Commercio internazionale e ambiente naturale: dinamiche e interazioni

The aim of this paper is to describe a general overview of the large number of theoretical and empirical studies that analyze the relationships between trade openness and environment. In Section 1, the paper presents a first description of the multidimensional links between a general definition of globalization and the effects on environment and natural resources. In Section 2, there is a more specific analysis on the impacts of trade liberalization process on the environmental degradation caused by increasing polluting emissions. A comparative advantages model is therefore described as a general framework for evaluating degradation effects linked to increasing trade flows. In Section 3, the specific relationships between trade openness and natural resources exploitation are analyzed, distinguishing between exhaustible and renewable resources. Finally, a specific model analysing the effects of property rights regimes on the resource exploitation choices in case of trade openness is described.