The literature on environmental regime effectiveness has shown a predilection for behaviour modification studies, whereby effectiveness is associated with a change in the behaviour of relevant actors. There has not been a systematic endeavour to link the implementation of international environmental agreements (IEAs) with improvement in environmental conditions. This article shifts away from the paradigm of behavioural analysis and focuses instead on linking IEA effectiveness with positive environmental changes in treaty-based environmental effectiveness indicators. Thirty-four treaty texts have been analysed to determine potential environmental indicators, and treaty secretariats have been contacted to collect time-series data on the selected indicators. Based on data gathered, trend lines are established for the environmental indicators to depict changes in related global environmental conditions. The results of this exercise show that viewing IEA effectiveness from the environmental modification perspective is promising, though there are serious data limitations still to be overcome.

It is commonly claimed that assessing the effectiveness of International Environmental Agreements (IEAs) from the environmental problem-solving perspective is challenging because environmental data are not available. However, not much research has been done on the characterization of the nature and causes of such data unavailability. This article analyzes the term "data unavailability" and provides three typologies for data unavailability: (a) "true unavailability," where data collection complexities and resource constraints limit data collection and analysis; (b) "false unavailability," which refers to the existence of relevant data, but failure to report due to various causes; and (c) "external availability," which refers to the existence of relevant data in several organizations and research institutions, but with no established networks for data sharing between such institutions and the IEA institutions. This article discusses the causes for the various types of data unavailability and makes recommendations for promoting data availability.

It is an observed fact that developing and developed countries participate in InternationalEnvironmental Agreements (IEAs) to different levels. Do IEA provisions exert differential levels of influence on the participation of developing and developed countries? This paper relies on multivariate regression analysis to examine the relationship between key IEA provisions and the participation of developing and developed countries in thirty-one global IEAs. The texts of the selected IEAs are analyzed and coded for the presence (or absence) of key provisions pertaining to, inter alia, strength, flexibility, transparency, and participation incentives such as financial and technology transfers. Results of the analysis show that strong binding provisions within IEAs tend to detract both the developing and developed countries from participation. On the other hand, provisions supporting greater flexibility (e.g. clauses promoting dispute resolution through negotiations first) or greater transparency (e.g. through NGO observership or reporting requirements) seem to be attractive to both developing and developed countries. These findings suggest that effective international environmental cooperation cannot be compelled; rather, it needs to be made attractive through the right mix between enforcement mechanisms and flexibility clauses, as well as through appealing participation incentives.

The effectiveness of international environmental agreements (IEAs) has been conceptualized in various ways in the literature, and several assessment methodologies have been postulated. There has not been any attempt at integrating the various perspectives, nor of determining the fit between the assessment methodology and the goals of the IEAs or of the IEA institutions. This article reviews the various effectiveness conceptualizations, and proposes the 'effectiveness web' as an integrative framework for understanding the interrelationships that exist among the various determinants and potential indicators of IEA effectiveness. This article argues for an evolutionary and dynamic conceptualization of IEA effectiveness, as well as a multi-track assessment of effectiveness, which is more in line with the activities of the IEA institutions. This article identifies potential indicators for various stages of the life-cycle of an IEA, and using the premise of global environmental sustainability as guiding framework, provides a hierarchy of effectiveness assessment methodologies.

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