The quest for sustainable development has always involved the complex task of reconciling the need for socio-economic development with public health and environmental protection. This challenge has often emerged in the trade and environment debate but has most recently been evident in international trade in used electrical and electronic equipment (UEEE). While international trade in UEEE provides means for socio-economic development in the developing world, it also serves as a conduit for transboundary dumping of e-waste in the developing world giving rise to serious health and environmental concerns. This research investigates the socio-economic as well as health and environmental impacts of international trade in UEEE in two developing countries – Nigeria and Ghana. The research identifies a major loophole in the existing international legal framework as the primary factor responsible for e-waste dumping in the developing world. This loophole relates to the absence of a legal framework for differentiating between functional UEEE and junk e-waste. This has resulted in both functional UEEE and junk e-waste being concurrently shipped to the developing world as “used electrical and electronic equipment”. The research proposes two policy frameworks for addressing this problem. On the part of developing countries, the research proposes a trade policy framework crafted in line with WTO rules. This framework will entail the development of an international certification system which will serve to differentiate functional used electronics from junk e-waste. While the former may be eligible for import, the research proposes an import ban on the latter. On the part of developed countries, the research proposes the development of a policy framework which regulates the toxic and hazardous substances that go into the production of electrical and electronic equipment as well as enhance their reusability and recyclability at end-of-life. The framework should take into consideration the entire life cycle of the products from the design stage to end-of-life. The research argues that the implementation of this design framework will go a long way in reducing the health and environmental impacts of such equipment when subsequently shipped to the developing world at end-of-life.

The quest for sustainable development has always involved the complex task of reconciling the need for socio-economic development with public health and environmental protection. This challenge has often emerged in the trade and environment debate but has most recently been evident in international trade in used electrical and electronic equipment (UEEE). While international trade in UEEE provides means for socio-economic development in the developing world, it also serves as a conduit for transboundary dumping of e-waste in the developing world giving rise to serious health and environmental concerns. This research investigates the socio-economic as well as health and environmental impacts of international trade in UEEE in two developing countries – Nigeria and Ghana. The research identifies a major loophole in the existing international legal framework as the primary factor responsible for e-waste dumping in the developing world. This loophole relates to the absence of a legal framework for differentiating between functional UEEE and junk e-waste. This has resulted in both functional UEEE and junk e-waste being concurrently shipped to the developing world as “used electrical and electronic equipment”. The research proposes two policy frameworks for addressing this problem. On the part of developing countries, the research proposes a trade policy framework crafted in line with WTO rules. This framework will entail the development of an international certification system which will serve to differentiate functional used electronics from junk e-waste. While the former may be eligible for import, the research proposes an import ban on the latter. On the part of developed countries, the research proposes the development of a policy framework which regulates the toxic and hazardous substances that go into the production of electrical and electronic equipment as well as enhance their reusability and recyclability at end-of-life. The framework should take into consideration the entire life cycle of the products from the design stage to end-of-life. The research argues that the implementation of this design framework will go a long way in reducing the health and environmental impacts of such equipment when subsequently shipped to the developing world at end-of-life.

The quest for sustainable development has always involved the complex task of reconciling the need for socio-economic development with public health and environmental protection. This challenge has often emerged in the trade and environment debate but has most recently been evident in international trade in used electrical and electronic equipment (UEEE). While international trade in UEEE provides means for socio-economic development in the developing world, it also serves as a conduit for transboundary dumping of e-waste in the developing world giving rise to serious health and environmental concerns. This research investigates the socio-economic as well as health and environmental impacts of international trade in UEEE in two developing countries – Nigeria and Ghana. The research identifies a major loophole in the existing international legal framework as the primary factor responsible for e-waste dumping in the developing world. This loophole relates to the absence of a legal framework for differentiating between functional UEEE and junk e-waste. This has resulted in both functional UEEE and junk e-waste being concurrently shipped to the developing world as “used electrical and electronic equipment”. The research proposes two policy frameworks for addressing this problem. On the part of developing countries, the research proposes a trade policy framework crafted in line with WTO rules. This framework will entail the development of an international certification system which will serve to differentiate functional used electronics from junk e-waste. While the former may be eligible for import, the research proposes an import ban on the latter. On the part of developed countries, the research proposes the development of a policy framework which regulates the toxic and hazardous substances that go into the production of electrical and electronic equipment as well as enhance their reusability and recyclability at end-of-life. The framework should take into consideration the entire life cycle of the products from the design stage to end-of-life. The research argues that the implementation of this design framework will go a long way in reducing the health and environmental impacts of such equipment when subsequently shipped to the developing world at end-of-life.

