State of Global Environmental Governance 2024

The 'State of Global Environmental Governance 2024' report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes the intersection of environmental governance and a global 'polycrisis' characterized by geopolitical instability, climate disasters, and financial crises. It highlights a trend toward 'greenlash' and the increasing role of international courts in enforcing environmental commitments, while noting that global governance remains largely siloed across the Rio Conventions and other multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs).

• The global environmental governance landscape in 2024 was marked by a 'polycrisis' where geopolitical tensions, such as wars and populist political shifts, undermined international cooperation. This environment led to 'greenlash' movements, where environmental policies clashed with cost-of-living crises, resulting in protests by farmers from the EU to India.
• Climate finance remains a point of significant contention and inequality. The Baku Climate Change Conference established a new collective quantified goal (NCQG) to triple previous annual goals from USD 100 billion to USD 300 billion per year by 2035, with a hope to reach at least USD 1.3 trillion per year by 2035. However, developing countries, specifically the G-77 and China, argued this amount was insufficient, calling for more than four times that figure.
• Progress for Indigenous Peoples in global governance is mixed. While the UN Biodiversity Conference established a permanent subsidiary body for Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and the desertification COP created new caucuses for these groups, climate talks saw attempts by some countries to remove specific references to Indigenous Peoples, effectively disregarding their distinct rights.
• There is a growing reliance on judicial systems to enforce environmental obligations as multilateral negotiations stall. Notable 2024 developments include the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea confirming state obligations to control marine pollution from greenhouse gas emissions, and the European Court of Human Rights ruling that Switzerland violated human rights by failing to tackle climate change.
• Global environmental governance remains heavily siloed, hindering synergies between the three Rio Conventions (climate, biodiversity, and desertification). Despite efforts like the Bern III Conference to cross-map targets, international organizations often work in isolation, and some countries have actively blocked collaboration between science-policy bodies like the IPCC and IPBES.
• Significant gaps remain in chemicals and waste governance. Negotiations for a science-policy panel (SPP) on chemicals, waste, and pollution prevention ended without an agreement on a foundational document. Similarly, a legally binding international treaty on plastic pollution was not adopted in 2024 due to complexities regarding the full life cycle of plastics and economic implications for fossil fuel companies.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (n.d.). State of Global Environmental Governance 2024. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2025-03/state-global-environmental-governance-2024.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. State of Global Environmental Governance 2024. n.d. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2025-03/state-global-environmental-governance-2024.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=State of Global Environmental Governance 2024 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2025-03/state-global-environmental-governance-2024.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopmentndstate, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{State of Global Environmental Governance 2024}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2025-03/state-global-environmental-governance-2024.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }