Fear of protectionism, and a failure of US policymakers to adequately address North-South differences. US focus on trade measures as stick, not carrots. Need to accommodate complexity of environmental issues . Difference between pollution and natural resources issues. Rejection of sustainable development paradigm as being largely inactionable.
Environmental issues being pushed faster than south is willing to accommodate .
Rio promises still largely unfulfilled. The meeting continue with the discussion of why Latin American countries resist linking trade and environment issues. It was noted that there is an enormous breach between environmental standards in Latin America and compliance with those standards. An important lack of capital and the high level of corruption perpetuates the lack of compliance. More creative approaches would be useful.