Impacts of the Policies of Rich Countries on the Prospects for Growth and Poverty Reduction in Poor Countries: Focus on the Environment 1

The purpose of this chapter is to inform a discussion about research priorities regarding the impacts of the policies of rich countries on the prospects for growth and poverty reduction in poor countries, with particular reference to the environment. The potential scope of such a discussion is enormous. Industrialized countries dominate global environmental management directly through the heavy ecological footprint of their production and consumption patterns, and indirectly through their influence over global regimes governing trade, investment, and the global commons.