ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we confront the urgent and multifaceted global environmental crisis that challenges our very existence as a species. Despite incremental advancements in international environmental standards and growing public awareness, the escalating severity of climate change, water stress, pollution, and biodiversity loss necessitates a comprehensive transformation of our multilateral systems. By examining the historical development of the international environmental agenda, alongside the successes and shortcomings of key multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs), we illuminate the gaps between international commitments and their translation into policy and action. The discourse extends to critical issues of implementation, accountability and liability, highlighting recent developments in environmental law and litigation. We posit that the impending ecological catastrophe requires a profound and systemic shift in our global environmental governance. As such, we recommend fostering an epistemic and normative transformation that enables a robust, integrated and equitable response to the existential environmental challenges we face today.
