ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the regulation of atmospheric pollution, one of the earliest and best-developed areas of international cooperation and environmental regulation. Atmospheric pollutants easily cross national boundaries, creating the need for agreements on handling emissions. Customary rules provide the general legal framework for this field of international environmental law. More detailed rules regulating atmospheric pollution are found in treaties, and soft law plays an increasingly important role.
The legal landscape continues to be a patchwork of global and regional responses, evolving from a few general rules into complex treaty regimes dealing with some of the most complex and crucial aspects of current global environmental problems. The legal regulation of atmospheric and air pollution at the global level has shown the ability of international rules to effectively address this environmental threat, as well as their limitations.
