Multilateral Environmental Agreements

Various MEAs have been worked out from time to time during the past several decades, even before the notable 1972 Stockholm Conference on Human Environment (with its origins on sustainable development). There are currently about 200 MEAs which are addressed to solve the emerging global environmental problems. These have accelerated in their formulation and implementation since about the mid-1980s. In general, MEAs complement some of the international policy measures aimed at the upkeep and protection of environmental resources. Some of the MEAs impose prohibitions on trade, and a few others seek to modulate the methods of production via stipulations of process and product characteristics. This chapter examines some of the issues with particular focus on the interface of trade and environmental measures at the international levels.