyze these dynamics from diverse theoretical and regional perspectives, seeking to explore cooperative solutions and address historical injustices in the pursuit of a sustainable future.

Venue

University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. 

Date

22-23 June 2026

Eligibility: We encourage abstract submissions from researchers at all career stages. The workshop is open to all disciplines engaging with the trade–environment nexus, including but not limited to political science, economics, law, sociology, geography, and environmental studies. 

Format: The workshop will take place over two days. We strongly encourage in-person participation; however, online participation will be possible. 

Submission instructions: Please submit an abstract of max. 500 words outlining your research question, theoretical approach, methodology, the empirical material and expected contribution by 20th February 2026 via this form. 

We understand that abstracts submitted at this stage may not yet include final results - preliminary findings or expected results are perfectly acceptable. Selected participants will be required to submit their full working papers (max. 8,000 words) with more elaborated results by 29th May 2026.

Peer review process: To foster peer learning and exchange and to improve the quality of  contributions to the workshop, participants will be asked to review and provide constructive feedback on one assigned draft paper from a fellow participant prior to the workshop.

Finance: Participation is free of charge. Limited support may be available for participants from underrepresented groups or with constrained access to funding; relevant information can be provided in the submission form.

Important Dates:

20 February 2026  Deadline for Abstract submission (max. 500 words)

27 February 2026 Notification of Acceptance

29 May 2026 Deadline for full Working Paper submission (max. 8,000 words)

10 June 2026  Peer Review Feedback

22nd and 23 June 2026  Workshop

Should you have any questions, please contact us at greentradelab@gmail.com. We look forward to welcoming you to Basel for the fifth edition of the Green Trade Lab workshop!

The Organizing Committee:

Alexandra Bögner, University of Basel

Charline Depoorter, University of Basel

Christian de Almeida Brandao, Federal University of Pernambuco

Eric Magale, African Centre for Technology Studies Nairobi

Julia Gubler, World Trade Institute in Bern

Kehinde Folake Olaoye, Hamad Bin Khalifa University Doha

Maudy Noor Fadhlia, Universitas Sriwijaya Palembang

Memory Reid, University Witwatersrand Johannesburg

Nadine Nyamangirazi, University of Cape Town

Paulina Flores Martinez, University of York

Saheli Archana Wikramanayake, National University of Singapore

Scott Hamilton, University of Antwerp

Simon Happersberger, Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Timothé Beaufils, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Potsdam

Tomoe Koyama, Hitotsubashi University Tokyo

Vishakha Srivastava, O.P. Jindal Global University, India

Yeong Jae Kim, KDI School of Public Policy and Management