La nécessité d’une action mondiale pour limiter les émissions de gaz à effet de serre est reconnue par la majorité des pays, mais l’incapacité du régime climatique international à fournir une régulation globale des rejets de GES dans l’atmosphère a conduit à l’échec de l’approche top-down. Cet impossible consensus a conduit à un point de rupture dans la structure du régime climatique mondial dont témoignent notamment le développement, avant l’Accord de Paris d’une approche bottom-up, fondée sur une gouvernance climatique polycentrique et multiniveaux. C’est dans ce contexte qu’émergent et se développent, à différentes échelles administratives, les dix-neuf systèmes de permis d’émissions négociables aujourd’hui en fonctionnement dans le monde. De fait, aucune homogénéité n’est recherchée dans la conception de ces mécanismes de réglementation. Les choix structurels sont dépendants des caractéristiques et contraintes politiques et économiques de la zone géographique à laquelle ils appartiennent. Les configurations et les effets de l’élargissement des systèmes de permis négociables sont encore débattus et cette thèse apporte des recommandations sur la manière dont ces extensions et connexions pourraient avoir lieu.A partir d’analyses de la littérature empirique et de simulations à l’aide d’un modèle d’équilibre partiel pour le secteur énergétique (modèle POLES), nous préconisons la mise en place de mécanismes de cloisonnement sectoriel et de restrictions aux échanges de permis. En effet, dans un contexte caractérisé par des constructions hétérogènes de systèmes de permis d’émissions négociables, une diffusion non-universelle de ces marchés et une inclusion non-intégrale de tous les secteurs de l’économie, nous concluons que deux types d’ajustements sont essentiels. Premièrement, nous démontrons la nécessité d’une configuration et d’un cloisonnement sectoriel des marchés, cela afin d’impulser une dynamique d’innovations, de limiter les impacts sur la compétitivité internationale et de rendre conforme le système aux exigences des politiques connexes. Deuxièmement, nous justifions l’intérêt des mécanismes de restriction aux échanges internationaux de permis d’émissions négociables ; ils permettent en particulier une meilleure redistribution des gains liés à l’échange, tout en réduisant le coût total de la politique climatique et les quantités de GES émis par rapport à une pure segmentation des marchés.Finalement, l’existence de plusieurs prix du carbone apparaît incontournable dans le contexte actuel d’une gouvernance climatique mondiale hétérogène et d’une multiplicité d’objectifs politiques nationaux. Encourager le développement de prix différents par secteur et par pays permettrait, sous certaines conditions, de favoriser l’acceptabilité politique, de renforcer l’efficacité environnementale et d’améliorer l’efficience économique des systèmes de permis d’émission. / Most countries recognize that a coordinated worldwide action to limit greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions has to be implemented. However, the countries inability to coordinate their efforts led to the failure of the top-down climate architecture. Today, the international climate governance adopts a different direction, which based on bottom-up approach. This approach promotes polycentric and multi-level governances, that induce several independent policy-makers in different administrative scales (province, state and region). Therefore, the actual implemented Emission Trading Systems (ETS), as well as the emerging ones, grow in a domestic context. This context, in terms of economic development, political commitment and geographical coverage, determine the ETS design. Then, there is no harmonized design among ETS, no universal diffusion of these mechanisms in the world and a lack of integral inclusion of all sectors in these carbon markets. While researchers and policy-makers discuss the optimal features of such systems, this thesis examines different configuration options and coverage areas for the tradable permit schemes.Using a world energy-economy partial equilibrium simulation model (POLES) and drawing on experiences with real-world ETSs (based on empirical literature), we recommend two types of adjustments: the restrictions on trade permits between sectors, in one hand, and the control of international permit exchange between ETS, in the second hand. Indeed, we demonstrate firstly the necessity to separate ETS by sector and adapt them considering the specificities of each sector. This kind of policy will stimulate innovation in each sector. Also, it will limit the impacts on the international competitiveness and it will lead climate policy to other economic policies. Secondly, we develop a model to describe the effects of exchange permits emissions considering international linking among emissions trading systems. We prove that restriction exchange mechanisms are necessary to insure the redistribution of exchange gain compared to full linking. At the same time, these trade restriction mechanisms minimize the total cost and increase GHG emissions reductions compared to a segmented market.Considering the diversity of national political objectives and the bottom-up context of world climate framework, we concluded that the coexistence of several carbon prices is unavoidable and necessary. Encouraging the development of several carbon prices can promote political acceptability, strengthen environmental efficiency and improve economic efficiency.