Fair trade as a strategy for international competitiveness

At the centre of the debate surrounding sustainable development is a recognition that companies can make a major contribution by being environmentally and socially responsible and that tools associated with these concepts can enhance the competitiveness and economic performance of the firm. In this paper we go further in arguing that in a world of globalisation it is equally important to look at issues of international trade.

In an examination of free trade we argue that it is neither fully consistent with sustainable development nor to the benefit of business. We point to a new imperative to develop sound sourcing, and equitable and fair trading relationships. We identify issues associated with fair trade (including issues of human rights, fair wages, sustainability reporting procedures and codes of conduct on ethics) and associated tools of analysis (guaranteed prices, codes of conduct and end price audits).

The paper argues that in a world of globalisation with greater transparency and information availability it will be important for companies to be clear about their policies on supply chain management and trade. Indeed, with the growth of an active and sophisticated civil society, it will be argued that policies associated with sound sourcing, equitable trade and fair trade could provide companies with a new competitive strategy based on ethical standards communicated to the consumer through a strategy of differentiation. We explore strategies for the integration of fair trade policies, strategies and standards, and the opportunities for new markets and niches that this presents. It is argued that the integration of fair trade into a business strategy can enhance competitiveness.     

中国农产品贸易的虚拟土地资源量化研究

虚拟资源对于揭示农产品贸易隐含的资源流动及效应具有重要意义。随着我国农产品贸易量和贸易格局的变化,定量核算我国农产品贸易隐含的土地资源量变化,可以从资源利用的角度评价我国农产品贸易的合理性,为相关贸易政策的制定提供理论依据。研究重点探讨了农产品及加工制品的虚拟土地资源量的核算方法,分别从生产者角度和消费者角度对1986—2009年我国农作物产品及其加工制品贸易的虚拟土地资源量进行了核算。计算结果表明,我国农作物产品隐含的虚拟土地资源量由1986年的净出口442.6×10⁴ hm²,转变为2009年的净进口2 889.0×10⁴ hm²,假设进口农产品在本国生产的情况下,2009年我国所需的虚拟土地资源量为3 817.5×10⁴ hm²。从虚拟土地资源进口结构和空间分布来看,我国虚拟土地资源净进口主要作物类别由谷物转变为油料作物,主要进口来源国由美国、加拿大、澳大利亚转变为美国、巴西、阿根廷。     

Climate and international trade policies when emissions affect production possibilities

In this paper, we develop a model of international trade and climate change in which emission discharges arising from production have a feedback effect on national production sectors by impacting upon effective factor endowments. With this context, the objectives are, first, to provide a general characterization of Pareto-efficient climate and trade policies and, second, to examine the possibility – starting from non-Pareto-efficient equilibria – for Pareto-improving environmental policies. We provide conditions under which several particular reforms of carbon taxes are welfare improving.     

Energy Embodied in Goods in International Trade of China: Calculation and Policy Implications

Abstract

In recent years, China’s energy demand and Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have grown very fast, quite an amount of which was exported as energy embodied in goods in international trade rather than consumed domestically. Starting from the concept of embodied energy, based on input-output energy analysis approach, in this paper the energy embodied in goods in international trade of China during the period from 2001 to 2006 is calculated. The results show that although China has become a net importer of petroleum since 1993, China is a net exporter of embodied energy due to international trade in goods. In 2002, the total amount of energy embodied in exported goods was about 410 million tce (ton of coal equivalent, hereinafter referred to as “tce”). Eliminating the amount of energy embodied in imported goods of about 170 million tce, the net export of embodied energy was about 240 million tce, accounting for 16% of the aggregate primary energy consumption of that very year in China, and the net export of embodied emissions was about 150 million tons of carbon. With the rapid growth of China’s international trade, assuming no structural input-output changes of among sectors, in 2006 the net export of embodied energy went up to about 630 million tce, an increase of 162 % over 2002. In addition, this paper also analyzes the possible sources of error in calculation, and also discusses the policy implications according to the result of the calculation.     

中国的绿色壁垒措施现状

绿色壁垒已经成为国际贸易中的重要手段 ,日益引起人们的关注。中国目前的绿色壁垒措施 ,主要包括国际环境保护公约、中国的环境法规体系与技术标准、环境认证、商品检疫与检验规定、绿色包装与标签要求、环境成本内在化要求等 6项措施。建议中国尽快构建符合国际贸易发展潮流的绿色壁垒体系。      

Association of reproductive traits with captive- versus wild-sourced birds in trade

The wildlife trade is a billion-dollar global business, involving millions of people, thousands of species, and hundreds of millions of individual organisms. Unravelling whether trade targets reproductively distinct species and whether this preference varies between captive- and wild-sourced species is a crucial question. We used a comprehensive list of all bird species traded, trade listings and records kept in compliance with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), and a suite of avian reproductive parameters to examine whether wildlife trade is associated with particular facets of life history and to examine the association between life-history traits and captive- and wild-sourced traded volumes over time. Across all trade, CITES listing, and CITES trade, large birds were more likely to be traded and listed, but their longevity and age at maturity were not associated with CITES listing or trade. We found species across almost the full range of trait values in both captive and wild trade between 2000 and 2020. Captive trade volumes clearly associated with relatively longer lived and early-maturing species; these associations remained stable and largely unchanged over time. Trait–volume associations in wild-sourced trade were more uncertain. Only body mass had a clear association, and it varied from negative to positive over time. Although reproductive traits were important in captive-sourced trade, species-level variation dominated trade, with even congeneric species varying greatly in volume despite similar traits. The collection and incorporation of trait data into sustainability assessments of captive breeding facilities are crucial to ensure accurate quotas and guard against laundering.     

我国环境贸易现状和对外开放对策

从国际＂环保热＂和我国＂复关＂谈判的实际出发,分析了我国环境贸易现状,阐述了我国环境贸易对外开放对策,文章还指出,为了促进我国环境服务业和环保工业跨出国门、参与国际竞争,并使我国的经济贸易向有利于生态环境的方向发展,必须把环保基本国策落实到经济贸易各个环节;组建环保产业集团公司;发挥中介机构的指导和协调作用;积极有效地引进外资;建立全国环保产业质量检测和评估中心;加强经济贸易中环境管理及环保执法。     

Ecological economics: themes, approaches, and differences with environmental economics

This article provides a short overview of the main themes of ecological economics (EE). It is argued that EE provides a platform that fosters multidisciplinary environmental research by bringing together the core contributing disciplines – economics and ecology. In addition, EE is regarded as a pluralistic approach to environmental research that can be set opposite to, and has indeed developed as a response to, traditional environmental and resource economics. A comparison of the two fields is presented to clarify the essential differences between them. In addition, specific themes are examined in more detail. These include: sustainable development; the growth debate; international trade; dynamic processes; and behaviour and policy. Electronic Publication     

中国工业产品国际贸易的污染足迹分析

从“污染足迹”的概念出发,利用官方统计数据和投入产出分析方法,分析了中国各工业部门的污染状况,核算了1994～2001年间中国工业产品国际贸易的污染成本和收益.结果表明,中国工业产品出口的污染密度要小于进口的污染密度;1999～2001年中国虽然存在工业产品贸易顺差,实际上却向国外转移了污染足迹;化学工业的净进口帮助中国转移了最多的污染足迹,污染足迹的流入主要来自纺织业和机械工业的净出口.     

经济增长、国际贸易与污染排放的关系研究——基于美国和中国SO2排放的实证分析

在世界经济一体化进程中,国际贸易成为影响各国环境污染变化的重要因素,将其纳入经济增长与环境污染间关系的分析框架是环境学界关注的一个重要问题。本文基于联立方程模型,从经济产出、污染排放、污染治理和国际贸易等四个方面探讨了经济增长与污染排放的相互作用机理,并以美国、中国SO2排放为例进行了实证研究。结果表明:污染排放对经济产出有影响,且对美国和中国分别为正作用和负作用。经济增长增加了两国国内污染排放,且中国增加的相对更多。而污染治理均减少了国内污染排放,美、中的污染减排弹性系数分别为-0.277和-0.417。国际贸易对美国起到污染减排作用,对中国的影响不显著,考虑到贸易对中国经济增长的拉动作用,其经济规模间接污染效应不容忽视。对于中国而言,加大污染治理投资、改善贸易进出口状况、降低经济发展过程中的污染排放是实现经济与环境协调发展的有效途径。