Trade and Environment

Using a legal foresight approach we have identified the environmental governance challenges facing Malagasy foreign trade and the opportunities for environmental protection in order to take the necessary action to achieve a desirable future for the country. Despite the existence of a solid legal corpus on environmental protection we are witnessing the regression of environmental governance in the face of the development of a market economy. Environmental protection is not understood as a civic duty and nature is seen as a resource rather than an asset. Our analysis focuses on international trade law reforms in the face of the international sustainable development framework. Preventing and mitigating environmental damage involves environmental impact assessments upstream of natural resource exploitation projects and corporate social responsibility during their operationalization. In conclusion we propose some ideas for a normative framework that reconciles economic objectives and environmental protection.