UNDERSTANDING THE FIELD
Global environmental governance, explained
A short guide to global environmental governance: what it is, why it matters, and how the GEG Project contributes.
1
What is global environmental governance?
Climate change, biodiversity loss, plastic pollution, water scarcity, and other environmental challenges do not stop at national borders. Their causes and consequences span countries, economies, and societies, making them impossible for any one government to address alone.
Responding to these challenges requires cooperation among nations, international organizations, businesses, civil society, scientists, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities. This collective effort is known as global environmental governance.
2
What makes governance "good"?
Global environmental governance encompasses the institutions, laws, policies, partnerships, and decision-making processes that shape how the international community manages shared environmental challenges. It is concerned not only with protecting the environment but also with ensuring that governance is:
Effective
Equitable
Transparent
Inclusive
Evidence-based
3
Why does it matter now?
Effective governance is essential because environmental challenges are becoming more complex and interconnected. Climate change affects food security, public health, migration, and economic development. Plastic pollution reaches every ocean and ecosystem. Biodiversity loss undermines livelihoods and resilience.
These challenges are closely linked to questions of justice, security, and sustainable development. As the world becomes more interconnected, so too must the institutions and partnerships that help societies respond.
4
Who is involved, and how is it changing?
Governance is evolving. Advances in science, technology, and data are creating new opportunities to inform decisions, monitor progress, and strengthen accountability, with new actors playing increasingly important roles alongside governments and international organizations. Building effective governance today requires collaboration across disciplines, sectors, regions, and generations.​
Children & Youth
Indigenous Peoples
Businesses
Philanthropies
Scientific Networks
Local Authorities
5
Where does the GEG Project come in?
Since 1997, the GEG Project has brought together scholars, policymakers, practitioners, and students worldwide to understand how environmental institutions function and how they can be strengthened. Through interdisciplinary research, the Environmental Conventions Index, international dialogues, education, and partnerships, it connects research, policy, and practice.
Our guiding conviction: addressing global environmental challenges requires not only scientific knowledge and technological innovation, but also institutions that enable people, countries, and organizations to work together effectively.