1972: THE BEGINNING --
THE STOCKHOLM CONFERENCE
ON THE HUMAN ENVIRONMENT

The foundations for global environmental governance were laid at the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment in 1972. It was the first International Forum that was aimed at addressing global environmental challenges. The conference was rooted in the regional pollution and acid rain problems of northern Europe. The Group of 77 and the Eastern bloc opposed what they saw as an eco-agenda. Attended by 113 countries, the Forum considered the need for a common outlook and for common principles to inspire and guide the peoples of the world in the preservation and enhancement of the human environment. The Conference resulted in the establishment of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).