Vol. 7 No. 2 (2020): Environmental Public Policy
Environmental protection is a relatively new objective in the long history of the planet—and of the Law. Only since the 1970s can it be said that environmental policy has gained ground and prominence in the actions of states, whether nationally or internationally. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) was established in 1972, following the Stockholm Conference organized by the United Nations, and since then its work coordinating environmental protection initiatives around the world has been clearly evident—though not with the desired effectiveness. In 1988, together with the World Meteorological Organization, it proposed to the UN General Assembly the creation of the International Panel on Climate Change, with the aim of preparing an in-depth report on global climate change, studying the social and economic impacts of such changes, and drafting the text of an International Convention dedicated to the issue. That Convention came into being in 1992 (in force since 1993) and today constitutes the cornerstone of international policy instruments for climate change management, notably the Paris Agreement (2014, in force since 2016), which is omnipresent in all national and international policies related to environmental protection and epitomizes the great civilizational challenge of the 21st century.
Published:
07-04-2026
