A Basic Guide to International Environmental Legal Research

by Heidi Frostestad Kuehl

Heidi Frostestad Kuehl is Research and Instructional Services Librarian at Pritzker Legal Research Center, Northwestern University School of Law, Chicago, IL.  She holds a Law degree from Valparaiso University School of Law with a specialization in International Trade and Development and a Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Iowa. 

Published May 2006
Read the Update!

I.  Introduction

II. General Starting Points & List of Key Abbreviations

III. Treaty Research

         A. Sub-Topics for International Environmental Law

         B. Essential Indexes and Finding Aids for Treaty Research

IV. National Laws – Foreign Nations

V.  Searching Library Catalogs

VI. Lexis and Westlaw

VII. Periodicals

VIII. Comprehensive Internet Sites

IX. Environmental Organizations, Institutes, and Statistics

X.  Environmental Law Blogs and Current Awareness Tools

I. Introduction

International environmental law is an ever-changing, constantly expanding, and intriguing topic for international legal research.  When decisions and collaborations occur between nations across international boundaries and treaties or agreements are made to cooperate for environmental concerns, disputes inevitably transpire because of trade implications for the respective nations, safety concerns and cleanliness of environmental resources among shared borders, or problems with enforcement mechanisms for liability under agreements or treaty provisions relating to the environment.  The vastness of this area of international law includes the environmental sub-issues of population, biodiversity, global climate change, ozone depletion, preserving the Antarctic regions, movement of toxic and hazardous substances, land or vessel-based pollution, dumping, conservation of marine living resources, trans-boundary air and water pollution, desertification, and nuclear damage, among others.  To begin research in international environmental law, a researcher should have a basic understanding of international law and authority: for example, knowledge of treaty research and an awareness of the types of international agreements and their effect in nations of the world as result of reservations, understandings, or declarations.  As noted in this research guide, the number of international environmental treaties is manageable by sub-topic, so identification of the appropriate sub-topic or category of international environmental law is essential to narrowly tailor research and avoid getting bogged down in the wealth of information.  Like many areas of international law, regulation and implementation of the treaty terms are at the national level.  Thus, some knowledge and research of foreign laws in the countries of focus for a research problem is necessary for thorough research and analysis.  This guide will provide an overview of the key terms, general starting points by sub-topic of international environmental law and correlating treaties and agreements, a summary of the essential websites and secondary sources for international environmental legal research, and an approach for researching the primary law of foreign jurisdictions for this topic.  Finally, an overview of the prominent international organizations and correlating documentation produced for international environmental law and blogs for current awareness in this field will be provided for a comprehensive overview.  For other specialized topics in international environmental law research, please consult the GlobaLex guides on International Marine Environmental Law by Arundhati Ashok Satkalmi, Kyoto Protocol by Deborah Paulus-Jagrič, Sustainable Development Law by Gary Yessin, and Transboundary Freshwater: Research Guide on Transboundary Freshwater Treaties and Other Resources by Barbara H. Bean.    

II. General Starting Points and Key Abbreviations

Like other areas of specialized international law, international environmental law follows the same sources and categories of law as primary authority under Article 38 of  the Statute of the I.C.J.  Those include treaties, custom, general principles recognized among nations, decisions, and other secondary authority such as the writings of prominent scholars in the field.  Therefore, a researcher should start with identifying the applicable treaties in force and analyzing those nations which are parties to the agreement.  After determining all applicable treaties based on the facts of the research question, then the researcher can uncover national laws, which might accordingly follow the treaty terms or deviate.  Because foreign legal research can be difficult, it is often wise to consult a comprehensive secondary source on the topic, such as a treatise or law journal article.  Before even approaching the treaties, though, it is helpful to decipher the tricky acronyms that emerge when studying international environmental law, especially in the context of the treaties and agreements.  Historically, the timeline of treaties that are often identified as monumental in the formation of international environmental law include: the Stockholm Conference (1972), UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (“UNCLOS”) (1982), World Conference on Environment and Development (1987), UN Conference on Environment and Development (1992), and the World Summit on Sustainable Development (2002).  A helpful overview of international environmental law is provided in International Environmental Law in a Nutshell by Lakshman D. Guruswamy (West 2003) for those researchers unfamiliar with this area of international law.  As discussed below, there are also many sub-categories of treaties based on the type of environmental concern or prevention of certain types of deterioration or liabilities for pollution.  Here are some of the most commonly-used abbreviations and acronyms for treaty research in international environmental law (however, keep in mind that it is not a comprehensive list):

  • “Agenda 21” – Programme of Action for Sustainable Development (Agenda 21)
  • “Aarhus Convention” – Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters
  • “Basel Convention” – Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal
  • “Basel Ban Amendment” – Protocol on Liability and Compensation for Damage Resulting from Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes
  • “Biodiversity Convention” – Convention on Biological Diversity
  • “Bunkers Convention” – International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage
  • “Cartagena Protocol” – Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity
  • “CBD” – Convention on Biological Diversity
  • “CCAMLR” – Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources
  • “CCSBT” – Convention for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna
  • “CITES” – Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
  • “CLC” – Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage
  • “Climate Change Convention” – United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change”
  • “Kyoto Protocol” – Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
  • “LRTAP” – Geneva Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution
  • “MARPOL” – International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships
  • “Montreal Protocol” – Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer
  • “NAAEC” – North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation
  • “OLDEPESCA” – Agreement Instituting the Latin American Organization for Fisheries Development
  • “OSPAR Convention” – Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic
  • “Paris Convention” – Paris Convention on Third Party Liability in the Field of Nuclear Energy
  • “POPs” – Persistant Organic Pollutants
  • “Ramsar” – Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat
  • “Rio Declaration” – Rio Declaration on Environment and Development
  • “Stockholm Convention” – Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants
  • “UNCCD” – United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
  • “UNCLOS” – United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
  • “UNEP” – United Nations Environment Programme
  • “UNFCCC” – United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
  • “Vienna Convention” – Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer
  • “Wetlands Convention” – Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat

III. Treaty Research

A. Sub-Topics for International Environmental Law

Because of the many possible sub-topics available for international environmental law, it is helpful to have a table of categories and correlating agreements.  The following table is a table of agreements and websites for research based on the eight sub-topics of hazardous waste, nuclear waste, ocean and marine sources, ozone and protection of the atmosphere, pollution, protection of species and wildlife, sustainable development, and trade and the environment.  When available, I have linked to sources of the original .pdf document available online.

SUB-TOPICS FOR INT’L

ENVIRONMENTAL

LAW

CONVENTIONS

AND

AGREEMENTS

WEBSITES

FOR

RESEARCH

1.  HAZARDOUS

WASTE

Basel Convention (**1989)

Protocol on Liability and Compensation for Damage Resulting from Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes

(1999)

Secretariat of the Basel Convention: UN Environmental Programme

“Basel Ban Amendment”: Secretariat of the Basel Convention

United Nations Environmental Programme: Protocol on Liability and Compensation

2.  NUCLEAR WASTE

*Convention on Nuclear Safety (1994)

Convention on Third Party Liability in the Field of Nuclear Energy [“Paris Convention”]  (1960)

International Atomic Energy Agency Circular

Reservations & Declarations to the Convention on Nuclear Safety

Nuclear Energy Agency’s Convention on Third Party Liability

Paris Convention Decisions, Recommendations, and Interpretations

3.     OCEAN AND

MARINE SOURCES

*Agreement for the Establishment of the Indo-Pacific Fisheries Council (1948) and Amendments (1961)

Agreement Instituting the Latin American Organization for Fisheries Development (1982 )

*Convention for the Conservation of Salmon in the North Atlantic (1982)

Convention for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (1993)

Convention for the Prevention of Marine Pollution from Land-Based Sources (1974) & “OSPAR” Convention (1992)

UNECE Water Convention (1992) and Amendment (2003)

UN Convention on the Law of the Non-navigational Uses of International Watercourses (1997)

Australian Treaty Series: AustLII / FAO / UN Treaty Series

  Internet Guide to Int’l Fisheries Law

ENTRI Treaty Locator: CIESIN (Columbia) / UN Treaty Series

Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna / Text of the Convention

ENTRI Treaty Locator: CIESIN (Columbia) / Tufts Multilaterals Project

OSPAR Commission Website

UNECE Website / Status of Ratification

International Water Law Project Website

4.  OZONE AND PROTECTION OF THE ATMOSPHERE

*Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer [“Vienna Convention”] (1985)

*Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (1979)

Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention   (1997)

*Montreal Protocol (1987), *London Amendment (1990), *Copenhagen Amendment (1992), *Montreal Amendment (1997), and *Beijing Amendment (1999)

*United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (1992)

United Nations Environment Programme / .PDF

United Nations Economic Commisssion for Europe / .PDF

UN FCCC Website / .PDF

UN Environment Programme: Montreal Protocol / Status of Ratifications / London / Copenhagen / Montreal / Beijing

UN FCCC Website / Status of Ratifications / .PDF

5.  POLLUTION

Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (2001)

International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (1973) & 1978 Protocol (“MARPOL”)

*International Convention Relating to Intervention on the High Seas in Cases of Oil Pollution Casualties (1969) and Protocol (1973)

International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage (2001)

International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage (1969) & Protocols of 1976, 1984, 1992, and 2000 Amendments

Persistant Organic Pollutants website / National Implementation Plans / .PDF

ENTRI: Environmental Treaties and Resource Indicators / IMO website

IMO website / ENTRI: Environmental Treaties and Resource Indicators

AustLII: Australian Legal Information Institute / IMO Website

ENTRI: Environmental Treaties and Resource Indicators/ IMO Website

6.  PROTECTION OF SPECIES AND WILDLIFE

Agenda 21:  Programme of Action for Sustainable Development (1992), Rio Declaration on Environment and Development (1992), and the Statement of Principles for the Sustainable Management of Forests (1992)

Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (2000)

Convention on Biological Diversity  (1992)

*North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (1993)

*United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Countries Experiencing Serious Drought (1994)

United Nations Sustainable Development / .PDF

Biological Diversity Website / Status of Ratification / .PDF

Convention on Biological Diversity Website / List of Parties / .PDF

Commission for Environmental Cooperation / SICE: Foreign Trade Information System (OAS)

UNCCD Website / Status of Ratification / .PDF

7.  SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Agenda 21: Programme of Action for Sustainable Development (1992), Rio Declaration on Environment and Development (1992), and the Statement of Principles for the Sustainable Management of Forests (1992)

*Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (1980)

*Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat (“Ramsar”) (1971), *Paris Protocol (1982), and Regina Amendments (1987)

Rio Declaration on Environment and Development (1992)

*Antarctic Treaty (1959) & *Protocol on Environmental Protection (1991)

United Nations Sustainable Development / .PDF

Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources Secretariat / Basic Documents / .PDF / AustLII Status List

Ramsar Convention on the Wetlands Website / Status of Ratification (UNESCO) / Status of Ratifications (Ramsar) / Convention on Wetlands Text with Amendments

UN Environment Programme / .PDF / UN Conference Report

Committee for Environmental Protection: Antarctic Treaty / Antarctic Treaty Secretariat / .PDF (Antarctic Treaty) / .PDF (Protocol) / Dep’t of State (Depositary)

8.  TRADE & THE ENVIRONMENT

*Convention on Int’l Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora [“CITES”] (1973)

*North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation [“NAAEC”] (1993)

Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (1998)

CITES Official Documents, Appendices I, II, and III, and Reservations Entered by Parties / Switzerland Dep’t of Foreign Affairs (Depositary)

Commission for Environmental Cooperation/ SICE: Foreign Trade Information System (OAS)

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe / Parties and Signatories / .PDF

* – U.S. has signed and ratified the treaty.

** – Dates referenced are the date of signature of the treaties.

B. Essential Indexes and Finding Aids for Treaty Research

There are numerous treaty indexes for historical U.S. treaties, as well as world treaty series.  In some instances, these treaty indexes are available in print and online.  For international environmental law, it is most helpful to consult indexes containing world treaties, such as the United Nations Treaty Series or the European Treaty Series, and other unique online collections of world treaties.  In the United States and depending on other jurisdictions for research, a researcher would also need to consult Treaties in Force, Treaty Actions, and the Department of State’s website for international agreements reported under the Case-Zablocki Act.  The following list of indexes and helpful online collections is not exhaustive, but includes comprehensive portals for research:

