This handbook presents a comprehensive analysis of the existing regime of international environmental law (IEL). It underlines the significance of evolving jurisprudence and the changing role of global environmental governance in protecting the environment and natural resources. It is a culmination of the comprehensive study of various aspects of IEL by forty-six renowned researchers. This book consists of thirty-five chapters divided into five themes. The introduction provides an overview of the origin, evolution, and contemporary challenges. The first theme deals with the principles, standards, commitment, liabilities, sustainable development law, environmental rights, and dispute settlement mechanisms under IEL. In the seventh chapter, Tim Stephens sheds light on the inherent limitation of international courts and tribunals which results in the dispute settlement mechanism remaining predominantly a quasi-diplomatic and facilitative process.

The second theme presents an analysis of crucial issues and instruments focusing on various facets of IEL, that is to say, biodiversity, biosafety, biopiracy, access and benefit sharing, wildlife, freshwater, forests, ocean governance, marine ecosystem, chemical waste, pollution, and climate change. In the fourteenth chapter, Tony George Putucherril examines the role of the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions in regulating hazardous wastes from the third world approach to international law (TWAIL) perspective. The third theme focuses on the contemporary issues and challenges in various regions across the globe, that is to say, Europe, Canada, US, Latin America, Africa, small island states, and polar regions. The fourth theme examines the cross-cutting issues and recent developments such as human rights, collective rights of indigenous groups, trade and investment, environmental crimes, the emerging role of technology in ensuring compliance with environmental regulations, nuclear energy, and protection of the environment during the armed conflict. In the twenty-sixth chapter, Indira Carr argues that the WTO can play a proactive role in achieving complementarities between the growth of trade and conservation of our environment. The fifth theme underlines the present and future challenges: plastic pollution, climate-induced migration, climate change laws, and future direction, particularly in the background of the Covid-19 pandemic and racism with suggestions as to how IEL can tackle these complex issues.

In conclusion the contributors have managed to connect theoretical concepts and principles with existing concerns. This book analyses the contemporary challenges and proposes innovative solutions, making it useful for students, researchers, and policymakers. It serves as a guide to environmental governance with insights into the potential challenges and opportunities. Its multidisciplinary approach and global perspectives have made a significant contribution to the existing literature.