The field of international environmental law has grown enormously in recent years, posing issues of concern to international law scholars and practitioners and to environmental lawyers. There is also widespread public interest in the subject. This important new work provides an introduction to the major international legal norms and organizations aimed at protecting the global environment, and discusses the theory, objectives, and historical evolution of international environmental law, as well as the major principles of international law which apply to and impact on the environmental field. The standards applicable to each sector of the environment are reviewed, as are developments concerning such trans-sectoral problems as toxic waste and global warming. Finally, issues of liability and compensation for breaches of international norms are addressed. The book will prove useful as a resource for those in an academic setting, for those actively involved in environmental protection in governmental and non-governmental organizations or in the practice of law, and those who are generally interested in the subject.