This handbook describes in detail how trade can affect the environment, for better and for worse, and how environmental concern can work through the trading system to foster or frustrate development, in both rich and poor countries. It is aimed mainly at those with some knowledge about trade, environment or development, but who are not expert on the intersection of the three. It aims to serve as a practical reference tool for policy-makers and practitioners, and be equally useful to the media and civil society.
This paper presents an overview of trade among the G14 as well as key non-G14 economies in the 54 product sub-categories included in the APEC environmental goods list. It also examines for these 54 sub-headings more detailed trade information at the tariff line level (including at the level of more detailed statistical codes) in an attempt to gain some insight into the relative importance of trade in environmental goods. It also analyses additional climate-related products, derived inter alia from earlier ICTSD research, particularly climate technology mapping studies, which could potentially be added to those included in the APEC list for subsequent inclusion in an Environmental Goods Agreement (EGA). The paper presents a preliminary analysis of trade flows and tariffs for this non-exhaustive list of climate-relevant products and components. Finally, it also puts forward proposals on measures needed to make EGA negotiations more transparent as well as facilitate better estimates of global trade flows in environmental goods.
This paper considers the extent to which the Northeast Asian countries - China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan - are collaborating as a legitimate group to produce “green” R&D. Forcing a revision of traditional institutional analysis, such collaboration efforts can overlap with existing policies of regional coordination, but they can also pave the way for future, formal coordination efforts. Employing a mixed methods approach which triangulates data based on expert interviews as well as green patenting output over the last 33 years, it is confirmed here that the presence of the Northeast Asian environmental regime is strongly associated with the development of green R&D among countries in the region. It can be further confirmed that Northeast Asia is on the cusp of becoming a genuine counterweight to the existing dominance of the U.S. and Western Europe.
This policy brief looks at the impacts of environmental regulations on regulated companies. It presents an overview of what competitiveness means, at the level of firms, sectors and countries; and explains how competitiveness effects occur, why it is important to assess them and how they are measured. The main focus of the policy brief is a review of the exisiting evidence. The authors focus on ex post evaluation studies. Ex ante modelling studies are not included. They discuss the impact of environmental regulations on productivity, employment, trade, industry location and innovation. And they conclude by discussing what the literature teaches about improving environmental regulations and identifying priorities for future research.
Key findings from the policy brief include:
The analysis in this report focuses on selected production-consumption systems, which link environmental, social and economic systems across the world - generating earnings, supporting ways of living, and meeting consumer demands - and also account for much of humanity's burden on the environment. production and consumption are addressed together because they are highly interdependent. Only by adopting an integrated perspective is it possible to get a full understanding of these systems: the incentives that structure them, the functions they perform, the ways system elements interact, the impacts they generate, and the opportunities to reconfigure them.