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A Multilateral Environmental Agreement (MEA) is a legally constructed agreement between multiple nations, which allows for the countries to reach an environmental goal. MEAs are essential within creating environmental policies, as they are something known to be difficult to implement, and sustain. These agreements are constructed in order to ensure environmental sustainability for the future, and allow for major environmental issues to be tackled. This will occur by using more than one major contributor and/or country to the issue. Today, knowing the severity that environmental issues have on our world, MEAs are tactics used in order to directly combat a set of issues as a group of nations, and as a united front. MEAs are important when it comes to international politics, while dealing with such serious issues, as well as the future of global environmental sustainability as a whole.

Regarding emerging networking in while looking at MEAs, there is a need for a complex networking system in order to have a functional MEA system. This involves friendly and respectful relationships between several nation states who acknowledge their contribution in polluting, and effecting the global environment. Different levels of government within an individual nation state may cause hurtles for one another in regards to tackling climate change due to opposing views or opposing parties. making implementation much more difficult, and causing issues with external relationships. MEAs are heavily influenced and controlled by both the World Trade Organization and the United Nations. These two organizations are able to dictate which agreements are going to be implemented, and which are worthy of putting money and focus into. This causes MEAs to no longer be in control by the involved nation states, but by a higher power.

The policies that surround MEAs are derived from the countries that are participating in the MEA at hand. Intergovernmental organizations that are key players within the survival and implementation of MEAs are the United Nations, and the World Trade Organization. These two groups work alongside MEAs in providing the right tools and resources in order to get MEAs in place. The UN allows for member countries to participate in these environmental initiatives, where they can regulate, and approve of worthy causes, and tell which ones are necessary for the future of environmental sustainability. The WTO enables trade between nations, which allows for MEA negotiations involving trade to be regulated.

The use of MEAs has proven to be beneficial in regards to environmental progress, as it sets a date of completion, whether is is to cut down of CO2 emissions, or to reduce or get rid of the use of coal entirely by a certain year. These agreements will allow for the betterment of and productiveness of attaining environmental goals, as well as accomplishing these goals as a group of nations, rather than individually. Having MEAs implemented and accepted by a multitude of nation states is something that we can see is almost essential in the future of environmental sustainability for the planet.

History and Use of Multilateral Environment Agreements

The use of Multilateral Environment Agreements began in 1857, when the agreement derived from Germany allowed the regulation of the flow of water from Lake Constance to Austria and Switzerland . This agreement was the very first of it’s kind, and created the beginning of Multilateral Environment Agreements to take place. Between the years of 1857 and 2012, there have been 747 multilateral environmental agreements conducted all around the globe. The idea of an MEA was originated by the United Nations. Although the first recorded MEA occurred in 1857, the majority of MEAs have been implemented since 1972 at the United Nations conference on the human environment (UNCHE) which is also known as the Stockholm conference. The declaration was adopted by 113 all countries which attended the conference, and was the first universal document of importance on a environmental issue. MEAs have varied from all aspects of environmental concern, allowing for peaceful negotiations to take place, in order to ensure environmental provisions, occur. This ensures a positive future for the environmental issue at hand, having more than one cooperative partner involved in bettering the problem. The use of MEAs today vary from climate issues and pollution to chemical disposal and natural resource extraction. Each issue is extremely vital in the future of the planet, allowing for multiple countries to bound together in order to prevent further issues to grow. The use of MEAs are vital in the preservation of our planet, and in order to protect the environment from old, and outdated mandates and regulations, to fit into new policies and regulations that will ensure a prosperous future for nations involved in the individual MEA agreement.

