Abstract
Whether trade liberalization resulting from mega free trade agreements, such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), will have an impact on the environment is the subject of ongoing debate and remains an empirical matter. In this paper, we contribute to the debate on the relation between trade and the environment by considering the case of the RCEP and examining whether it will increase or decrease greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. We measure the impact of the RCEP on GHG emissions using the Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) model and the GTAP CO2 and non-CO2 emissions databases. Our results suggest that the RCEP is likely to “increase” the total amount of GHG emissions in the 16 RCEP members and the world.
Highlights
The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-centered proposal for a regional free trade area, which would initially include the ten ASEAN member states and six other countries with existing Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with ASEAN, including Australia, China, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and New Zealand
We contribute to the debate on the relation between trade and the environment by considering the case of the RCEP and examining whether it will increase or decrease greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
Our scenario assumes the complete removal of all import tariffs among the RCEP members
Summary
The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-centered proposal for a regional free trade area, which would initially include the ten ASEAN member states and six other countries with existing Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with ASEAN, including Australia, China, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and New Zealand. (2016) The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and Its Potential Impact on Greenhouse Gas Emissions. We contribute to the debate on the relation between trade and the environment by considering the case of the RCEP and examining whether it will increase or decrease greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. We do this by measuring the impact of the RCEP on GHG emissions using the Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) model and the GTAP’s CO2 and non-CO2 emissions databases
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