Global Institutions and the Environment: An Evolutionary Perspective

International institutions have played a fundamental role in the creation, development, and operation of international environmental regimes. They include not only the global intergovernmental organizations of United Nations system, but also regional ones, such as the European Union and the Organization of African Unity. This chapter reviews the roles that global institutions have been playing in addressing threats to the environment posed by human activities. It provides a historical overview of the subject with emphasis on how other issues—in particular the quest by a growing bloc of developing countries for economic development and equity—have shaped the response of global institutions to environmental problems. The chapter presents case studies of five global institutions that are key players in addressing environmental concerns. It asks whether these and other international institutions are adequate to the challenge of responding to the increasingly ominous array of environmental threats and considers alternative forms of global environmental governance that may be more effective in addressing these threats.