Intergovernmental Organizations Involvement with MEAs

The World Trade Organization (WTO)

The WTO has been involved in negotiations regarding MEAs due to the trade implications connected with the agreements made between nations. The WTO has trade and environment policies that they abide by that promote the protection and preservation of the environment. The WTO has an objective to reduce trade barriers and implement trade-related measures to new environmental policies . Since MEAs are directed towards protecting and preserving the environment, this may case restrictions on trade . The WTO’s principles are non-discrimination, free trade through reduction of trade barriers, and fair competition, there have been cases where valid MEAs have been rejected, due to the agreement not meeting the required principles as outlined by the WTO. The WTO is currently working with and implementing over 350 MEAs across the globe. The core of these agreements have consisted within five core countries that are committed to both environmental agreements to better their nations environment, as well as the willingness to utilize full trade to it’s full advantage . The construction of MEAs work hand in hand with the WTO in order to ensure all trade laws are being obeyed, while MEAs necessary are being created. When MEAs are made, the WTO will ensure that their laws are compatible with the MEAs regulations, and they keep in mind the relationship between the two organizations dealing with the issue at hand. Members of the WTO are legally bound to respect negotiated reductions of barriers to trade. On the other end of the relationship, there has been known controversy between the WTO and creation of MEAs. This is due to WTO members restricting trade if they are especially in favor of a certain MEA that is being processed. The WTO’s engagement in MEAs is essential in order for there to be wide-spread knowledge and approval for MEAs, and allows for a higher power to approve such policies to exist.

The United Nations (UN)

The United Nations is an organization that is comprised of 193 member states that was founded in 1945 (United Nations, 2017). Since the UN is a key founder of the multilateral environment agreement, they work very closely with all MEAs order to to provide information on MEAs, as well as support MEAs in UN countries, in order to support and sustain environmental issues. The United Nations is involved in a multitude of MEAs across the world. These include issues regarding biological diversity, chemicals and waste, and climate and atmosphere (United Nations Information on MEAs, 2017). The members of the UN are those who commit to abide by mutual agreeance in a wide area of international policies. A singular part of committed countries due diligence is to commit to changing environmental effects, and or policies such as MEAs in order to better the world for future generations to come.

The Need for Environmental Action through MEA's

The use of a Multilateral Environment Agreement is used in order to obtain and reach an environmental goal, that is agreed upon between a multitude of countries. These legally binding agreements vary, and include environmental topics such as atmosphere polices, freshwater policies, hazardous waste and substance policies, marine environment policies, nature conservation policies, noise pollution policies, nuclear safety policies, and more. The Earth’s natural resources are to be safeguarded, in order to allow resources to be renewable, and maintain and conserve resources (Birnie 1977, p. 170). The soul purpose of MEAs are to do just this, and protect the environment of our world. A lot of countries that are causing mass pollution, and degradation of the environment are the ones that are involving themselves in signing MEAs with other major countries. Once a nation has signed an MEA, it is legally binding, and the country must follow through with the terms agreed upon.

Example Countries Contributing to MEAs

Canada

The country of Canada is currently involved in thirty-nine multilateral environmental agreements. These agreements fall under the categories of air, biodiversity/ecosystems, chemicals and wastes, climate change, environmental cooperation, marine/oceans, and meteorology (Government of Canada, 2016). Canada has taken initiative in all of these areas due to their wide array of natural resources, climates, and populated areas. All of these factors contribute to environmental strain, allowing them to take extra precautions such as MEAs, in order to combat environmental change. 

United States of America

The United States of America has committed to nine MEA agreements in total. These include The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, and Global Negotiations on Mercury (United States Trade Representative, 2016). The number of MEA’s the USA is involved in is drastically less than Canada, despite their larger carbon footprint, higher population, and larger economy. The USA’s commitment to nine MEAs has signified the nation’s commitment to help fight climate change, and has potential to change over time. 

Australia

The country of Australia is currently involved in approximately nineteen MEAs. Australia is extremely innovative when it comes to environmental impact due to their wide array of species of animals. Australia is known for their diverse land, which contains beaches, deserts and mountainous regions (Government of Australia, 2008). This is cause for major climate change concern. Australia is located under the largest ozone hole in the world, allowing the developed nation to be directly impacted by global warming. Not only is this a major concern, but they also share close proximity to Antarctica which is currently melting at an alarming rate. Australia’s initiatives have had a tremendous impact and set an example for other nations to follow suit.