Frictions Between International Trade Agreements and Environmental Protections: The Greening of World Trade

This memorandum examines the conflicts between free trade policies, which aim for efficient resource allocation by markets, and environmental policies, which aim to manage and maintain the earth's resources. It specifically analyzes the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and other trade agreements to identify frictions with international environmental agreements and domestic laws, seeking options to reconcile these legal relationships.

• Conflicts arise when the same resources are subject to both trade-driven allocation and environmental management. These tensions are exacerbated by divergent views: some environmentalists view the economic system as an enemy, while some trade and development experts view the environment as a luxury to be addressed only after economic goals are met.
• Current trends in population and the economy are considered unsustainable regardless of technological progress. World Bank senior economist Herman Daly suggests that growth beyond the current scale is likely to lead to 'uneconomic growth,' where costs increase more rapidly than benefits, resulting in impoverishment rather than enrichment.
• The document aims to reconcile the legal relationships between trade and environmental agreements by reviewing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and other trade provisions against international environmental agreements and domestic laws to identify and reduce frictions.

APA

Zaelke, Housman, & Stanley (1992). Frictions Between International Trade Agreements and Environmental Protections: The Greening of World Trade. Center for International Environmental Law. https://www.ciel.org/reports/frictions-between-international-trade-agreements-and-environmental-protections-the-greening-of-world-trade-1992-zaelke-housman-stanley-te92-6-2/

Chicago

Zaelke, Housman, and Stanley. Frictions Between International Trade Agreements and Environmental Protections: The Greening of World Trade. Center for International Environmental Law, 1992. https://www.ciel.org/reports/frictions-between-international-trade-agreements-and-environmental-protections-the-greening-of-world-trade-1992-zaelke-housman-stanley-te92-6-2/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Zaelke |last2=Housman |last3=Stanley |title=Frictions Between International Trade Agreements and Environmental Protections: The Greening of World Trade |publisher=Center for International Environmental Law |date=1 January 1992 |url=https://www.ciel.org/reports/frictions-between-international-trade-agreements-and-environmental-protections-the-greening-of-world-trade-1992-zaelke-housman-stanley-te92-6-2/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{zaelke1992frictions, author = {Zaelke and Housman and Stanley}, title = {{Frictions Between International Trade Agreements and Environmental Protections: The Greening of World Trade}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {1992}, month = jan, url = {https://www.ciel.org/reports/frictions-between-international-trade-agreements-and-environmental-protections-the-greening-of-world-trade-1992-zaelke-housman-stanley-te92-6-2/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }