Environmental Policy
International Trade and the Fight Against Climate Change
In the fight against climate change international trade can be either part of the problem or part of the solution. Both policy areas are closely intertwined. Just consider the millions of tons of goods ranging from T-shirts to raw materials that are transported across the globe, creating 23% of global CO2 emissions. Obviously, it would [...]
Angela Merkel: The World’s ‘Most Valuable Leader’
Forget Barack Obama. Forget the Hu Jintao/Wen Jiaboa duo, or David Cameron or Vladimir Putin. Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel is the world’s most important leader. The latest report showing Germany’s economy growing at a blistering annual rate of nearly 9%, well into recovery from a US-made economic collapse, is just further evidence of the obvious. Despite [...]
Europe’s New Climate Narrative – The Race is On!
It was an unexpected move and a surprise for many observers of Europe’s climate policy: German Environment Minister Norbert Röttgen, French Environment Minister Jean-Louis Borloo and UK Energy and Climate Change Minister Chris Huhne jointly called for a more ambitious European climate target in international newspapers two weeks ago. A reduction target of at least [...]
Introducing a European Carbon Tax: The Missing Piece in Europe’s Climate Strategy?
Once in a while, usually at the beginning of his turn in office, the EU Commissioner for Taxes approaches member state governments with a specific proposal: a European carbon tax. While in the past, this attempt seemed both brave and hopeless at the same time, the attempt could actually win some support this year. The [...]
Reforming the EU Budget to Promote Sustainable Growth
Reforming the EU budget offers one way to promote sustainable development in Europe. Even given the current limited size of this budget, substantial resources could be channelled into a broad carbon mitigation and adaptation programme with a European value added, either by fully exploiting the ‘own resources’ ceiling, or by shifting resources from other policy [...]
Trade-offs in Climate Change Adaptation: The Issue of Flood Disaster Financing in Europe
The population in parts of southern and central Poland currently battles with the flood waters from the Vistula river. An early estimate of the economic damage from the flood amounts to about €2.5 billion. This tragedy is a timely reminder of the importance of adapting to climate change. Changing precipitation patterns as a result of [...]
Lessons from the Gulf of Mexico: US Needs a National Energy Policy like Europe’s
With the spectre of the Greek default crisis still hanging over Europe, it may seem like Europe can’t do anything right. But with hundreds of thousands of gallons of toxic black oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico, the United States could learn plenty from Europe about energy policy. By forging ahead with widespread implementation [...]
Where is the Money? Europe Should Keep its Promises
The following questions were hotly debated in last year’s European Council meetings: How much financial assistance should Europe deliver in the run up to Copenhagen? In which time-frame, and under which conditions? With the financial and economic crisis in the back of everyone’s minds, none of the 27 heads of state and government attending last [...]
‘Plan B’ for International Climate Negotiations
The roadmap for the next Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC in Mexico is clear: The EU wants a comprehensive and legally binding outcome at the end of this year. To achieve this already in 2010 should be the fundamental goal of Europe’s climate strategy. This is not only urgent because the world has [...]
Markets, Sustainability and the End of Politics
Within a capitalist economy there is always a settlement between the interests of capital and the interests of labour. As Shelley reminded English workers nearly 200 years ago in his poem ‘The Mask of Anarchy’, the greatest power always rests in the hands of labour since ‘Ye are many – they are few’. Under a [...]
Sustainable Europe?
I am glad this week’s theme is called ‘sustainability’ and not ‘the environment’. The ‘environment’ always sounds like something you look at out of the window, or visit at the weekend. However what is on the agenda now is much more than that, it is about whether we can sustain the capacity of the planet [...]
Green Transport – The Next Step in Europe’s Climate Strategy
Reviewing and improving its climate protection strategy will be one of the main challenges facing Europe over the next couple of months. Generating new ideas and ensuring adequate preparation are essential before the world resumes negotiations in Mexico. During her hearing in the European Parliament’s Environment Committee, the new Commissioner for Climate Action, Connie Hedegaard, [...]
