State of the Global Environmental Rule of Law

In the five decades since the UN Conference on the Human Environment (Stockholm 1972) and the establishment of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), countries around the world have promulgated environmental laws and regulations, established environmental ministries and agencies, and sought to protect and manage the environment for current and future generations. In many ways, we have seen dramatic progress, particularly since the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. In too many instances, though, environmental law does not enjoy the full force of law, and there are persistent, widespread challenges to implementing and enforcing environmental law around the world.