디지털 경제와 기후변화에 관한 소고 - ‘트윈전환(Twin Transition)’과 국제통상규범을 중심으로-

In accordance with the 'twin transition' strategy which has recently emerged as a new paradigm, countries are introducing various policies that parallel the two propositions of digital economy and climate change. However, in terms of the impact of the digital transition on the green transition, ‘digital technology’ is only highlighted as a ‘tool’ to lead the ‘green transition’, and in terms of the impact of the green transition on the digital transition, ‘digital technology’ has a ‘negative impact’ on the ‘green transition’. Accordingly, only a fragmentary analysis is highlighted. An analysis of the significant impacts of the digital economy and climate change on international trade and how they are influenced by each other in the international trade rules, reveal that despite significant advances in digital trade rules, no digital trade-related provisions have yet emerged as directly considering climate change. While the 'paperless trade' clause is the most relevant to climate change and is gradually being expanded to become the main instrument to address climate change, there is still no clause that considers the negative impacts of the digital economy on climate change. In particular, most countries have been slow to introduce climate change clauses per se, and while some countries have advanced climate change clauses, they are not directly linked to the digital economy. However, there are many possibilities for developing linkages between current climate change provisions and the digital trade rules. The recognition that digital technology is a useful tool to support climate change action, and the effectiveness of combining digital technology for climate change information access and public engagement as already reflected in the CPTPP, is likely to be escalated to twin transition provisions. Because there are a number of potential conflicts of interest and legal implications of introducing twin transition provisions under the separate chapters on digital trade and the environment, it may be time to explore twin transition provisions under the new legal forms of treaties, such as soft law. Just as we can't avoid the digital transformation, we can't avoid the green transition and climate change as well. Therefore, rather than simply implementing both in parallel at the same time, we need an international trade rules on twin transition to create synergy.