Global Environmental Organizations Discussion

International cooperation among sovereign nation states towards a global common good is considered a collective action problem with free-riding at its core.

A) Explain what the free rider problem is in abstract terms.

B) In an international setting without a government that can impose mandatory commitments on different countries, what – in theoretical terms – can help to create the conditions for cooperation?

C) In the real world, what roles can non-state actors like international environmental organizations and international organizations play to encourage cooperation among nation states to emerge? Give two examples of negotiating processes in which the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) as played an important role at specific time points of the process.

D) In general terms, why is financing such a core element of most global environmental negotiations? (compared to the practical fact that money helps implement concrete projects and programs).