The nations of the world are building the legal rules to stop pollution, protect biodiversity and promote sustainable development. But there is a gap between the rules and their compliance that must be closed if we are to protect the environmental foundation of our prosperity. This important collaboration between the IUCN Environmental Law Programme and INECE provides evidence and insights that will help judges, prosecutors, investigators and all who care about the planet, close the compliance gap.

Compliance and enforcement are critical elements of assuring that international environmental treaties and domestic environmental laws actually produce desired environmental outcomes. This timely work provides a comprehensive worldwide perspective on how to assure compliance with and enforcement of environmental laws more effectively.

Bringing together both leading academics and environmental professionals from 15 countries, the book addresses a range of key issues including the enforcement of multilateral agreements, compliance strategies and tools, the role of courts and citizens, protection of natural resources, and compliance issues related to economic instruments.

This comprehensive resource will strongly appeal to environmental enforcement professionals working for governments or international organizations, who are seeking new ideas for compliance and enforcement programs. Academics researching environmental law and international affairs will also find this book valuable.