The European Union in International Climate Change Politics ― Still Taking a Lead?

In recent years climate change has emerged as an issue of central political importance while the EU has become a major player in international climate change politics. After the Second World War the European Union (EU) was set up as a ‘leaderless Europe’ in which decision-making powers are spread amongst a wide range of EU institutional, member state and societal actors. The EU nevertheless developed into a leader in international climate change politics. How can a ‘leaderless Europe’ offer leadership in this key area of global politics?

This book, which has been written by leading experts, offers a critical analysis of the EU leadership role in international climate change politics. It focuses on the main EU institutions, core EU member states and central societal actors (businesses and environmental NGOs). It also contains an external perspective of the EU’s climate change leadership role with chapters on the USA, China and India as well as Norway. The four core themes of this book are: leadership, multilevel and polycentric governance, policy instruments, and the low carbon economy. Fundamentally, it asks why, how and when the EU, its member states, and societal actors can offer what type of leadership in EU and international climate change politics.

This text will be of key interest to scholars, students and practitioners in EU studies and politics, comparative European politics, international relations, comparative politics and environmental politics.

Rudiger Wurzel is Professor of Comparative European Politics and Jean Monnet Chair in European Union Studies in the School of Law and Politics, University of Hull.

James Connelly is Professor of Political Theory, School of Law and Politics, University of Hull.

Duncan Liefferink is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Sciences of the Environment, Institute of Management Research, at Radboud University Nijmegen, the Netherlands.