2) Developed and developing states, which are characterized not only by a different degree of independence in solving environmental problems, but also by different substantive interests in this area;
3) States, that are affected by the same natural factors due to their geographical location and states that, due to their geographical location, are affected by various natural factors, which influences on the content of the adopted international legal documents.
Despite the difference in the status of states, the implementation of specific legal and regulatory regulation is based on common principles. One of the trends in international environmental law has been the growing importance of international and international non-governmental organizations as subjects of international environmental law.
International environmental law is a relatively young branch of international law, that has emerged from such branches of international law as international maritime, air, space law.
However, these branches regulate relations regarding the exploitation of the elements of nature and are based on other priorities – ensuring the implementation of the rights of sovereign states to use natural resources. The international environmental law is based on the use of natural resources subject to restrictions imposed in the interests of international environmental protection.
Objects of international legal protection of the ambient environment
Objects of international legal protection of the ambient environment are natural objects, about which the subjects of international law have environmental relations. There are two categories of such objects: international legal objects, the impact on which occurs from the territories of individual states, and objects, the impact on which occurs from the international territory or from the territory with a mixed regime. Some objects may belong to both the first and second groups.
The international legal objects, the impact on which occurs from the territories of individual states, include: the atmospheric environment, inland waters, flora and fauna.
The atmospheric environment is the common property of humankind. The main harmful impact on the atmosphere occurs from the territories of individual states by such types of their activities as:
Sulfur emission into the atmosphere, generating acid rains.
Emissions of carbon dioxide facilitating to the growth of the greenhouse effect.
The use and leakage of chemicals that destroy the ozone layer of the Earth.
The leakage of radioactive substances into the atmosphere.
Inland waters are the waters of rivers and lakes, which are located on the territory of individual states, but are objects of international environmental law. Rivers, or rather water streams, which are understood as a system of surface and ground waters forming a single channel, have attracted the attention of the international community for two reasons. First, some rivers flow through the territory of two or more states (international rivers). Secondly, the waters of the rivers somehow end up in international waters. Some lakes are subject to international legal protection in connection with their classification as a world natural heritage (for example, Lake Baikal, Lake Loman). The international community is trying to protect fresh water system of international importance from the following types of pollution:
