FNI conducts empirical, theoretical and legal studies on global governance, with focus on environmental issues.

Many of FNI's empirical studies del with the UN and its many sub-agencies, and its key role in global environmental governance as both an arena and an actor. How does the UN system contribute to the effectiveness of global governance, and can it be enhanced? Various global environmental agreements are studied, as are the role and position of key state actors.

Theoretical studies employ regime theory to analyze how conventions and regimes are created, how they develop and what factors they are influenced by. Another important issue is analyzing how they work - what kinds of institutional design make regimes effective?

Legal studies focus on the treaties and decisions that constitute the legal basis of the institutions and their formal powers. Such studies also consider the content of rights and duties of states under the respective treaties. Are the institutions, procedures and substantive rules designed so that conflicts are avioded and synergies enhanced?