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States have attempted to improve the environmental situation of the planet through concerted efforts, bilaterally or through regional or international organizations. The main goal of such efforts has been to set policies, decide on cooperation, share information, transfer technology, and so forth. Occasionally, such efforts result in setting legally binding standards or obligations. Unfortunately, such obligations are seldom accompanied by an effective adjudication or enforcement mechanism. With the growing number of international legally binding obligations in the field of the environment, increased stress on limited natural resources, and growing general concerns about environmental issues, the need for effective remedies to address violations of international environmental obligations become ever more crucial. It is against this background, in particular the absence of an effective adjudication and enforcement mechanism, that this book addresses the use of countermeasures as a remedy against such violations.
Certainly, unilateral measures, such as countermeasures, are not an equally attractive choice for all states regardless of military or economic capabilities. Undoubtedly, unilateral measures favor the strong against the weak. The law of countermeasures is, however, not designed to benefit only powerful states. Its checks and balances somewhat negate the difference between capabilities.
(D) Organization of This Book and Its Main Findings
In addition to this introduction, this book is divided into three parts, each containing several chapters. The introduction not only has the role of introducing but also of concluding, as it reproduces the main conclusions from each part. Even though the introduction is not intended to be a short version of the book, it serves as a summary of its main findings, as well as a roadmap for those who are interested in reading further than these introductory pages.