ABSTRACT
Actions within states cause effects in the atmosphere that affect the environment far from the locations where the action takes place. Institutions to address these issues began with the issue of acid rain (and related pollution) in Europe. Subsequent atmospheric issues were more global and thus harder to address, but the Montreal Protocol, which tackles ozone depletion, is widely regarded as one of the most successful international environmental agreements; parties adapted and strengthened the agreement as more became known about the problem. Climate change is among the hardest environmental problems to address and institutions focused on that issue have faced more difficulty but have attempted several different approaches to get all states worldwide to change their climate-altering behavior.
