Trade, environment and development: the issues in perspective

This special issue on trade and the environment brings together a number of papers that are constructively critical of the conventional economic wisdom on the topic. We think that this criticism is warranted because of the decidely uncritical way in which ‘free trade’ has been advocated in much of the literature, and especially in policy. The papers analyse the validity of the underlying assumptions on which the conventional wisdom is based, and provide suggestions for ways to facilitate trade that is also adequately protective of the environment, sustainability, and other social values. In this introductory piece we discuss trade, the environment, and sustainability, summarizing arguments in the papers included in this issue, and adding a few additional points not covered by them.