The research projects at Fondazione Mattei have for some time now been
dealing with the international dimension of environmental policy.
Indeed, most environ- mental phenomena have international implications,
which stem from a number of factors: physical ones, such as the
transnational or global consequences of pollution and resource
conservation; technological factors, such as technological cooperation
and diffusion; and economic factors, such as trad, plant localiza- tion
and migrations. Even in the absence of transnational pollution,
therefore, the environmental issues involve substantial interdependence
among countries. This volume, edited by Carlo Carraro, presents some of
the research which we carried out in international environmental policy,
focusing on the relationship between trade, innovation and the
environment. The papers in part one discuss the impact of international
trade and institu- tions on environmental resources. Those in part two
deal with the importance of innovation when attempting to solve the
major environmental problems. The papers in part three, finally, focus
on specific policy issues stressing the impor- tance of institutions and
property rights. The whole set of contributions can be seen as progress
in environmental economics. The different chapters highlight the close
relationship between envi- ronmental issues and economic development and
they merge the literature on the environment with the literature on
innovation, economic growth, trade, plant localization, institutions,
etc.