  • ECOLEX – This website created by the United Nations Environmental Programme and the World Conservation Union provides a wonderful portal to searching for bibliographic information of treaties by sub-topic of international environmental law, as well as national legislation and court decisions.  Researchers may also use this portal to search for environmental law literature, such as monographs or articles.
  • EISIL (Electronic Information System for International Law) – This digitization and indexing of prominent documents and agreements in international law includes a section on “International Environmental Law” and provides comprehensive coverage of all treaties and agreements by sub-topic.  Further, this project cites to the legal citations under “More Information” and links to an available online source for the full-text treaties.
  • ENTRI (Environmental Treaties and Resource Indicators) – This collection contains a unique treaty locator by sub-topic of environmental law or title of the treaty.  It is extremely helpful for locating full-text treaties, signatories and parties to the treaties, dates of the agreements and entry into force. 
  • EUR-Lex – This is the comprehensive website of the European Union and official documents.  Through a simple search, advanced search, or search within treaties, researchers can locate the main provisions for international environmental law. 
  • European Treaty Series (Council of Europe) – This digitized collection provided by the Council of Europe includes links to full-text agreements for international environmental law, as well as charts of ratification and signature and lists of reservations, understandings, and declarations.
  • Multilaterals Project at Fletcher School (Tufts University) – In this online multilateral treaty collection at Tufts University, the project includes numerous agreements relating to international environmental law in full-text format.  However, the original documents are not digitized, so the researcher must be careful to consult a facsimile for reservations, understandings, and declarations in order to determine effect.
  • SICE – Trade Agreements – This site includes a nice compendium of links to full-text trade agreements by nation.  The collection includes references to international environmental trade agreements, such as the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation.
  • UNBISNet – This United Nations Bibliographic Information System is essential for locating UN documentation by keyword or subject search for environmental law.  In most cases, the system also links to full-text documents in a variety of languages and provides essential bibliographic information for research.
  • UN-I-QUE – The United Nations file is helpful to search for ready-reference to documents in international environmental law and bibliographic information.  However, full-text links are often not provided and this system is not meant to be a substitute for research in UNBISNet (above).
  • United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) – Through a link to the “UNEP Resource Kit” on the homepage of this site of the United Nations branch for the environment, users can locate the full-text of environmental conventions, protocols, and agreements by sub-topic.  In addition, the portals provide helpful background information about the negotiation of the treaties and related reports and manuals, if applicable.
  • United Nations Treaty Series (Recueil des traités) and Multilateral Treaties Deposited with the Secretary-General – Available with a subscription through the United Nations website, this collection has all multilateral treaties deposited with the Secretary-General and is searchable by topic or title of the treaty.  The treaties are presented in .Pdf format, so it is especially helpful for facsimiles of the original treaty documents. 
  • WorldLII – Through this initiative to digitize legal materials of nations of the countries of the world, researchers can locate applicable environmental treaties, especially for Australia, Asia, Hong Kong, and the South Pacific. 
  • WTO Legal Texts – This portal includes the 1986-94 Uruguay Round negotiations by the World Trade Organization, which includes a decision pertaining to trade in services and the environment.

IV. Finding the National Laws of Foreign Nations

In addition to locating the appropriate treaties and agreements for research in international environmental law, a researcher then needs to uncover any national laws of the foreign nations involved in a research question.  Therefore, the following sources can help provide background information about the legal systems of countries of the world or links to the national laws of foreign nations.  The following list provides essential resources for uncovering national laws for international environmental law:

  • Cornell’s Legal Information Institute: WorldLaw – An excellent portal for locating available codes and legislation of nations or regions of the World.  This site also provides links to general international environmental legal materials.
  • ECOLEX – This website created by the United Nations Environmental Programme and the World Conservation Union provides a wonderful portal to searching for bibliographic information of treaties by sub-topic of international environmental law, as well as national legislation, court decisions, and literature.
  • European Commission: Legislation Reports for Energy – Search for key legislation by country or keyword and links to Green Papers and Case Studies for this subject.
  • FAOLEX – Focusing on food, agriculture, and renewable natural resources, this collection of laws provides excellent bibliographic information about the national laws of countries of the world as well as full-text of most legislation included in the database.  The FAO Legal Office provides access to basic texts, the Fishlex and Waterlex databases, FAO treaties, and other publications.
  • Foreign and Country Information (Northwestern Univ. – Pritzker Legal Research Center):  An excellent portal for accessing available research guides for countries of the world and laws by country or region or subject of research. 
  • Foreign Law Guide: Current Sources of Codes and Basic Legislation of the World – This substantial work and research guide to locating the codes and legislation of nations of the world by Reynolds and Flores is a crucial resource to consult when researching the international environmental laws of individual countries and understanding their legal systems.
  • Global Legal Information Network (GLIN) – Provided by the Law Library of Congress, this portal provides access to foreign laws, regulations, judicial decisions, and other legal resources contributed by government agencies and international organizations.
  • GlobeLaw – This portal provides a comprehensive index with links to full-text documentation for treaties and national laws for international environmental law.
  • Government Gazettes Online (University of Michigan) – Through an A-Z list of governments of the world, researchers can locate the laws released in the official gazettes of nations of the world by title or those published online through direct links to official gazette websites.
  • Library of Congress: Guide to Law Online – This comprehensive portal of the available laws of the nations of the world includes sources for national legislation.  Researchers would then need to search for the pertinent environmental codes and legislation within each nation.
  • Martindale-Hubbell International Law Digest (LexisNexis) – A nice summary of the laws on various topics, available sources, and description of the legal system for many nations of the world.  A researcher can search by country and topic (environment) to retrieve the relevant national laws, if any, related to the environment.
  • University of Denver Sturm College of Law Natural Resources Weblinks: Countries– This site provides the ability to select a country through a drop-down menu of jurisdictions throughout the world and links to legislation and legal databases for research.
  • WorldLII – Through the advanced search feature, researchers can locate all legislation contained in the database pertaining to the environment or a sub-topic for research by entering relevant search terms.  In addition, researchers can locate codes and legislation by topic through the subject categories.

V.  Searching Library Catalogs and Finding Print Resources

Before researching primary law, such as treaties and agreements and laws of the nations of the world, researchers might also consult their library catalog to uncover helpful treatises, books, or nutshells and basic background texts to better understand this area of international law.  The following search terms and Library of Congress subject headings are successful when researching library catalogs:

Climatic Changes—Government Policy (Library of Congress)

Environmental Degradation—United States (Library of Congress)

Environmental Economics (Library of Congress)

Environmental Ethics (Library of Congress)

Environmental Impact Analysis (Library of Congress)

Environmental Law—Europe (Library of Congress)

Environmental Law, International (Library of Congress)

Environmental Law, International—Sources (Library of Congress)

Environmental Law, Periodicals (Library of Congress)

Environmental Management—International Cooperation (Library of Congress)

Environmental Policy (Library of Congress)

Environmental Protection (Library of Congress)

Global Warming –Law and legislation (Library of Congress)

Global Warming—Government Policy (Library of Congress)

Greenhouse gases—Law and legislation (Library of Congress)

International Relations—Environmental Aspects (Library of Congress)

Law of the Sea (Library of Congress)

Marine Resources Conservation—Environmental Aspects (Library of Congress)

Liability for Environmental Damages, European Union (Library of Congress)

Sustainable Development—(Country of Research) (Library of Congress)

United Nations Convention on Climate Change (Library of Congress)

In addition to the above categories, which are not comprehensive but give the researcher a head-start, it is useful to search terms in the title of the international environmental agreement of focus or also search sub-topics of international environmental law.  To begin, a researcher could use terms from any of the sub-topics listed above in Section III.A: “Hazardous Waste,” “Nuclear Waste,” “Ocean and Marine Sources,” “Ozone and Protection of the Atmosphere,” “Pollution,” “Protection of Species and Wildlife,” “Sustainable Development,” and “Trade and the Environment.”  It would be essential, though, to brainstorm search terms that are relevant for the sub-topic of research and issues involved in the facts of the research problem.

