In recent years, the debate on the establishment of a new international agency on environmental protection has gained substantial momentum. This book presents a balanced selection of articles of the leading participants in this debate, including both major supporters and opponents of creating such an organization.

Contents: About the authors; Foreword, Klaus Töpfer; Preface; The debate on a world environment organization: an introduction, Steffen Bauer and Frank Biermann. Global Environmental Governance Assessing the Need for Reform: The United Nations' record on environmental governance: an assessment, Lorraine Elliott; Global environmental governance: challenges for the South from a theoretical perspective, Joyeeta Gupta. The Case for a World Environment Organization: Toward a world environment organization: reflections upon a vital debate, Steve Charnovitz; The rationale for a world environment organization, Frank Biermann; Generating effective global environmental governance: the North's need for a world environment organization, John J. Kirton. The Case Against a World Environment Organization: Clustering international environmental agreements as an alternative to a world environment organization, Konrad von Moltke; Reforming international environmental governance: an institutional perspective on proposals for a world environment organization, Sebastian Oberthÿr and Thomas Gehring; Neither necessary, nor sufficient: why organizational tinkering will not improve environmental governance, Adil Najam; Conclusion, Frank Biermann and Steffen Bauer; Index.