Trade and the Environment

The debate on trade and the environment is partly based on fact and partly on assumptions that do not stand up to rigorous scrutiny. The perception held by the environment lobby is loosely as follows. The rate of growth and development of the world’s economy has put increasing pressure on the world’s environment. This pressure has come from industrialisation and intensive agricultural production, which has involved degradation and pollution of our surroundings. Industrialisation and agricultural productivity have also increased pressure on raw materials.