National Climate Mitigation Policy in Europe

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Tobin ◽  
Louise Wylie
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Social Movements ◽  
Climate Policy ◽  
Environmental Politics ◽  
Research Trends ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
Mitigation Policy ◽  
Multiple Levels ◽  
Climate Analysis ◽  
Recent Policy

Despite a reputation for climate policy leadership, European states vary markedly in their responses to climate change. During the 2010s, a “conglomerate of crises” afflicted Europe, stymying climate ambitions to varying degrees. Yet climate change had ascended European political agendas by the decade’s close, championed by new social movements and voices and mirrored by innovative policy approaches, such as “Climate Emergency” declarations. In turn, this peak of engagement was followed by the COVID-19 pandemic. In such a tumultuous setting, the literature on comparative European environmental politics faces a complexity crisis as it seeks to map multiple axes of ambition across multiple levels. In this chapter, the authors problematize the identification of leaders and laggards within climate mitigation studies, as well as identify the challenges inherent to comparing state performance. They also examine recent policy and research trends, analyze the importance of policy resilience during crises, and emphasize the utility of multilevel understanding in national climate analysis.

scholarly journals Potential impact of a US climate policy and air quality regulations on future air quality and climate change

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (21) ◽  
pp. 31385-31432
Author(s):  
Y. H. Lee ◽  
D. T. Shindell ◽  
G. Faluvegi ◽  
R. W. Pinder
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Climate Change ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Climate Policy ◽  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
Surface Ozone ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
The Us ◽  
Indirect Forcing

Abstract. We have investigated how future air quality and climate change are influenced by the US air quality regulations that existed or were proposed in 2013 and a hypothetical climate mitigation policy that reduces 2050 CO2 emissions to be 50 % below 2005 emissions. Using NASA GISS ModelE2, we look at the impacts in year 2030 and 2055. The US energy-sector emissions are from the GLIMPSE project (GEOS-Chem LIDORT Integrated with MARKAL for the Purpose of Scenario Exploration), and other US emissions and the rest of the world emissions are based on the RCP4.5 scenario. The US air quality regulations are projected to have a strong beneficial impact on US air quality and public health in the future but result in positive radiative forcing. Surface PM2.5 is reduced by ~ 2 μg m−3 on average over the US, and surface ozone by ~ 8 ppbv. The improved air quality prevents about 91 400 premature deaths in the US, mainly due to the PM2.5 reduction (~ 74 200 lives saved). The air quality regulations reduces the light-reflecting aerosols (i.e., sulfate and organic matter) more than the light-absorbing species (i.e., black carbon and ozone), leading a strong positive radiative forcing (RF) by both aerosols direct and indirect forcing: total RF is ~ 0.04 W m−2 over the globe; ~ 0.8 W m−2 over the US. Under the hypothetical climate policy, future US energy relies less on coal and thus SO2 emissions are noticeably reduced. This provides air quality co-benefits, but it leads to climate dis-benefits over the US. In 2055, the US mean total RF is +0.22 W m−2 due to positive aerosol direct and indirect forcing, while the global mean total RF is −0.06 W m−2 due to the dominant negative CO2 RF (instantaneous RF). To achieve a regional-scale climate benefit via a climate policy, it is critical (1) to have multi-national efforts to reduce GHGs emissions and (2) to target emission reduction of light-absorbing species (e.g., BC and O3) on top of long-lived species. The latter is very desirable as the resulting climate benefit occurs faster and provides co-benefits to air quality and public health.

scholarly journals Communicating Climate Mitigation and Adaptation Efforts in American Cities

Climate ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Constantine Boussalis ◽  
Travis Coan ◽  
Mirya Holman
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Policy ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Press Releases ◽  
City Governments ◽  
Mitigation And Adaptation ◽  
Adaptation Policies ◽  
American Cities ◽  
The City