Selective Print Titles for Basic International Environmental Law include:

  • Bastmeijer, Kees, The Antarctic Environmental Protocol and Its Domestic Legal Implementation (Aspen Pub. 2003)
  • Bernasconi-Osterwalder, et. al., Environment and Trade: a Guide to WTO Jurisprudence (Earthscan 2006)
  • Bogdanovic, Slavko, International Law of Water Resources: Contribution of the International Law Association (1954-2000) (Kluwer Int’l 2001)
  • Boyle, A.E. and Birnie, P.W., eds., Basic Documents on International Law and the Environment (Oxford Univ. Press 1995)
  • Deketelaere, Kurt and Gekiere, Jan, eds., International, EC and US Environmental Law: A Comparative Selection of Basic Documents (Kluwer Int’l 2002)
  • Frank, Veronica, The European Community and Marine Environmental Protection in the International Law of the Sea: Implementing Global Obligations at the Regional Level (Martinus Nijhoff 2007)
  • Freestone, D., Barnes, R., and Ong, D., eds., Law of the Sea: Progress and Prospects (Oxford Univ. Press 2006)
  • Guruswamy, Lakshman D., International Environmental Law in a Nutshell (West 2003)
  • International Environmental Law and Policy Series (Series with multiple authors and sub-topics) (Kluwer Law Int’l)
  • Kiss, Alexandre and Shelton, Dinah, eds., International Environmental Law (Transnat’l Publ. 2003)
  • Louka, Elli, International Environmental Law: Fairness, Effectiveness, and World Order (Cambridge Univ. Press 2006)
  • Nanda, Ved P. and Pring, George, International Environmental Law for the 21st Century (Transnat’l Publ. 2003)
  • Nolon, John R., ed., Compendium of Land Use Laws for Sustainable Development (Cambridge Univ. Press 2006)
  • Principles of International Environmental Law (3 vols.) (St. Martin’s Press 1995)
  • Robinson, Nicholas A., Agenda 21 & the UNCED Proceedings (Oceana 1992-  )
  • Rüster, Bernd and Simma, Bruno, eds., International Protection of the Environment: Treaties and Related Documents, Second Series (Oceana 1995)
  • Sands, Philippe and Galizzi, Paolo, eds., Documents in International Environmental Law (Cambridge 2004)
  • Torre-Schaub, Martha, Single Market and the Environment: Pathways to Integration (NYU School of Law 2006),
  • Weiss, Edith Brown, International Environmental Law & Policy (Aspen 1998)
  • Winter, Gerd, ed., Multilevel Governance of Global Environmental Change: Perspectives from Science, Sociology and the Law (Cambridge Univ. Press 2006)

VI. Lexis and Westlaw

Both Lexis and Westlaw have varying holdings for Foreign and International law, as well as International Agreements and Treaties.  In Lexis, the following databases are helpful for research in international environmental law:

  1. Martindale-Hubbell International Law Digest (INTDIG)
  2. International Legal Materials (ILM)
  3. ENVIROLINE (ENVLNE)
  4. Environment: Mealey’s Combined Reports (MEAENV)
  5. Environmental Law Reporter: Treaties and Statutes (STAT)
  6. Environmental Law Institute: Guidance and Policy Documents (GUIDOC)
  7. Environmental Law Reporter: All (ALLELR)
  8. Environmental Law Reviews (ENVLR)
  9. Environmental Law Newsletters (ENVRN)
  10. EUR-Lex EU Law Database: Combined Files (ECLAW)
  11. Policy Papers (PLCYPA)
  12. U.S. Treaties in Force (USTIF)
  13. U.S. Treaties on LEXIS (USTRTY)
  14. CELEX EU Law Database (ECLAW)

In Westlaw, the following databases are helpful for international environmental legal research:

  1. BNA Environmental News Library (BNA-ENVIRON)
  2. International Environmental, Health, and Safety Regulations (ENFLEX-INT)
  3. International Environmental Law Documents (INTLENVL)
  4. ENFLEX Documents for Foreign Nations (ENFLEX+(country abbreviation))
  5. Environmental Litigation Specialist Multidatabase (ENV-SPECIALIST)
  6. Environmental Law Reviews, Texts, and Bar Journals Combined (ENV-TP)
  7. Environmental Law Reports (Europe-Cases) (ENV-RPTS)
  8. Global Warming Network Online Today (GLWM)
  9. Environmental Topical News (ENVNEWS)
  10. Europe Environment (EUROENV)
  11. Global Environmental Change Report (GLECR)
  12. International News (INTNEWS)
  13. International Legal Materials (ILM)
  14. United Kingdom Current Awareness Planning and Environment (UKCA-PLAN)
  15. U.S. Treaties & Other International Agreements (USTREATIES)
  16. United States Treaties in Force (USTIF)
  17. World Environment Report (WENVRPT)
  18. World Watch (WRWA)

