IRJMSH Vol 10 Issue 6 [Year 2019] ISSN 2277 – 9809 (0nline) 2348–9359 (Print) International Research Journal of Management Sociology & Humanity ( IRJMSH ) Page 347 www.irjmsh.com Developing Countries Dilemma- Balancing Economic Growth With Environmental Concerns Dr. Vineet Prakash Assistant Professor Department of Political Science Dyal Singh Evening College (University of Delhi) ABSTRACT The damage caused to the environment by activities of human beings is a major source of concern in contemporary world politics. While there is increasing awareness about the anthropogenic impact on planet earth, efforts to control and check this damage are thwarted by constraints arising from concerns about such measures adversely affecting economic growth. This scenario places the developing countries of today in a very unenviable position. If they continue on the path of rapid economic expansion, they stand accused of damaging the global environment, and if they try to accommodate environmental concerns, they run the risk of slowing down their economies. This study attempts to explore the linkages between trade and environment in the context of the concerns voiced by developing countries over the impact of such a linkage for their economic well-being. Keywords: Environment, Free Trade, Sustainable Development, Global Commons, North-South Divide. Developing Countries. The debate on linking conduct of trade with environmental standards is a source of major concern for developing countries. The issue of environment was introduced in the 2001 Doha Round negotiations agenda of the WTO in a limited way. The scope of discussions on environment in the Doha Round is limited to considering whether changes are required to WTO rules where they intersect with provisions of Multilateral Environment Agreements (MEA’s) such as the Montreal Protocol and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. Hence as such, introduction of environmental standards as part of trade rules under WTO is still not on the horizon. (WTO: 2001) Even this limited development, however, has the developing countries in jitters. They have a strong premonition that such a limited linkage is going to be a precursor to a deeper linkage between trade and environment which is going to negatively affect their prospects of economic development in the times to come. The developing countries form a major chunk of the present day strength of 164 members in WTO. Due to the huge majority which developing countries enjoy in the WTO, any talk of a linkage of trade and environment, even if its tangential, will have to pass the test of satisfaction of developing countries. Thus the future of environment in WTO will depend on how developing countries take the issue of linkage between protection of environment and conduct of international trade.