Globalization and Environment

• Globalization and the Environment Nexus
• GARC 2002

What is Environment?

• Environment: The natural surroundings where people live, including physical, biological, and cultural factors.
• Economic, political, and cultural values significantly shape how people perceive and interact with their environment.
• The environment is seen by some as interconnected, requiring a balance between human wants and ecological needs.
• Others prioritize human needs, viewing nature as a resource for human benefit.
• People are connected to the environment through air, climate, food, and water.

Economic Growth & Environmental Effects

• Globalization and the environment are interconnected.
• Globalization can have positive and negative effects on the environment.
• Environment issues can also have positive and negative effects on globalization.

Globalization effect on the Environment (Negative)

• Production rates increase due to global demand.
• Consumption increases due to price changes and access to diverse products from globalization.
• Increased global trade raises real income, leading to higher consumption, resulting in more pollution.
• Globalization opens new markets, causing finished products to travel longer distances, thus increasing pollution.
• Economic specialization allows nations to focus on economic strengths, which can threaten forest health and lead to serious environmental issues like habitat loss, deforestation, and natural resource overuse.
• Increased greenhouse gas emissions, ocean acidification, deforestation, and climate change reduce biodiversity.

Globalization effect on the Environment (Positive)

• Developing countries with critical resources can use globalization to reduce poverty.
• Globalization facilitates the exchange of environmental knowledge and environmental best practices.
• Environmental awareness grows with global environmental networks and civil society movements.
• Technology provides cleaner alternatives.

The Environmental effect on Globalization (Negative)

• Addressing environmental issues takes costs from the economy and diverts resources from development goals.
• Environmental degradation impacts productivity and health.
• Environmental stress leads to marginalization from trade and investment.
• Environmental instability reduces economic growth and creates adverse international trade conditions.
• Increased demand for finite resources undermines prosperity and development.

The Environmental effect on Globalization (Positive)

• Natural resource scarcity or abundance drives globalization.
• Environmental issues foster global collaborations.
• Environmental issues are global issues, caused by collective human actions, and require a coordinated worldwide response.
• The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

What are the SDGs?

• The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the world's shared plan to end extreme poverty, reduce inequality, and protect the planet by 2030.
• 193 countries adopted the SDGs in 2015.
• The SDGs emerged from inclusive negotiations in UN history, inspiring people across sectors, geographies, and cultures.
• The SDGs cover environmental, social, and economic sustainability.

The Pillars of sustainability

• Environmental: Maintain ecological integrity, balancing environmental systems, and consuming natural resources at a rate which they can replenish themselves.
• Social: Identifying basic human rights and needs that people require to live healthy and secure lives, with protection against discrimination and upholding personal, labor, and cultural rights.
• Economic: The ability of an economy to support a level of economic production indefinitely.