The Development of International Environmental Law at the Present Stage: The Review of Activities, International Treaties and Case Law

The international community is experiencing the beginning of a new era in the development of international environmental law, where the rights to healthy environment are protected not only by international intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, States, but also by young activists around the world. Since 2020, States have committed themselves to implementing nationally determined contributions made in accordance with the 2015 Paris Agreement. (The Russian Federation is one of the Parties to this Agreement). The Fifth Montevideo Programme for the Development and Periodic Review of Environmental Law implemented under the auspices of UNEP was also launched in 2020. Thus, the UN is trying to intensify the process of improving and implementing international rules of law of international environmental law into the national legislation of Member States. The review of international and national practices on environmental disputes indicates a trend towards an increase in this type of disputes, which in turn shows an increase in the level of legal culture and legal consciousness of citizens. These are people who are not indifferent to their future and the future of the next generations, to a healthy environment and to a prosperous life on the Earth. It is important to understand that, in accordance with the principles of international environmental law, such as “the environment is the common concern of mankind” and “the relationship between the protection of the environment and peace , development, human rights and fundamental freedoms”, the responsibility for pollution (in broader understanding) is borne by each of us: citizens, companies, States, international organizations, and everyone should be interested in achieving the goal of protecting it.

1. Bekyashev KA. Mezhdunarodnoe publichnoe pravo : uchebnik [Public international law: textbook]. Moscow: Prospekt Publ.; 2019 (In Russ.).

2. Kamalyan АM. Pravovoe regulirovanie gosudarstvennykh zakupok v evropeyskom soyuze i v drugikh organizatsiyakh : monografiya [Legal regulation of public procurement in the European Union and in other organizations: monograph]. Moscow: Prospekt Publ.; 2020 (In Russ.).

3. Sokolova NA. mezhdunarodnoe sotrudnichestvo v sfere nauki i tekhnologiy dlya okhrany okruzhayushchey sredy [International Scientific and Technological Cooperation for Environmental Protection]. Lex russica. 2020;9:131-142 (In Russ.).

4. Birnie P, Boyle A, Redgwell C. International Law and the Environment. 3rd ed. Oxford; 2009.

5. Milman O. James Hansen, father of climate change awareness, calls Paris talks ‘a fraud. The Guardian; 2015. Available from: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/dec/12/james-hansen-climate-changeparis-talks-fraud.