Regional frihandel med miljöhänsyn? En studie av regionala frihandelsavtals förhållningssätt till konflikten med miljön
Regional free trade agreementsEnvironmental Kuznets theoryNAFTAMERCOSURSADCPolitical and administrative sciencesStatsvetenskapFörvaltningskunskapLaw and Political Science
The relationship between free trade and the environment is often considered conflicting and the debates surrounding it are infected. My thesis deal with this conflict and how environmental concerns are integrated in three regional free trade agreements, North American Free Trade Agreement, The common market of the southern cone (MERCOSUR) and Southern African Development Community (SADC). I point out how the organizations differ from each other in this respect and I present a possible explanation to why they differ. The explanation is founded on the theory of the environmental Kuznets curve and that environmental concerns will depend on which level of development the member states in the organizations have. To judge and rank the organizations I have composed a model based on a pre-existing description of the trade and environment conflict. I have then applied it on official documents from the organizations, mainly treaties and other trade and environment related material.I have found that NAFTA is the organization that have integrated environmental concerns most, followed by MERCOSUR and then SADC. This also follows the level of development and I have not been able to reject the theory of the environmental Kuznets curve out of my findings.