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Data Sources for International Environmental Politics

The following are places to start finding data for research on international environmental politics.  Obviously, there is much more info on the Web - these are not complete or the best but are intended to provide a jumping off point for research.  Sources are split in categories that may be helpful in thinking about research structure.  Thus, if you are  interested in assessing the effects of a treaty, you could read the treaty text, look at the secretariat's web page, and see who the signatories are.  Then, look at government, NGO, and IGO pages to see what the actors involved think.  Then, look for environmental indicators of treaty effects in different countries before and after the regime was signed.  Then, examine some economic indicators to see whether they can contribute to (or do a better job of) explaining any changes in environmental quality over time.
Additional links to older and more obscure data sources are available here.

 

Treaties, Regimes and Political Institutions

 

Indicators and Data

Economic Indicators
and Other Links

Treaty Texts

Secretariats, Signatories, Governments, IGOs

Largely Environmental Lists
More General Text Lists
Hardcopy sources (available in most US law schools)
  • Kiss, Alexandre Charles, ed. 1983. Selected multilateral treaties in the field of the environment. Vol. 1. Nairobi, Kenya: United Nations Environment Programme.
  • Rummel-Bulska, Iwona, and Seth Osafo, eds. 1991. Selected multilateral treaties in the field of the environment. Vol. 2. Nairobi: United Nations Environment Programme.
  • Kiss, Alexandre Charles, and Dinah Shelton. 2000. International environmental law. 2nd ed. Ardseley, N.Y.: Transnational Publishers.
  • Rüster, Bernd, and Bruno Simma. 1990. International protection of the environment, second series : treaties and related documents. Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.: Oceana Publications.
  • Rüster, Bernd, and Bruno Simma, eds. 1975. International protection of the environment: treaties and related documents. Dobbs Ferry, NY: Oceana Publications.
  • Burhenne, W. E. 1974. International environmental law: multilateral treaties. Berlin: E. Schmidt.
  • United Nations Environment Programme. 1996. Register of international treaties and other agreements in the field of the environment. Nairobi, Kenya: United Nations Environment Program.
  • Bernd Rüster, & Bruno Simma International protection of the environment : treaties and related documents, second series / compiled and edited by  Publisher Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. : Oceana Publications, (ISBN: 0379008491)
  • Ruster & Simma, International protection of the environment
  • Selected multilateral treaties in the field of the environment edited by Alexandre Charles Kiss in 1983 and Vol. 2 edited by Iwona Rummel-Bulska and Seth Osafin 1991.

Lists of Treaty Secretariats

Lists of Treaty Signatories

Lists of Governments

Lists of IGOs

General Environmental

(Issue Specific Indicators and Data - click here)

Issue-Specific

Economic Indicators

Other Statistical Places to Check

Environment and Development 

Environment and Trade 

Environment and Security 

News