City governments have a large role to play in climate change mitigation and adaptation policies, given that urban locales are responsible for disproportionately high levels of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and are on the “front lines” of observed and anticipated climate change impacts. This study examines how US mayors prioritize climate policies within the context of the city agenda. Employing a computer-assisted content analysis of over 2886 mayoral press releases related to climate change from 82 major American cities for the period 2010–2016, we describe and explain the extent to which city governments discuss mitigation and adaptation policies in official communications. Specifically, we rely on a semi-supervised topic model to measure key climate policy themes in city press releases and examine their correlates using a multilevel statistical model. Our results suggest that while mitigation policies tend to dominate the city agenda on climate policy, discussion of adaptation efforts has risen dramatically in the past few years. Further, our statistical analysis indicates that partisanship influences city discussion on a range of climate policy areas—including emissions, land use policy, and climate resiliency—while projected vulnerability to climatic risks only influences discussion of climate resiliency and adaptation efforts.

scholarly journals Climate Change, Disinformation, and How to Combat It

2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephan Lewandowsky
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Public Acceptance ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
Annual Review ◽  
Publication Date ◽  
Free Markets ◽  
Political Implications ◽  
Multiple Levels

Climate change presents a challenge at multiple levels: It challenges our cognitive abilities because the effect of the accumulation of emissions is difficult to understand. Climate change also challenges many people's worldview because any climate mitigation regime will have economic and political implications that are incompatible with libertarian ideals of unregulated free markets. These political implications have created an environment of rhetorical adversity in which disinformation abounds, thus compounding the challenges for climate communicators. The existing literature on how to communicate climate change and dispel misinformation converges on several conclusions: First, providing information about climate change, in particular explanations of why it occurs, can enhance people's acceptance of science. Second, highlighting the scientific consensus can be an effective means to counter misinformation and raise public acceptance. Third, culturally aligned messages and messengers are more likely to be successful. Finally, climate misinformation is best defanged, through a process known as inoculation, before it is encountered, although debunking techniques can also be successful. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Public Health, Volume 42 is April 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

scholarly journals The Impact of a National Identity Loss Message, and the Moderating Effect of Political Orientation, on Climate Change Policy Support

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Klas ◽  
Edward John Roy Clarke ◽  
Kelly Fielding ◽  
Matthew Mackay ◽  
Susanne Lohmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
National Identity ◽  
Economic Loss ◽  
Political Orientation ◽  
Policy Support ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
Mitigation Policy ◽  
Climate Policies ◽  
Control Message ◽  
The Impact

As climate change continues to be politically divisive, developing communications that align with right-leaning beliefs may increase bipartisan support for climate policy. In two experimental studies (Study 1, Australia, N = 521; Study 2, United States, N = 807), we tested whether a national identity loss message would elicit greater support for mitigation and adaptation policies when compared to an economic loss or control message, and whether this was conditional on political orientation. In both studies, conservatives were less likely to support both climate policies, but Australian (Study 1) and American (Study 2) identification predicted adaptation support. In the U.S. sample, there was a direct effect of the national identity loss message (compared to economic loss) on both climate policies, and an interaction of political orientation and message type. Conservatives who received an economic loss message were less likely to support climate mitigation policy when compared to conservatives who had received a national identity loss message. However, we found no significant interaction effects when comparing a national identity loss message to the control message. This suggests that if one has to discuss climate change, threatening national identity may be more useful than economic loss information in increasing mitigation policy support.

Human health impacts of climate change as a catalyst for public engagement

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 578-596 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cassandra Pillay ◽  
Jeroen van den Bergh
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Policy ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Public Engagement ◽  
Public Support ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Health Impacts ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
Economic Costs ◽  
Content Type

Purpose This paper aims to clarify the relationship between climate change, its negative impacts on human health and its role in catalysing public engagement for climate policies. It aims to increase public support for climate-mitigation strategies by showing the medical case for negative climate-induced health impacts, the economic burden it entails and the public response to climate change that may be expected when health frames are used. Design/methodology/approach The paper reviews medical, economic and behavioural studies focusing on climate-induced health impacts, its economic costs and its potential for catalysing public engagement for climate policy. Findings The paper provides empirical insights about the various direct and indirect effects of climate change on human health which includes both physical impacts (infectious and non-infectious diseases) and non-physical impacts (mental disorders and reduced labour productivity). Extreme events such as storms, floods and droughts further seriously affect the health of many people, as they restrict food production and water supply. Economic damage costs of climate-induced health impacts are underestimated. Together, natural science, medical and economic studies warrant giving more attention to health in public debates on climate change. The more so as evidence of behavioural studies suggests that the use of health frames reinforces public concern for climate issues. Originality/value This paper argues that climate-induced health impacts and their economic costs should be given more serious attention in discussions about climate-mitigation strategies. They can augment public support for climate policy.

