Business arguments Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Business arguments - Research Paper Example Carbaugh (2004) understands that environmentalists put forward three key claims to support and rationalize their point of view. According to Carbaugh (2004) these assertions state that: The liberalization of trade is responsible for initiating the â€Å"race to the bottom† with respect to environmental standards. Trade liberalization poses a conflict with the morally acceptable environmental laws, standards, rules and policies that should be imposed and regulated across the globe. The liberalization of trade also leads to the production and subsequent trade of products that are responsible for contributing towards overall pollution rates across the globe, these locations are also referred to as â€Å"pollution havens†. Responding to the environmentalists’ arguments regarding the adverse effects of trade liberalization on the environment are the proponents of the notion, who claim that regulations such as the â€Å"polluter-pays policy† can actually benefit the environment by incentivizing manufacturers and traders to formulate innovative methodologies for managing augmented levels of pollution (Carbuagh, 2004). This perspective highlights the multidimensional nature of the topic at hand because it encompasses a range of opinions, attitudes and judgments with respect to the association that is shared between free trade and the environment. The purpose of this paper is to comprehensively explore, discuss and analyze the environmentalists’ assertions regarding the harmful impact of trade liberalization on the environment by assessing the validity of the arguments and counter-arguments that have been put forward by analysts and researchers in relation with the topic. In order to successfully and effectively achieve the objectives of the research, the outline of the paper follows a systematic structure. This structure assists the explanation of recreated arguments and counter-arguments, by highlighting the party that is involved in the issue in addition with the party’s assertion and objective followed by an evaluation of the identified perspectives to conclude whether the contradictory positions that constitute of this discussion can be effectively resolved. The first assertion that is presented by environmentalists outlines the drastic increase in the competitive nature of the business landscape that is prompted by trade liberalization and the elimination of trade barriers. Environmentalists argue that the escalation of these competitive pressures will likely impact existing environmental policies and regulations in an adverse manner thereby, leading to a relaxation in environmental standards that are presently maintained by various countries (Esty, 2001). This argument is essentially rooted in a country’s decision to eliminate increased costs that are incurred by its producers and manufacturers in a bid to develop innovative techniques for reducing pollution levels (Esty, 2001). Esty (2001) c laims that when a nation which regulates high environmental standards wishes to compete with a country that only maintains the minimal level of environmental policies in the international trade arena, the former maybe discouraged to uphold its rigorous environmental regulations due