This book critically analyses different dimensions in the sustainable transitions outlined by the European Green Deal, focusing on both internal actions and external relations and highlighting the EU’s diverging powers and capabilities in achieving the core objectives. As with the Green Deal itself, the chapters cover different policies including financial instruments, energy policies, climate policies and external policies and apply the ideal-type logics of appropriateness and consequences to analyse sustainable transformations. The variety of the cases contribute to a broad understanding of how different actors interpret and implement the aims of the European Green Deal, including especially those lagging behind, who, for various reasons, are struggling with the sustainable transition. From examining their policies, the book illuminates the challenges and opportunities they are facing. Overall, the contributions address key questions surrounding the EU’s powers and limits in inducing transformative change and implementing the European Green Deal. This book will be of key interest to scholars, students and practitioners of EU sustainability policies, sustainability transitions and green economy, environmental studies, energy policy, energy governance and climate change, public policy, comparative politics and international relations.

This contributed volume analyses and discusses how atmospheric carbon emissions can be prevented using carbon capture and removal technology and how renewable energies can be used to reduce carbon emissions. Both approaches have their disadvantages. First of all, both involve high costs. Secondly, both require the use of advanced technology. As a result, many countries continue to use fossil fuels. The book seeks to address these problems by identifying strategies to increase countries’ use of clean energy. The authors discuss the dilemmas of zero emission and competition in the energy industry and illustrate cross-country applications of the current trends in the form of zero-emission business projects.

Sustainable and Circular Management of Resources and Waste Towards a Green Deal highlights the importance of resource recovery, phosphorus management, climate action, clean energy transition, and a circular economy. The world is facing significant challenges, including climate disruption, environmental changes, pollution, and population explosion. Sustainable management of finite natural resources within the carrying capacity of the bio-geo-hydrosphere is the crux of transforming the global economy for a sustainable future. Moreover, keeping raw materials in circulation as long as possible and minimizing the amount of waste generated has grown in significance as a part of transitioning to a circular economy (CE) model. - Introduces innovative solutions in green energy transition - Provides case studies as examples of a circular economy implementation in selected sectors of the economy, including water and wastewater, raw materials, and construction - Suggests actions to counteract climate change and its consequences for people and the planet

This book explores interdisciplinary perspectives on socioecological challenges and offers innovative solutions at both a European and global level. This book critically reflects on the latest scientific knowledge regarding the increasing instability of the Earth System caused by human activities during the Anthropocene and the Great Acceleration. It focuses on the global and European challenges regarding climate, resources, bio-integrity, and environment. The authors assess the obstacles to overcoming these challenges and examine the risks posed by path dependencies, lock-ins, and trade-offs between global and regional goals. They also drill down into the complexities of the European Green Deal, specifically the similarities and differences between the scientific analyses and recommendations from the European Environment Agency and the content of the Deal. Finally, the book looks at the Just Transition put forward by the European Green Deal. The authors discuss this in a context of global and European ecological and socioecological challenges and put the question of equality, recognition, and democratization at the center. Outlining new pathways to broaden the scope of scientific collaboration between the natural and technical sciences and the social sciences and the humanities, this volume will be of great interest to students and scholars of sustainable development, environmental policy and governance, and environmental justice.

Addressing climate change will entail major challenges for economic growth, employment, inflation, and public finances. Mitigating the impact of global warming will yield benefits and costs that are yet to be quantified and defined for the global economy and for nations, workers, households, and companies. The Green Frontier: Assessing the Economic Implications of Climate Action offers research originally presented at a major conference at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in June 2023 in Washington, DC, organized to shed light on this still unexplored field of study and recommend policies for the future.

This Handbook provides the most comprehensive account of energy governance in Europe, examining both energy governance at the European level and the development of energy policy in 30 European countries. Authored by leading scholars, the first part of the book offers a broad overview of the topics of energy research, including theories of energy transitions, strategies and norms of energy policy, governance instruments in the field, and challenges of energy governance. In the second part, it examines the internal and external dimensions of energy governance in the European Union. The third part presents in-depth country studies, which investigate national trajectories of energy policy, including an analysis of the policy instruments and coordination mechanisms for energy transitions. It closes with a comparative analysis of national energy governance. This book is a definitive resource for scholars in energy and climate research as well as decision makers in national governments and EU institutions.

This book examines how international trade can be utilised to build a sustainable future. It highlights how international trade and climate regimes can work together to put in place a Green New Deal. The potential of mega-regional trade agreements to aid climate change mitigation and power the energy transition is explored in relation to the energy section, with a particular focus on clean technology. Broader perspectives are provided by an analysis of international trading systems in the Caribbean and Pacific Islands and a review of climate change law and policy in Brazil, Russia, India, and China. This book aims to provide an interdisciplinary understanding of how green trade can be achieved. It will be relevant to researchers and policymakers interested in international trade and environmental economics.

The current model of economic expansion driven by fossil fuels is unsustainable, leading many to toy with the idea of ditching growth to save the planet. But, as Alessio Terzi argues, a post-growth world would be prone to catastrophes no less serious than climate change itself. Luckily, with the right policies, growth can be made earth-friendly.

Polycentric climate governance holds enormous promise, but to unleash its full force, policy evaluation needs a stronger role in it. This book develops Nobel Laureate Elinor Ostrom's important work by offering fresh perspectives from cutting-edge thinking on climate governance and policy evaluation. Driven by theoretical innovation and empirical exploration, this book not only argues for a stronger connection between polycentric climate governance and practices of evaluation, but also demonstrates the key value of doing so with a real-world, empirical test in the polycentric setting of the European Union. This book offers a crucial step to take climate governance to the next level. It will be of interest to advanced students and researchers in climate governance, as well as practitioners who seek to enhance climate action, which is needed to avoid a climate catastrophe and to identify a pathway towards the 1.5° Celsius target in the Paris Agreement.