The study of environmental law has been relatively limited to date, with researchers either adopting a country-by-country approach or comparing a limited number of jurisdictions on some specific points, or, still, addressing a specific area or problem in detail without seeking to encompass environmental law as a whole. This book fills a gap in the disciplines of comparative law and environmental law by providing the first comprehensive analysis of comparative environmental law from an integrated perspective. In addition to the common approaches to the subject, the book also addresses the fundamental systems underpinning the diversity observed across countries as well as the interactions of environmental laws and instruments with their broader legal context. The former have received limited attention to date, while the latter are important not only because such interactions may heavily influence the effectiveness and resilience of environmental law but also because some non-environmental instruments may operate as extremely powerful vehicles of environmental protection. Combining commentaries by leading academics from around the world as well as observations by a new generation of scholars who have different perspectives on the questions being addressed, this book is a valuable resource for both academics and practitioners in the field.