PUB2606
Assignment 2 Semester 2 2025
Unique #:
Due Date: September 2025
Detailed solutions, explanations, workings
and references.
+27 81 278 3372
, The Role of International Organisations in Global Environmental Governance
1. Introduction
Environmental problems such as climate change, deforestation, biodiversity loss and
marine pollution have become increasingly global in nature. No single country can
effectively deal with these challenges on its own because they cross national borders
and require cooperation across states. For this reason, international organisations
have become central actors in global environmental governance. They provide
platforms for cooperation, set global norms, monitor compliance, and mobilise
resources. However, their effectiveness remains contested, with successes and
shortcomings in different areas. This essay critically discusses the role of
international organisations in global environmental governance, with a focus on
organisations such as the United Nations, the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the
World Trade Organization (WTO), and non-governmental organisations like
Greenpeace. Practical examples will be used to demonstrate their contributions and
limitations.
2. Understanding Global Environmental Governance
Global environmental governance refers to the processes, rules, and institutions that
shape how states, international organisations, and non-state actors address
environmental issues at the global level (Biermann, 2020). It is not limited to states
but includes a wide network of international organisations, civil society, corporations,
and scientific bodies. International organisations play a coordinating role, ensuring
that states work together to address common challenges while promoting
accountability and the exchange of knowledge (Najam et al., 2021).
3. The Role of the United Nations in Environmental Governance
The United Nations (UN) plays the most significant role in shaping global
environmental governance. Since the 1972 Stockholm Conference on the Human
Environment, the UN has been at the forefront of setting international environmental
Varsity Cube 2025 +27 81 278 3372
Assignment 2 Semester 2 2025
Unique #:
Due Date: September 2025
Detailed solutions, explanations, workings
and references.
+27 81 278 3372
, The Role of International Organisations in Global Environmental Governance
1. Introduction
Environmental problems such as climate change, deforestation, biodiversity loss and
marine pollution have become increasingly global in nature. No single country can
effectively deal with these challenges on its own because they cross national borders
and require cooperation across states. For this reason, international organisations
have become central actors in global environmental governance. They provide
platforms for cooperation, set global norms, monitor compliance, and mobilise
resources. However, their effectiveness remains contested, with successes and
shortcomings in different areas. This essay critically discusses the role of
international organisations in global environmental governance, with a focus on
organisations such as the United Nations, the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the
World Trade Organization (WTO), and non-governmental organisations like
Greenpeace. Practical examples will be used to demonstrate their contributions and
limitations.
2. Understanding Global Environmental Governance
Global environmental governance refers to the processes, rules, and institutions that
shape how states, international organisations, and non-state actors address
environmental issues at the global level (Biermann, 2020). It is not limited to states
but includes a wide network of international organisations, civil society, corporations,
and scientific bodies. International organisations play a coordinating role, ensuring
that states work together to address common challenges while promoting
accountability and the exchange of knowledge (Najam et al., 2021).
3. The Role of the United Nations in Environmental Governance
The United Nations (UN) plays the most significant role in shaping global
environmental governance. Since the 1972 Stockholm Conference on the Human
Environment, the UN has been at the forefront of setting international environmental
Varsity Cube 2025 +27 81 278 3372
