Assessing Prospects for Business-Environmentalist Cooperation on Trade and Environment Issues

Abstract

This paper examines a number of current issues and proposals in trade and environment, and offers an assessment of the likelihood that business and environmentalists will seek and arrive at consensus views on these topics. After reviewing the setting for current cooperative dialogues, the author considers a range of factors which will affect the parties' motivation to negotiate. The author concludes that a convergence of views is possible in a number of issue areas, and offers some ideas to foster cooperation and defuse conflicts.