- IGOs have been set up for global environmental governance.
- Atmosphere Problems: Montreal Protocol banned CFC gases that destroy the ozone layer
- Climate Change Agreements: 2015 Paris Agreement to reduce GHGs
- Biosphere Problems: CITES tries to stop rare animals and plants been taken from the wild and traded.
- Hydrosphere Problems: UNCLOS tries to manage the world’s oceans e.g. shipping, biodiversity, resources
Examples:
- Helsinki Rules: Manage the world’s rivers as transboundary sources e.g. countries sharing water sources to reduce conflict
- UN Millennium Ecosystem Assessment: Measures the conditions of ecosystems around the world and Antarctic Treaty as it is meant to be used for science not for exploitation.
- Montreal Protocol: Has been successful in banning CFCs from spray cans and fridges that will harm the Ozone layer. Went into place in 1987 and within a few years, the ozone layer had recovered. Still some problems of corruption
- CITES: Tries to stop illegal exploitation and trade of wild animals. 5800 species protected by CITES. Huge task that is hard to manage given the size of the world. Has saved some species but is struggling to stop trade e.g. African elephants which are heavily poached. Huge demand in China for ivory from tusks.
- Paris Agreement: All countries signed up to try and limit GHGs and keep warming below 1.5 by 2100. Had a good level of international cooperation but the agreement was non-binding and not enforced. Then, the USA pulled out.
- UNCLOS: Has a wide environmental responsibility. Ban whaling and save species from extinction e.g. Blue Whale. Has not stopped Norway and Japan from hunting them though. Wider successes include stopping oil production from containerised shipping especially has globalisation has grown. Enforced laws on oil production and reduced the risk of oil spills. Also set up EEZs but has brought geopolitical implications.
Responsibility:
- Includes Antarctic Treaty, a unique global agreement to protect Antarctica from resource extraction and damage for the sake of ‘peace and science.’
- Territory has been shared e.g. UK, Norway and Russia sharing offices. Has been very successful
- Threats from pressure of changing attitudes and action on resource extraction from key players or climate change e.g. mining for metals by China. Mass tourism also increasing which puts pressure on ecosystems.
Evaluation:
- Environmental IGOs have had varying levels of success. Ozone layer and Antarctica have been well protected with good international cooperation and sovereign states agreeing.
- CITES has had some success but still some species are under threat e.g. African elephant. Needs to control emerging markets.
- UN climate change is also partially working but critics argue that is not mitigating enough.
- UNCLOS has had the broadest ranging environmental global benefits.
- In the future, environmental IGOs will be increasingly important as pressures keep rising on the world’s ecosystem as population rises to 9 billion by 2050 and ecological footprints increase.