GTN Newsletter #26

You are reading the 26th edition of the Green Trade Network's newsletter, coordinated by IEEP; this bi-monthly digest acts as a nexus for information and key happenings within the world of Green Trade. If this is your first time receiving it, you can find out more here.

In Memory of David Kleimann  

The Green Trade Network was created to shine a light on the work of experts producing research at the intersection of international trade and environmental sustainability. In this edition, we pay tribute to our esteemed colleague and friend David Kleimann, who passed away earlier this month.

David was an enthusiastic founding member of the Green Trade Network and an internationally respected expert on the intersection of trade and climate policy. His analyses of Free Trade Agreements and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) helped shape discussions among policymakers, researchers, and practitioners across Europe and beyond. Widely cited and regularly featured in the media, his work left a lasting mark on the development of European trade and climate policy.

A sharp and independent thinker, David brought to his work a rare combination of intellectual rigour, curiosity, and conviction. He possessed an extraordinary depth of knowledge in a field that is both highly technical and constantly evolving, and approached it with contagious enthusiasm. His work reflected a genuine commitment to understanding how trade policy could contribute to a more sustainable and prosperous future.

Beyond his intellectual contributions, David was a mentor, a colleague, and a friend to many of us. He was an unwavering supporter of the Green Trade Network, helping to sustain and strengthen the initiative through his contributions, his interventions, and his support in organising several of our events. His absence will be deeply felt across the trade and climate community, and he will be greatly missed on a personal level by those who had the privilege of knowing and working alongside him.

In this special edition, we wanted to create a space for remembrance and gratitude, bringing together reflections from former colleagues and friends while highlighting some of David’s most influential writings and contributions.

We hope these lines serve as a testament to the quality and impact of his work, as well as to the intellectual generosity and passion that defined him.

Our thoughts are with his family and friends,

Pierre

Pierre Leturcq,

Coordinator of the Green Trade Network

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of David Kleimann, who was a valued colleague at S-Curve Economics. David was one of the most one of the most respected trade experts in Brussels, and committed his career to the intersection of climate, trade and industrial policy. A trade lawyer by background, he cared deeply about fairness and the rule of law in international trade. While a strong defender of Europe’s interests, he also advocated strongly in favour of the fair treatment of emerging and developing countries. He was greatly respected by policymakers in the European Commission and European Parliament, journalists, and fellow experts both in Europe and internationally. His work was published in renowned journals, and he was a frequently sought-after media commentator. David was a senior research associate with S-Curve Economics since January, advancing ideas on how differentiated tariffs could accelerate the EU and global steel transition. He cared deeply about the intellectual credibility of his work, often looking for the opportunity space between what was politically feasible, legally justifiable, geopolitically strategic, and above all effective. We greatly admired the energy, creativity, and passion he brought to his work. He was ambitious, determined, and focused on outcomes. We will miss David and his intellect, commitment, conviction, and expertise. He was a great conversationalist, with an excellent sense of humour, and deeply engaged with European and global politics. It is difficult to imagine continuing our work without him, but we will do our best to carry forward the ideas and vision to which he dedicated so much of his talent and passion”.

Joe Morrisroe, S-Curve Economics

“I am writing these words during London Climate Action Week where a heatwave is hitting town. It would have been quite likely that I would have seen David here: going to events, running events, pushing the needle where he saw an opportunity. And in the evening, always up for a decent whiskey and a thought-provoking conversation of the state of the world (is the universe actually sending us a sign with a heat wave during climate week / does it make sense that Starmer resigned / are mirror measures on Brazilian meat ever going to be fully implemented). As I walk through town I imagine seeing him, walking on the other side of the street, brown leather bag over his shoulder, tilting his head to look at you, smiling friendly and with encouragement for the latest thing we were trying to pull off. I wished that these conversations would not have stopped so abruptly as they did. And as we turn and wonder about the mirage of seeing a person on the street that reminded us of David, we pick up the pieces and we continue. We continue with a deep dedication for the topic of trade and climate, we continue with the appreciation for a particular sense of humour and sometimes sarcasm and we continue -for those of us who he let come close enough to be his friends- with an ability to encourage others to keep going even if he no longer will”.

Trees Robijns, European Climate Foundation

"David, you have left us all far too soon and with so much more to give. I learned so much through our interactions, and there was never any doubt regarding your ability to provide exceptional insights. I know you will be missed so much and by so many”.

Jodie Keane, ODI

“The trade community is mourning today. Wherever you are, whatever your opinion on trade and environment may be, David was a source of knowledge, of curiosity, of excitement on a topic that many may find quite dull (it isn’t). He was an inspiration to us all but most importantly he was a friend. Our sincere condolences to his family and all those who knew him. Rest in peace, David”.

