Abstract

Pollution, resource depletion, habitat management, and climate change are all issues that necessarily transcend national boundaries. Accordingly, they and other environmental concerns have been a particular focus for international organizations from before the First World War to the present day. This volume is the first to comprehensively explore the environmental activities of professional communities, NGOs, regional bodies, the United Nations, and other international organizations during the twentieth century. It follows their efforts to shape debates about environmental degradation, develop binding intergovernmental commitments, and—following the seminal 1972 Conference on the Human Environment—implement and enforce actual international policies.

Jan-Henrik Meyer is Associate Professor and Principal Investigator at the University of Copenhagen for the research project “History of Nuclear Energy and Society” (HoNESt). He has been an Associate Professor at NTNU Trondheim, a Rachel Carson Fellow at LMU Munich and a Marie Curie Fellow at the University of Portsmouth.

“This fascinating book is one of those rare collections that have a shared and unified purpose. Collectively, the authors cover a diverse set of topics, draw on myriad original sources (including interviews as well as archival research), tell interesting and new stories, and make a variety of novel arguments.” · Bob H. Reinhardt, Executive Director, Willamette Heritage Center

“This book is exceptionally helpful for understanding the interplay between emerging environmental concerns and international politics during the last century. It illuminates the crucial role played by international organisations in developing environmental policies, and in particular it traces the political resolve and intellectual effort behind the concept of sustainable development.” · Sara Lorenzini, University of Trento

Wolfram Kaiser is Professor of European Studies at the University of Portsmouth and Visiting Professor at the College of Europe in Bruges. His recent publications include Writing the Rules for Europe: Experts, Cartels, and International Organizations (2014, with J. Schot).