Institutional Interactions at the Crossroads of Trade and Environment: The Dominance of Liberal Environmentalism

The research examines how 'liberal environmentalism'—norms promoting market-based mechanisms for economic efficiency and environmental improvement—dominates the institutional interactions between trade and environment. Through an analysis of trade-related climate policies, forest carbon sinks, and trade in genetically modified organisms, the author argues that these norms shape the evolution and impact of regime complexes in global environmental governance, despite being contested by key actors.

• Institutional interactions spanning trade and environment are governed by overarching norms that influence their impact and evolution.
• Liberal environmentalism, defined as global norms that advocate for market-based mechanisms to achieve environmental improvements and economic efficiency, is the dominant force shaping interactions within climate change and biosafety regime complexes.
• The analysis of liberal environmentalism's dominance is based on three specific cases: trade-related climate policies and measures, forest carbon sinks, and trade in genetically modified organisms.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2013). Institutional Interactions at the Crossroads of Trade and Environment: The Dominance of Liberal Environmentalism. https://www.sei.org/publications/institutional-interactions-at-the-crossroads-of-trade-and-environment-the-dominance-of-liberal-environmentalism/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Institutional Interactions at the Crossroads of Trade and Environment: The Dominance of Liberal Environmentalism. 2013. https://www.sei.org/publications/institutional-interactions-at-the-crossroads-of-trade-and-environment-the-dominance-of-liberal-environmentalism/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Institutional Interactions at the Crossroads of Trade and Environment: The Dominance of Liberal Environmentalism |date=14 February 2013 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/institutional-interactions-at-the-crossroads-of-trade-and-environment-the-dominance-of-liberal-environmentalism/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2013institutional, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Institutional Interactions at the Crossroads of Trade and Environment: The Dominance of Liberal Environmentalism}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2013}, month = feb, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/institutional-interactions-at-the-crossroads-of-trade-and-environment-the-dominance-of-liberal-environmentalism/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }