ABSTRACT
This chapter summarizes the mechanisms of global governance over a variety of environmental issues that cannot be solved without international coordination. In response to environmental problems such as ocean pollution, biodiversity loss, air and atmospheric pollution, and toxic wastes, numerous institutions and agreements have emerged in which states take on obligations that contribute to solving the environmental problem at hand. Also important are global environmental conferences, often held under the auspices of the United Nations, which facilitate action but fall short of institutionalizing behavioral change. These global environmental institutions are associated with a variety of difficulties, including conflicting mandates and varying effectiveness, exacerbated by the lack of a central institutional structure over global environmental issues. The institutions discussed in this chapter have presented avenues for coordination and responsiveness to the most pressing environmental problems of the 21st century.
