CBS International Business School has published a groundbreaking working paper that challenges the traditional “free trade” paradigm and proposes a new ethical approach to global trade. The research introduces an innovative “Economy for the Common Good” (ECG) framework—a paradigm designed to address current ecological and social crises through sustainable economic development, human rights, gender justice, and environmental protection. A central proposal in the paper advocates transferring the WTO’s rule-based global trade order to the UN system, thereby ensuring alignment with both UN and European Union values.
The research was successfully launched last week at hybrid events in Cologne and Brussels, delivered in German and English respectively. A video recording will be available shortly.
While the study was co-edited by the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), the Wellbeing Economy Alliance (WEAll) and the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO), the authors contributed diverse expertise to the topic of ethical world trade:
- Christian Felber, an academic with backgrounds in political science and sociology, established the Economy for the Common Good movement and has authored several books on sustainable economics.
- Brigitta Herrmann, who holds a doctorate focused on the Right to Food and possesses extensive experience in development and trade policy, serves as Professor of Globalisation, Development Policies and Ethics at CBS International Business School.
- Juergen Knirsch, a biologist specialising in ecology, contributed his substantial experience in trade and environmental issues, gained through his lengthy tenure at Greenpeace Germany where he focused on WTO, UNCTAD and EU trade agreements.
The complete working paper may be downloaded free of charge via CBS’s publication portal and is complemented by a comprehensive 10-page policy brief from the EEB.
