Environmental groups and EU Climate Policy: A multi-level governance perspective
Author
MARTIN SANTOLAYA, ENRIQUE
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2015
Submitted on
2015-12-13
Pages
43
Abstract
Climate change is one of the defining challenges of our time, and the EU has positioned itself as a global leader with ambitious reduction targets, while environmental groups call for even stronger action to keep warming below 2 °C. This thesis examines the extent to which European environmental groups’ activities in EU climate policy support the core features of multilevel governance (MLG). Theoretically, MLG is contrasted with state-centric accounts of European integration, and a hypothesis is advanced that EU decision-making is driven by public, private and civil society actors across multiple levels and sectors. Methodologically, the study combines an overview of EU climate policy from the 1970s to the post-2020 period (including Kyoto implementation, the EU Emissions Trading System, targets for greenhouse gases, renewable energy and energy efficiency, and links between climate and energy policy) with a mapping of Brussels-based environmental NGOs, notably the ‘Green 10’. Drawing on primary EU documents and secondary literature—especially Hein-Anton van der Heijden’s work—the analysis uses three campaigns (the Global Climate Campaign, Cool Products for a Cool Planet and the Spring Alliance) as case studies to test the MLG lens, in contrast to a political opportunity structure approach. Limitations include the absence of interviews and restricted access to some documents. The excerpt does not include conclusions, so findings cannot be reported here.
Klimaændringer fremstår som en af vor tids største udfordringer, og EU har positioneret sig som en global frontløber med ambitiøse reduktionsmål, mens miljøorganisationer opfordrer til endnu større ambitioner for at holde opvarmningen under 2 °C. Dette speciale undersøger, i hvilken grad europæiske miljøorganisationers arbejde inden for EU’s klimapolitik understøtter hovedtrækkene ved flerniveaustyring (multi-level governance, MLG). Teoretisk sættes MLG op mod statsligt centrerede integrationsforståelser, og der formuleres en hypotese om, at beslutningstagning i EU drives af offentlige, private og civilsamfundsaktører på tværs af niveauer og sektorer. Metodisk kombineres en gennemgang af EU’s klimapolitik fra 1970’erne til efter 2020 (bl.a. Kyoto-implementering, EU’s emissionshandelssystem, mål for drivhusgasser, vedvarende energi og energieffektivitet samt energipolitikkens kobling til klima) med en kortlægning af Bruxelles-baserede miljøorganisationer, især ‘Green 10’. Analysen bygger på primære EU-dokumenter og sekundær litteratur—særligt Hein-Anton van der Heijdens arbejde—og anvender tre kampagner (Global Climate Campaign, Cool Products for a Cool Planet og Spring Alliance) som cases for at teste MLG-perspektivet, i modsætning til den politiske mulighedsstruktur-tilgang. Databegrænsninger omfatter fravær af interviews og utilgængelige dokumenter. Uddraget indeholder ikke konklusioner, og resultaterne kan derfor ikke refereres her.
[This apstract has been generated with the help of AI directly from the project full text]
Keywords