Trade in Environmental Goods by Least Developed Countries: Issues for Negotiations

Liberalization of environmental goods and services as laid out in the work programme of the Doha Ministerial Declaration of the World Trade Organization has implications for least developed countries as these countries are vulnerable to climate change. They need to follow and participate in the negotiation in order to achieve market access opportunities for environmental goods and services of their interests in the global market and to access cleaner technologies at an affordable price. Such participation will be meaningful if it is backed by informed arguments based on analytical exercise. This article estimates that export of environmental goods by least developed countries stood at 0.08 per cent and import at 0.82 per cent of global exports and imports of environmental goods, respectively, in 2007. The article suggests that even with low trade, least developed countries stand to gain through reduction of tariff and non-tariff barriers on environmental goods. This will, however, have to be combined with appropriate technology transfer and adequate financial support.