IGOs managing environmental problems

Overview

How IGOs coordinate action on shared environmental problems, the mixed record of global environmental governance with the Montreal Protocol as a success, unequal power in negotiations and the disadvantage of developing countries, tensions with national sovereignty and economic development, and quantitative indicators for evaluating international agreements.

What you need to know

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Questions from this subtopic

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1. 1

   What mechanisms have intergovernmental organisations developed to address shared global environmental challenges?

   Model answer

   IGOs have developed international agreements and coordinated action between member states to manage common global environmental problems.

2. 2

   Give an example of how IGOs coordinate responses to transboundary environmental issues.

   Model answer

   Through multilateral environmental agreements (such as the Paris Agreement or Montreal Protocol) that establish shared targets, monitoring frameworks, and collective commitments among signatory nations.

3. 3

   Why is the record of global environmental governance described as mixed?

   Model answer

   Because some initiatives have achieved significant progress (e.g. ozone layer recovery under the Montreal Protocol), while others have failed to deliver their intended outcomes (e.g. limited success in halting biodiversity loss or meeting emissions targets).

4. 4

   Identify one example of a successful IGO environmental initiative and one that has struggled to achieve its goals.

   Model answer

   Success: The Montreal Protocol effectively reduced ozone-depleting substances. Struggle: The Kyoto Protocol failed to secure commitments from major emitters and had limited impact on global emissions.

5. 5

   How do unequal power relations within IGOs affect environmental outcomes?

   Model answer

   More powerful nations often shape agreements to benefit their own interests, resulting in unequal environmental outcomes where less powerful nations bear disproportionate costs or receive fewer benefits.

6. 6

   Explain why developing countries may be disadvantaged in IGO environmental negotiations.

   Model answer

   They typically have less negotiating power, fewer resources to influence outcomes, and may be pressured to accept terms that prioritise the economic interests of wealthier nations over their own environmental or developmental needs.

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