Antoine Oger, IEEP

“David was a real inspiration and working so hard for more sustainable trade. A tragic loss for all in the green trade community”.

Markus Gehring, CISDL

“I first met David in 2023 in a Bruegel seminar on international rules on green subsidies. At that time, I was still working in the European Commission and had followed with a lot of interest David writings on the Inflation Reduction Act and on the EU-US negotiations on a steel and aluminium agreement. They were examples of policy relevant analysis that eventually convinced me to join Bruegel after my retirement.Since then, I had multiple opportunities to discuss with David all the key issues of the trade and climate interface and indeed other aspects of trade policy. We developed a close friendship based on mutual respect and the intellectual challenge of testing new ideas. I always came out from discussions with David in numerous conferences and private lunches much enriched from his sharp intellect and genuine commitment to a constructive European trade and climate policy. After hearing about his untimely passing, I read again some of his writings and was impressed by their intellectual coherence and continuous relevance. I would recommend in particular reading again his May 2025 on how to reconcile the implementation of CBAM with “Common but Differentiated Responsibilities”, which in my view still represents the best policy relevant analysis on the most challenging aspect of trade and climate diplomacy”.

Ignacio Garcia Bercero, Bruegel

Work by David

Why embedded emissions standards are key for the EU Steel Regulation 

In one of his final published articles, David made the case that tariff rate quotas under the forthcoming EU Steel Regulation should distinguish between near-zero emission and high-emission steel, rewarding producers that invest in cleaner production methods. He argued that the EU could offer preferential clean steel quotas to selected free trade agreement partners in exchange for reciprocal market access and level playing field provisions. These deals could eventually evolve into an expanded EU-led market for clean steel trade and investment among “middle power” countries. 

Navigating CBAM implementation and steel decarbonisation

Co-hosted by ODI Europe and the European Climate Foundation, the First International Climate, Trade and Industrial Policy Dialogue brought together senior EU policymakers, high-level government representatives from partner countries and leading experts to examine the external dimensions of the EU Clean Industrial Deal and the European Steel and Metals Action Plan. 

Kleimann, David, and Marta Kulesza. EU Climate, Trade and Industrial Policy: Navigating CBAM Implementation and Steel Decarbonisation. London: ODI Europe, June 2025. Read more

Green Industrial Policy: How G20 members can foster Better Practices through Disclosure, Evaluation, and Dialogue

This policy brief documents the scale of corporate subsidies associated with the transition, charting their rise as a matter of importance for G20 members individually and systemically and advances proposals that would, if implemented, translate the objectives of disclosure, evaluation, and dialogue into practice. 

David Kleimann, Senior Research Associate, ODI (Belgium); Simon Evenett, Professor, University of St. Gallen (Switzerland); Ilaria Espa, Associate Professor, USI (Switzerland); Clara Brandi, Professor, University of Bonn (Germany). Read more

The False Promise of the Transatlantic Climate Club for Steel and Aluminum

This paper sets out the EU and US perspectives on the ongoing negotiations and evaluates US and EU initial negotiation proposals as the transatlantic talks slowly but surely approach the 31 October 2023, deadline.

Kleimann, David. 2023. Section 232 Reloaded: The False Promise of the Transatlantic Climate Club for Steel and Aluminum (June 28, 2023). Bruegel Working Paper Series, Read more

American ‘green’ protectionism, industrial decarbonsiation, and transatlantic steel and aluminium negotiations – a response to Todd N. Tucker and Timothy Meyer

In this paper, David analysed a plan for a transatlantic “green steel deal” authored by Todd N. Tucker and Timothy Meyer and compare EU and US negotiation proposals for a so-called “Global Steel and Aluminium Arrangement (GSA)”.

Kleimann, David, “American ‘Green’ Protectionism, Industrial Decarbonisation, and Transatlantic Steel and Aluminium Negotiations: A Response to Todd N. Tucker and Timothy Meyer.” International Economic Law and Policy Blog, August 13, 2023. Read more  

About the Green Trade Network

The Green Trade Network (GTN) is a group of policy experts from 25 research organisations, ranging from think tanks to NGOs and academia, conducting evidence-based research and outreach activities on the trade and environment nexus. GTN member organisations are based in 9 EU Member States and the United States of America, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland. The GTN aims to collectively promote a European agenda for a better alignment of trade policies and trade-impacting measures with critical environmental and climate objectives.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor CINEA can be held responsible for them

The Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) is an independent sustainability think tank with offices in Brussels. As a not-for-profit organisation with over 40 years of experience, we are committed to advancing impact-driven sustainability policy across the EU and the world.