The intersection between trade liberalisation and carbon emissions : an appraisal of the agreement establishing the African continental free trade area

Abstract

This study examines the intersection between trade liberalisation and carbon emissions reduction by appraising the AfCFTA Agreement. It employs desktop-based research methodology, drawing from primary sources such as the AfCFTA Agreement itself, the UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol to the UNFCCC, Paris Agreement, NAFTA, and TFEU. Secondary sources including books, articles, reports, and papers enrich the analysis. Adopting a comparative approach, AfCFTA is juxtaposed with NAFTA and TFEU, and the study utilises both textual and contextual analyses to establish a coherent comparative framework. Within this methodological framework, the study begins with an investigation of theories that illuminate the complex interaction between trade liberalisation and carbon emissions. Subsequently, it evaluates the extent to which AfCFTA aligns with global regulatory frameworks designed for carbon emissions reduction. This evaluation extends to an in-depth examination of AfCFTA's regulatory strategies for addressing the convergence of trade liberalisation and carbon emissions reduction. The analysis yields three key findings. Firstly, the AfCFTA Agreement and its Protocol on Trade in Goods lack comprehensive environmental provisions. Secondly, these frameworks suffer from a lack of explicit articulation of environmental provisions. Thirdly, lack of provisions related to carbon emissions. In response to these findings and drawing lessons from NAFTA and TFEU, the study principally advocates for adoption of an AfCFTA Protocol on Environmental Management and Climate Change. In the alternative, due to the cumbersome procedures needed to adopt a protocol, the study recommends a low hanging fruit while deliberations on adoption of the proposed protocol are ongoing: integrating provisions for carbon emissions reduction directly into AfCFTA Agreement and its Protocol on Trade in Goods.