Examining the Overlap Between Environmental Protection and International Trade Instruments

Abstract

This paper attempts both a legal and socio-environmental appraisal of the protection of the human environment through International Trade Instruments. This discourse realises that there exists a seeming conflict of activities between the need to protect the human environment and the sustainable propagation of human activities through international trade. The study embarks on a qualitative review of significant cases largely on the economic and environmental policies on trade. It accepts that protectionism as well as liberalism has been explored in times past as wealth-creation mechanisms, as the exploitation of natural resources has been largely effective leading to technological challenges; but there continues to be conflict without battle. The study avers that nature which has been repeatedly seen as a finite resource should not be perpetually explored and exploited, but concrete regulatory mechanisms through national and international instruments to protect the environment and regulate trade with sustainable development should be emplaced. It concludes that even though substantial progress has been made in identifying the circumstances in which international trade and environmental protection can be mutually compatible, but several areas of contention and conflict remain, whilst making recommendations for effectively managing the areas of overlap.

Keywords: Environment, Trade, Environmental Protection, WTO, Economy, Instrument.

DOI: 10.7176/JLPG/108-04

Publication date: April 30^th 2021