Comparing National Climate Policies and Laws
The EU member states are key to the EU’s binding objective of climate neutrality. The core question is whether the national climate policies and legal approaches succeed in contributing to the collective European climate obligation, particularly in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. On the one hand, EU member states are bound by the many rules of EU law on climate change mitigation and energy. On the other hand, there remains a wide margin of discretion for national governments to design specific policies and regulatory approaches. Examples of this discretion include the adoption of national climate acts, the establishment of national scientific boards, methods for engaging civil society, and the provision of financial support.
The focus of this special issue will include a comparative study of national climate policies and laws in the EU aimed at helping to achieve the EU’s climate goals. The topics include:
- How to assess and compare national climate policies and legal rules?
- What are the comparative effects of the European Climate Law and other aspects of EU climate law on national climate policies, legal frameworks, and governance, including aspects of harmonization, differentiation, and policy diffusion?
- What national measures have EU Member States established to comply with the EU’s climate and energy obligations, and what are the challenges and opportunities for enhancing their effectiveness?
- Which Member States have established a National Climate Law and what potential role do these play in furthering the development of national policies and laws to achieve the EU’s climate ambition?
- How do Member States engage civil society in their climate policies and regulatory decisions?
Editors
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Helge Jörgens, PhD
Department of Political Science and Public Policy, Iscte-University Institute of Lisbon, Portugal
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Sai Ma, PhD
Heidelberg Center for the Environment (HCE), Heidelberg University, Germany
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Marjan Peeters, PhD
Faculty of Law, Maastricht University, The Netherlands
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Jale Tosun, PhD
Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg, Germany
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Marijn van der Sluis, PhD
Assistant Professor of Constitutional Law, Maastricht University, The Netherlands
