The book aims at understanding the current distribution and use of powers over the environment among various layers of government and their consequences on environmental protection, comparing federal, regional and unitary State models and drawing theoretical and practical consequences.

Mariachiara Alberton, Ph.D. (2007), University of Siena, is Senior Researcher in Environmental Law at the Institute for Studies on Federalism and Regionalism, EURAC, Bolzano, Italy. She has published monographs and articles on international and EU environmental law and climate change.
Francesco Palermo, Ph.D. (1998), University of Innsbruck, is Associate Professor of Comparative Public Law, University of Verona, and Director of the Institute for Studies on Federalism and Regionalism, (EURAC). He has published extensively in comparative constitutional law, minority rights, federalism.