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This research paper analyzes a 1991 General Agreements on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) dispute resolution panel decision regarding a U.S. embargo on Mexican tuna. The panel found that the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) violated GATT by imposing quantitative restrictions on imports. The authors examine the legal conflict between international trade rules and environmental protections, arguing that the decision limits the ability of nations to enforce environmental standards on imported products unless those standards affect the physical makeup of the product or its sale.

This research paper critiques a utilitarian (Millsian) approach to the intersection of international trade and environmental protection, arguing instead for a Kantian framework. The author contends that environmental imperatives—such as species preservation—are categorical duties that should not be balanced against economic benefits. The paper proposes a model of "competitive sustainability" to harmonize environmental standards upward through market incentives and trade rule reforms.

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) provides a critical analysis of the UNEP 'Options for Elements' Paper prepared for the second session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-2). The document evaluates the proposed core obligations and control measures for a new legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, highlighting gaps where the Options Paper fails to reflect the ambition of Member State submissions, particularly regarding upstream production limits, chemical safety, and the protection of human health.

This briefing argues that the UNFCCC is the appropriate venue for addressing international and transboundary drivers of deforestation and that doing so does not inherently violate World Trade Organization (WTO) regulations. The authors contend that joint action by UNFCCC Parties to reduce emissions from deforestation is consistent with both UNFCCC principles and WTO exceptions for environmental protection.

This research paper examines the intersection of international intellectual property (IP) rights, global trade, economic development, and environmental protection. It analyzes how IP regimes—specifically patents, copyrights, and trademarks—impact the transfer of environmentally sound technologies and the conservation of biological diversity, focusing on the tensions between industrialized nations (led by the US) and developing countries within frameworks like GATT, NAFTA, and the UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED).

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law analyzes the conflict between international trade policy and environmental protection, arguing that the World Trade Organization (WTO) typically prioritizes trade over the environment. The authors critique the U.S. government for abdicating its leadership in this area and propose a new foreign policy agenda that integrates environmental protection and worker rights into trade agreements, specifically regarding NAFTA and the proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA).

This policy brief by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) examines the compatibility of a proposed international legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules. It argues that WTO rules do not prevent the implementation of an ambitious plastics treaty and provides recommendations for drafting treaty provisions to avoid trade disputes.

This seminar note, authored by Halina Ward of the Royal Institute of International Affairs, examines the tension between the precautionary principle—which advocates for protective action before full scientific proof of risk—and the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO). It explores differing regional interpretations of risk assessment, the legal status of precaution in international law, and the specific WTO agreements (GATT, TBT, and SPS) that intersect with environmental and health regulations.

This fact sheet from the International Institute for Sustainable Development examines the tension between Canada's goals to increase agricultural exports and the associated social and environmental sustainability costs.

This research paper by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the economic trade-offs of low-greenhouse-gas (GHG) consumption strategies in high-income countries, specifically focusing on the potential negative impacts on lower-income countries and Least Developed Countries (LDCs). Using the United Kingdom as a primary example and a multi-regional input-output (MRIO) model, the authors find that shifting consumption from high-GHG goods to low-GHG services can reduce emissions but may disproportionately harm the GDP of poor exporting nations.

This methodology note describes the development of Indicator 8: Embedded water risk, a supplement to SEI Working Paper No. 2016-07. The indicator uses the IOTA (Input-Output Trade Analysis) model and WRI Aqueduct data to assess the relative water risk associated with the consumption of agricultural commodities embedded in international supply chains.

The report outlines necessary actions for Northern industrialized nations to ensure global economic development while preventing environmental degradation that could threaten living standards.

This fact sheet from the World Resources Institute examines how varying international climate policies and the imposition of costs on greenhouse gas emissions affect trade competitiveness, specifically focusing on the risks of industry relocation and emissions leakage.