A timely collection of essays that analyse key issues, institutions, laws, and policies for the protection of the global environment. The new edition of this popular text provides crucial historical background on the development of global environmental organisations and treaties, engaging discussions of current and critical global environmental agreements, and insights into national and international implementation of sustainable development principles. Drawing together a distinguished list of international contributors, the book includes six brand new chapters on such important topics as regime theory, climate change, hazardous chemical controls, perspectives of the developing world, and the European Union's and United States' international environmental policies. All other chapters have been thoroughly revised and updated. The book includes a useful chronology of global environmental policy and a list of acronyms to help students in critical reading, review and study.