F. Environmental Regimes

Since the governments of sovereign nations cannot set rules to protect the global commons from being abused, they must come together as a “regime” to provide regulation. Environmental regimes’ goal is to change the behavior of states to prevent the destruction of the global commons.

One of the best examples of international environmental cooperation in the form of an environmental regime is the Montreal Protocol, enacted in 1987. This document sets in place international rules to regulate ozone-destroying chemicals and gases. It has truly changed the way states handle and omit these harmful chemicals.