Climate Change Policy in the European Union - Confronting the Dilemmas of Mitigation and Adaptation?

The European Union (EU) has emerged as a leading governing body in the international struggle to govern climate change. The transformation that has occurred in its policies and institutions has profoundly affected climate change politics at the international level and within its 27 Member States. But how has this been achieved when the EU comprises so many levels of governance, when political leadership in Europe is so dispersed and the policy choices are especially difficult? Drawing on a variety of detailed case studies spanning the interlinked challenges of mitigation and adaptation, this volume offers an unrivalled account of how different actors wrestled with the complex governance dilemmas associated with climate policy making. Opening up the EU's inner workings to non-specialists, it provides an unparalleled perspective on the unique way that the EU governs, as well as exploring its ability to maintain a leading position in international climate change politics. • Explores the emergence of climate policy in the EU and identifies the key governance choices that informed the design of its climate policies • Reveals how governors in the EU grapple with complex choices and dilemmas in a fast moving and strategically important policy area • Uses policy analysis to explore how policy could unfold in the future, and what new governance dilemmas this may provoke

---

Reviews:

Advance praise: 'Surveying the role of the European Union in relation to climate change policy is no easy task … How successful or otherwise the EU might be in this endeavour has a resonance across the world. This book provides an invaluable resource for anyone seeking to assess the possibilities and the pitfalls.' - Lord Anthony Giddens, London School of Economics and Political Science, from the Foreword 'The book will be of great interest not only to those interested in the future of the climate regime but also to those concerned with the future of the European Union more generally.' - Oran R. Young, Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California, Santa Barbara 'This book is a must read for students and practitioners wishing to understand EU climate policy.' - Miranda Schreurs, Director, Environmental Policy Research Centre, Freie Universitat Berlin 'This timely and thought-provoking volume identifies cogently the policy challenges facing Europeans as regards climate change. As the authors carefully demonstrate, both well-focused policies and effectively implemented measures are needed if the European Union and its member states are together to make a difference.' Helen Wallace, Centennial Professor, European Institute, London School of Economics and Political Science

Part I. Introduction and Overview 1. Climate change policy in the European Union: an introduction Andrew Jordan, Dave Huitema and Harro van Asselt Part II. The Evolving Governance Context: The European Union 2. Governing the European Union: policy choices and governance dilemmas Andrew Jordan, Dave Huitema, Tim Rayner and Harro van Asselt 3. The evolution of climate policy in the European Union: an historical overview Andrew Jordan and Tim Rayner Part III. Climate Policy in the European Union: Understanding the Past 4. Burden sharing: distributing burdens or sharing efforts? Constanze Haug and Andrew Jordan 5. Renewable energies: a continuing balancing act? Roger Hildingsson, Johannes Stripple and Andrew Jordan 6. Emissions trading: the enthusiastic adoption of an 'alien' instrument? Harro van Asselt 7. Adapting to a changing climate: an emerging European Union policy? Tim Rayner and Andrew Jordan 8. Adaptation in the water sector: will mainstreaming be sufficient? Eric Massey, Dave Huitema, Andrew Jordan and Tim Rayner 9. The evolution of climate change policy in the European Union: a synthesis Andrew Jordan, Dave Huitema, Harro van Asselt and Tim Rayner Part IV. Climate Policy in the European Union: Future Challenges 10. Exploring the future: the role of scenarios and policy exercises Frans Berkhout, Constanze Haug, Roger Hildingsson, Johannes Stripple and Andrew Jordan 11. Governance choices and dilemmas in a warmer Europe: what does the future hold for the European Union? Johannes Stripple, Tim Rayner, Roger Hildingsson, Andrew Jordan and Constanze Haug Part V. Climate Policy in the European Union: Retrospect and Prospect 12. Governing climate change in the European Union: understanding the past and preparing for the future Andrew Jordan, Dave Huitema, Harro van Asselt, Tim Rayner and Frans Berkhout