Beyond issues of climate, oceans and forests, there are many other global level environmental concerns as well as governance mechanisms and proposals to manage them. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) was created after the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm in June 1972. It provides leadership, delivers science and develops solutions on diverse issues, including climate, ecosystems, and sustainable development.
There are multiple proposals for global environmental governance mechanisms outside the UN system. As judicial bodies such as the ICJ and ITLOS examine the scope of states’ responsibilities in relation to climate change, there is a recognized need for a dedicated forum capable of interpreting and applying international climate and environmental law. A key institutional innovation could be an International Court for the Environment (ICE): a transnational judicial body empowered to adjudicate climate and environmental disputes across national borders and issue advisory opinions on complex legal questions.
While models for practical implementation are still evolving, the idea is gaining traction. The International Bar Association, for instance, has proposed the creation of such a court and helped launch the ICE Coalition, which is actively advocating for its establishment. If realized, this court could be a transformative force in global governance, providing the necessary legal forum to enforce environmental commitments, enforce accountability, and protect the global commons.
To complement legal enforcement mechanisms such as a potential ICE, a coordinated executive agency is essential for effective global environmental governance. Among others, the CGC has recommended the establishment of a Global Environment Agency (GEA) to serve as a central node for climate and environmental governance across global, regional, national, and sub-national levels. Building on the existing activities of UNEP, the GEA would be designed to overcome the fragmented and insufficient governance structures currently in place.
The GEA could work closely with other international institutions and programs, helping to overcome fragmentation, develop a comprehensive body of international environmental law, and support equitable climate action, especially in low and middle-income countries. Over time, it could evolve into a more authoritative decision-making body to address global environmental challenges collectively, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity – acting when lower levels of governance are unable or unwilling to respond adequately.
Originally developed in 2012, the Escazú Agreement is an international treaty signed by 25 Latin American and Caribbean nations concerning the rights of access to information about the environment, public participation in environmental decision-making, environmental justice, and a healthy and sustainable environment for current and future generations. The treaty is the first in the world to include provisions on the rights of environmental defenders. The agreement strengthens the links between human rights and environmental protection by imposing requirements upon member states concerning the rights of environmental defenders. Related, the Stop Ecocide campaign advocates for making “ecocide” — extensive, severe, or systematic environmental destruction — an international crime, empowering courts to prosecute corporations or governments that damage ecosystems on a massive scale.