Trade, Sustainability, and the WTO: Environmental Protection in the Hong Kong SAR

Legal aspects of international trade which can serve to promote a sustainable environment in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) are addressed. Subsidy provisions can be applied to protect the environment under the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement. Trade restrictions can also be imposed as policy instruments in enforcing environmental standards and controlling environmentally harmful products and waste. A competing values framework is proposed as a means of encompassing the conflicting aims of short-term economic gain and long-term environmental sustainability through moderation mechanisms contained in domestic legislation and international trade laws.