The purpose of the article is the analysis of the key social and legal mechanisms of environmental culture development in the population. Through the method of expert survey, the authors determine the main functions of the environmental culture and the social institutions of environmental culture development in population. Environmental culture is characterized by deep versatile knowledge of the environment; the presence of nature-related values; the ecological style of thinking and the corresponding attitude towards nature; the acquisition of skills and experience of solving ecological problems; direct participation in conservation-related activities; the anticipation of the possible remote negative consequences of the nature-transforming activities of the people.