Environmental Enforcement Networks and the Network Evaluation Matrix: Their Roles in Climate Change Compliance and Enforcement

Abstract

Compliance and enforcement of environmental protection laws often present greater challenges than the enforcement of more established traditional laws. Agencies and Inspectors can be assisted by utilising environmental enforcement network, which pool both financial and technical resources. Networks change over time, generally in response to pressures and controlling interests, presenting a variety of considerations for network leaders and members when setting the future directions of a network. The Network Evaluation Matrix is an assessment tool to evaluate the maturity of an environmental enforcement network at any given point in time and to facilitate the network evolution by setting new goals and priorities. Enforcement of climate change laws could also benefit from more extensive networking as well as review using the Network Evaluation Matrix to enable future expansion into more intensive forms of working together such as cooperation and collaboration.