Introduction

Abstract

This book investigates the potential global impacts of two important international policy initiatives: (i) multilateral agreements on climate protection strategies and (ii) trade agreements towards global trade liberalisation. First, climate change has been framed by natural science as one of the most important problems facing the world community. Beyond fundamental incentive problems in the provision of climate protection as a global public good, policies to combat climate change are challenged with complex societal aspects such as the magnitude and distribution of abatement costs. Second, future trade-liberalisation agreements under the auspices of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) bear considerable promise of raising global welfare; however, such gains might be quite unevenly distributed across regions.