ENTWINED was initiated January 2007 in response to a Mistra call for research on “policy alternatives for managing the trade and environment interface" which reflected the need to investigate how to better integrate environmental aspects into international trade negotiations in our increasingly entwined global economy. Mistra has awarded funding for ENTWINED for a seven year period through to the end of 2013.

ENTWINED´s objective is “to provide scientific knowledge, and to provide tools to support Swedish and other European negotiators and stakeholders in integrating environmental aspects into the international trade regime".

At a more practical level, the objective is to on the one hand study issues at the intersection of international economics, environmental economics and trade law, and on the other hand to engage on issues with stakeholders who have a role to initiate change.

ENTWINED´s research
ENTWINED´s research covers three interrelated areas each of which explore the intersection of trade and environment. The first set of these studies look at how to make sustainable development operational within the WTO. The second set of our studies explore product standardizations and product chain policies and looks at whether and how sustainable development can be promoted through the use of these mechanisms. The third set of studies examine the relationship between the WTO and the plethora of Multilateral Environmental Agreements.

ENTWINED is actively engaged with policy makers and other stakeholders to the Trade and Environment Debate.

The team includes researchers specializing in environmental and natural resource economics, international economics and trade law. The programme has its focus inSweden , but engages leading experts in other locations, including Geneva, New York, Washington and Montreal.