VII. Environmental Periodicals

There are many law journals, both domestic and international, which are devoted exclusively to environmental issues.  These titles include the following prominent publications:

Biannual Bulletin of Environmental Law (UNEP) (1994-   )

Boston College Environmental Affairs Law Review (1971-   )

Buffalo Environmental Law Journal (1994-2002)

Colorado Journal of International Environmental Law and Policy (1990-  )

Columbia Journal of Environmental Law (1975-   )

Duke Environmental Law & Policy Forum (1991-   )

Ecology Law Quarterly (Berkeley) (1971-   )

Environmental Law (Lewis & Clark) (1969-   )

Environmental Law Journal (NYU) (1992-  )

Environmental Policy and Law (1975-  )

European Environmental Law Review (1992-   )

Fordham Environmental Law Review (1989-   )

Georgetown International Environmental Law Review (1988-   )

Global Environmental Law Annual (1993-   )

Harvard Environmental Law Review: HELR (1976-   )

International Environmental Reporter, Current Report (1978-  )

Journal of Environmental Law (1989-   )

Journal of Environmental Law & Litigation (Univ. of Oregon) (1985-   )

Journal of International Wildlife Law and Policy (1998-  )

Journal of Land Use and Environmental Law (Florida State) (1994-   )

Journal of Law and the Environment (1985-1987)

Pace Environmental Law Review (1982-   )

Southeastern Environmental Law Journal (1991-  )

Stanford Environmental Law Society & Journal (1978-  )

Temple Journal of Science, Technology, and Environmental Law (2005-  )

Tulane Environmental Law Journal (1988-   )

University of Baltimore Journal of Environmental Law (1990-   )

University of Denver Water Law Review (1997-  )

Vermont Journal of Environmental Law (1996-  )

Virginia Environmental Law Journal (1979-   )

West-Northwest Journal of Environmental Law & Policy (Hastings) (1994-  )

William & Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review (1975-  )

Wisconsin Environmental Law Journal (1994-2002)

Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy Working Paper Series (2004-  )

Yearbook of International Environmental Law (2001-  )

Yearbook of International Cooperation on Environment and Development

Recommended indexes and databases for finding law review, law journal, and scholarly articles:

CIAO (Columbia International Affairs Online); Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals;  PAIS International; LegalTrac; JSTOR; HeinOnline; RLIN/OCLC; Index to Legal Periodicals and Books; ISI Web of Science; Academic Search Elite; FirstSearch; Wilson Select Plus; SSRN (Social Science Research Network); BEPress (Berkeley Electronic Press); and Project Muse.

All of the above indexes and databases are helpful for locating international law and interdisciplinary journal articles relating to international environmental law.

VIII. Comprehensive Internet Sites and Research Guides

There are numerous comprehensive portals and research guides for international environmental law, which can help guide a researcher during research.  The following is a selective list of some of the most helpful and comprehensive websites for research on this topic:

IX. Environmental Organizations, Institutes, and Statistics

There are many international organizations, including intergovernmental organizations (IGO’s) and non-governmental organizations (NGO’s), which are helpful for identifying both primary and secondary sources for research.  Because of the many sub-topics in international environmental law, some of these international environmental organizations are focused on a specialty topic in environmental law and only address limited sources for that topic.  The following are helpful websites of organizations or institutes for expanding research to both secondary sources of law and statistics:

X.  Environmental Law Blogs and Current Awareness Tools

Blogs, e-mail updates, and environmental websites with current news on international environmental law are a wonderful way to stay current while researching particular areas of law.  The following are some websites, blogs, and news feeds that are helpful for supplementing research for this topic and staying current with the newest publications, research, and reports in international environmental law: