The aim of this This paper discusses the most important approaches to international environmental law observed since 1980. International environmental law becomes an issue of scientific studies for nearly a forty years. This issues resulted in adoption of the biodiversity convention during nineties as well as further development of international environmental law. The issue of international environmental law is strongly interlinked with intergenerational equity. Defined by UNEP to include intergenerational equity - "the right of future generations to enjoy a fair level of the common patrimony" - and intragenerational equity - "the right of all people within the current generation to fair access to the current generation's entitlement to the Earth's natural resources" - environmental equity considers the present generation under an obligation to account for long-term impacts of activities, and to act to sustain the global environment and resource base for future generations. The article presents the most important legal debates concerning international environmental law over the past twenty years.