Is Green Protectionism Becoming a Real Threat?

The economic crisis triggered concerns about the return of protectionism in the world economy. But has not protectionism resurfaced in the western world - although in a different form - and become a respectable view as long as it is dressed up as an environmental regulation? Green protectionism is a phenomenon where discriminatory or outright protectionist policies are added to an environmental policy, often without there being a clear rationale for using discrimination to achieve an environmental objective. The question is: has green protectionism become a big problem for the world economy?