Sustainable Development and Green Economy in CETA and TTIP

Transitioning into a sustainable economy has been a growing concern since the 2008 global financial crisis. The European Union adopted sustainable development as a constitutional objective and the CETA text prioritizes both sustainable development and the green economy. This paper argues for the importance of the law in enabling a greener economy, as well as the need for novel legal approaches concerning international economic law to facilitate the global transition into a green economy. The paper is divided into three parts. First, it examines definitions of green economy and sustainable development provisions in EU treaties. Second, it identifies EU strategies to include innovative legal provisions internationally. Third, it focuses on the potential for wider adoption of these provisions in upcoming trade negotiations such as TTIP. In doing so, this paper highlights the opportunities, challenges and limits of law and policy instruments to support the transition into a global sustainable economy.