While the ambitious objectives outlined in the EUs Green Deal aim at making Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, national implementation greatly varies depending on local geographies, history, culture, economics, and politics. This book analyses Member States and EU neighbours national efforts to combat climate change. It subsequently draws on these factors to highlight local challenges, tensions, and opportunities on the road towards climate neutrality. In the context of inter-country dependencies following Russias war against Ukraine, it addresses strategic questions regarding EU integration, the transformation of our economies, the reduction of energy dependencies, and public perception of the above. The book also makes concrete recommendations, in various policy areas, on how individual countries and the EU as a whole should deal with the climate crisis.
Part I. Member States.
Chapter
1. Austria: Weathering the Storm and
Greening the Economy?.
Chapter
2. Belgiums Climate Policy: High
Expectations, Low Performance.
Chapter
3. Between Fighting for Climate
Change and Fighting for Coal: The Bulgarian Case.
Chapter
4. Croatia - Needs
Versus Capacity: Mind the Gap!.
Chapter
5. Cyprus: Global Energy Crisis is
an Opportunity to Tackle Climate Change.
Chapter
6. Czechia: Saving the
Climate or the Czech Industry?.
Chapter
7. Denmark: Climate as a Given.-
Chapter
8. Has Estonia Already Lost the Path to Achieving Its Climate
Goals?.
Chapter
9. Finlands Fight Against Climate Change: Ambitious Yet
Pragmatic Approach.
Chapter
10. France: Not Living Up to Its Ambition.-
Chapter
11. The Fight Against Climate Change in Germany From Energiewende
to Zeitenwende?.
Chapter
12. Greeces New Energy and Climate Strategy. A
Story of Hope?.
Chapter
13. Hard Pressed by External Actors: Sustainability
Transition in Hungary.
Chapter
14. Now, We Need Action Irelands Fight
Against Climate Change.
Chapter
15. Vulnerable and Unprepared: Assessing
Italys Path to Fight Climate Change.
Chapter
16. Nature Friendly Latvia
Against Its Unnatural Climate Change Problem.
Chapter
17. Climate Change
Policies in Lithuania: as Usual, Words Speak Louder Than Actions.
Chapter
18. No Decarbonisation Without Taxation in Luxembourg.
Chapter
19. Malta and
Climate Change Balancing Opportunities with Limitations.
Chapter
20.
Concerned but Not Fully Dedicated the Polish Perspective on Climate
Change.
Chapter
21. Portugal Facing Climate Change: Deep Problems, Sluggish
Responses, but Hopeful Prospects.
Chapter
22. Romanias Fight Against
Climate Change. Contributing to Ambitious European Targets While Facing
Deep-rooted Sectoral Flaws.
Chapter
23. Climate Change: A Second-class
Agenda in Slovakia?.
Chapter
24. Slovenia: Big on Plans, Small on Deeds?.-
Chapter
25. Solving the Spanish Climate Conundrum While Contributing to the
Eus Decarbonisation Compass.
Chapter
26. Sweden: Much Progress but More
is Needed!.
Chapter
27. Ambitious Dreams Versus Harsh Reality Can the
Netherlands Really Become a Frontrunner in Climate Action?.- Part II. EU
Neighbours.
Chapter
28. Albanias Challenges and Risks on Climate
Neutrality!.
Chapter
29. Mission (Im)possible How to Fight Against Climate
Change in a Country Enduring Permanent Crises: The Case of Bosnia and
Herzegovina.
Chapter
30. Georgia: It is Time to Address the Devastating
Effects of Climate Change.
Chapter
31. Icelandic Climate Politics: Ways
Forward to a Green and Socially Inclusive Welfare State?.
Chapter
32.
Liechtenstein: Small State, Little Responsibility?.
Chapter
33. Climate
Change - a Powerful Engine for Economic Transformation in Montenegro.-
Chapter
34. North Macedonia: Pause on the green Agenda During Crisis.-
Chapter
35. Norways Climate Policy Dont Think of the Elephant!.
Chapter
36. Switzerlands Climate Policy: Caught Between Eu-compatibleGoals and
Referendum Constraints.
Chapter
37. Türkiye: a Climate Financing
Opportunist?.
Chapter
38. United Kingdom: Brexit, Climate Change and the
Conservative Party.
Chapter
39. Ukraine: Revisit Climate Goals After the War
to Increase Ambition.
Dr. Michael Kaeding holds a Jean Monnet Chair for European Integration and European Union Politics at the Institute of Political Science, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany. He is a visiting fellow of the European Institute of Public Administration in Maastricht and member of the flying faculties of the College of Europe, Bruges, and the Turkish-German University in Istanbul. From 2016 to 2019 he was the chairman of the Trans European Policy Studies Association. Dr. Johannes Pollak is a Professor of International Relations and rector of Webster Vienna Private University, Austria. Prior to this position, he headed the Department of Political Science at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Vienna. In summer 2019, he was elected Chairperson of the Board of the Institute of European Politics in Berlin. Paul Schmidt is the Secretary General of the Austrian Society for European Politics, which promotes andsupports the analysis of and communication on European affairs. Prior to that he has worked at the Oesterreichische Nationalbank, both in Vienna and at its office in Brussels at the Permanent Representation of Austria to the European Union.
