HL.a.6—Environmental law levels

Choose the legal level that matches the problem.

Local, national and international law operate at different scales; higher-level obligations can constrain lower-level rules.

A city can regulate local waste collection, while a national standard sets air limits and a treaty addresses transboundary haze.

Match the level to the pathway: local source, national jurisdiction or cross-border spillover.

Key idea: Choose the legal level that matches the problem.

The highest level is not automatically the most effective.