The Emerging Legislative and Regulatory Framework Governing Trade-Related Environmental Issues: Implications for CARICOM Countries

Abstract

Rapid and sometimes irreversible environmental degradation has accompanied the industrialization development model which was pioneered by Western countries. This has led to a rising tide of social protest and lobbying for strict regulation of environmental behaviour in the West, particularly since the late 1960s. One result of this social backlash has been the increasingly stringent regulations governing the use of the environment in these countries. There has also been a series of multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) to govern states' behaviour in respect of the global commons and in international trade, and broad international consensus has been arrived at to work towards sustainable development (Agenda 21).