1st Edition

The EU, the US and Global Climate Governance

    310 Pages
    by Routledge

    310 Pages
    by Routledge

    This volume presents a critical analysis of transatlantic relations in the field of environmental governance and climate change. The work focuses on understanding the possible trends in the evolution of global environmental governance and the prospects for breaking the current impasse on climate action. Drawing on research involving experts from eleven different universities and institutes, the authors provide innovative analyses on policy measures taken by the EU and the US, the world’s largest economic and commercial blocs, in a number of fields, ranging from general attitudes on environmental leadership with regard to climate change, to energy policies, new technologies for hydrocarbons extraction and carbon capture, as well as the effects of extreme weather events on climate-related political attitudes. The book examines the way in which the current attitudes of the EU and the US with regard to climate change will affect international cooperation and the building of consensus on possible climate policies, and looks to the future for international environmental governance, arguably one of the most pressing concerns of civilisation today. This book, which is based on research carried out in the context of the EU-financed FP7 research project TRANSWORLD, will appeal to academics, policy makers and practitioners seeking a deeper understanding of the challenges resulting from climate change.

    Introduction; I: The Evolution of the Global Environmental System and Leadership; Chapter 1: The Evolution of the Global Environmental System: Trends and Prospects in the EU and the US; Chapter 2: The Shifting Locus of Global Climate Policy Leadership; II: EU Competences and Policies on Environmental Issues and Climate Change; Chapter 3: The Evolution of EU Policy and Law in the Environmental Field: Achievements and Current Challenges; Chapter 4: The Evolution of EU Competences in the Field of External Relations and its Impact on Environmental Governance Policies; Chapter 5: The Importance of Coherent and Integrated Energy and Agriculture Policies in Meeting EU Climate Change Objectives; Chapter 6: The European Emission Trading System: Flashing Lights, Dark Shadows and Future Prospects for Global ETS Cooperation; Chapter 7: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles: the EU Legislation on Climate Change and the Question of Consistency with WTO Law; Chapter 8: Primary Sovereign Rights or Secondary Environmental Duties? Critical International Law Issues Raised by the Extraterritorial Application of the EU Emission Trading System in the Aviation Sector; III: US Policies on Environmental Issues and Climate Change; Chapter 9: New Drivers of US Climate Action? The Politics of Extreme Weather and Adaptation; Chapter 10: Adjustments of US Energy Policy to Climate Change: Trends at the Federal and State Level; Chapter 11: The New US Domestic Climate and Clean Energy Agenda; IV: Cross-cutting Issues; Chapter 12: EU and US Non-State Actors and Climate Governance; Chapter 13: The Governance of the Arctic Environment: The EU and US Contribution; Chapter 14: Handing over Leadership: The Drivers and Future of Transatlantic Environmental Governance

    Biography

    Christine Bakker is a Research Fellow at the European University Institute (EUI) in Florence, Italy. She previously worked at the European Commission in the field of development cooperation. Her research interests are in the fields of international criminal law, human rights with a particular focus on children’s rights, and international environmental law. She has published widely in these areas. Francesco Francioni is Professor of international law, Emeritus, and part-time professor at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy, and at the LUISS University, Rome. He has been a visiting professor at the University of Oxford, Cornell, the Texas Law School, and Columbia Law School. His research priorities are in the field of public international law, especially in the area of environmental law, human rights and cultural heritage. He is general editor of the Italian Yearbook of International Law, a member of the Board of Editors of the European Journal of International Law and a frequent member of Italian delegations to international negotiations and diplomatic conferences. He is a member (ass.) of the Institut de droit international and of the American Law Institute. He has authored and co-edited numerous books, book chapters and refereed articles in his fields of interest.

    'The future of environmental law scholarship will be amphibious in that it will necessarily have to combine, to be relevant, international, European, comparative and domestic approaches. This book is an outstanding example of what we, as environmental law scholars, should emulate in our research.' Jorge E. Vinuales, University of Cambridge, UK ’This book provides an innovative analysis on policy measures taken by the EU and the US in several areas relating to climate change and, as such, fills a gap in our understanding of this topical subject. It adopts a multidisciplinary approach, thus including insightful contributions from leading and highly respected authors in the fields of political science, economics and law. The book is a must for practitioners and academics.’ Malgosia Fitzmaurice, Queen Mary University of London, UK ’This timely, multidisciplinary study is the product of transatlantic academic collaboration, ably edited and contributed to by Dr Bakker and Professor Francioni of the EUI. It examines the role that strengthened transatlantic collaboration may play in meeting the challenge of contemporary environmental governance through the prism of EU and US policies on climate change. The editors’ essential message of convergence and divergence - shared goals, different means - offers both encouragement and challenge as the 2015 deadline looms for the adoption of a climate agreement to replace the Kyoto Protocol by 2020.’ Catherine Redgwell, University of Oxford, UK