scholarly journals Understanding the value and limits of nature-based solutions to climate change and other global challenges

2020 ◽  
Vol 375 (1794) ◽  
pp. 20190120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathalie Seddon ◽  
Alexandre Chausson ◽  
Pam Berry ◽  
Cécile A. J. Girardin ◽  
Alison Smith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Policy ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Biodiversity Crisis ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Gas Removal ◽  
Governance Challenges

There is growing awareness that ‘nature-based solutions' (NbS) can help to protect us from climate change impacts while slowing further warming, supporting biodiversity and securing ecosystem services. However, the potential of NbS to provide the intended benefits has not been rigorously assessed. There are concerns over their reliability and cost-effectiveness compared to engineered alternatives, and their resilience to climate change. Trade-offs can arise if climate mitigation policy encourages NbS with low biodiversity value, such as afforestation with non-native monocultures. This can result in maladaptation, especially in a rapidly changing world where biodiversity-based resilience and multi-functional landscapes are key. Here, we highlight the rise of NbS in climate policy—focusing on their potential for climate change adaptation as well as mitigation—and discuss barriers to their evidence-based implementation. We outline the major financial and governance challenges to implementing NbS at scale, highlighting avenues for further research. As climate policy turns increasingly towards greenhouse gas removal approaches such as afforestation, we stress the urgent need for natural and social scientists to engage with policy makers. They must ensure that NbS can achieve their potential to tackle both the climate and biodiversity crisis while also contributing to sustainable development. This will require systemic change in the way we conduct research and run our institutions. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Climate change and ecosystems: threats, opportunities and solutions’.

scholarly journals Air quality co-benefits of ratcheting up the NDCs

2020 ◽  
Vol 163 (3) ◽  
pp. 1481-1500 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Rauner ◽  
Jérôme Hilaire ◽  
David Klein ◽  
Jessica Strefler ◽  
Gunnar Luderer
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Climate Policy ◽  
Pollution Control ◽  
Regional Analysis ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
Air Pollution Control ◽  
Modeling Framework ◽  
Mitigation Costs

AbstractThe current nationally determined contributions, pledged by the countries under the Paris Agreement, are far from limiting climate change to below 2 ∘C temperature increase by the end of the century. The necessary ratcheting up of climate policy is projected to come with a wide array of additional benefits, in particular a reduction of today’s 4.5 million annual premature deaths due to poor air quality. This paper therefore addresses the question how climate policy and air pollution–related health impacts interplay until 2050 by developing a comprehensive global modeling framework along the cause and effect chain of air pollution–induced social costs. We find that ratcheting up climate policy to a 2 ∘ compliant pathway results in welfare benefits through reduced air pollution that are larger than mitigation costs, even with avoided climate change damages neglected. The regional analysis demonstrates that the 2 ∘C pathway is therefore, from a social cost perspective, a “no-regret option” in the global aggregate, but in particular for China and India due to high air quality benefits, and also for developed regions due to net negative mitigation costs. Energy and resource exporting regions, on the other hand, face higher mitigation cost than benefits. Our analysis further shows that the result of higher health benefits than mitigation costs is robust across various air pollution control scenarios. However, although climate mitigation results in substantial air pollution emission reductions overall, we find significant remaining emissions in the transport and industry sectors even in a 2 ∘C world. We therefore call for further research in how to optimally exploit climate policy and air pollution control, deriving climate change mitigation pathways that maximize co-benefits.

scholarly journals Climate Policy in a Fragmented World—Transformative Governance Interactions at Multiple Levels

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (23) ◽  
pp. 10017
Author(s):  
Anne Jensen ◽  
Helle Ørsted Nielsen ◽  
Duncan Russel
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Policy ◽  
Scientific Disciplines ◽  
Multiple Levels

The call for fundamental changes to meet the challenges of climate change is rising across scientific disciplines, communities, and countries [...]

The Role of Late-Night Infotainment Comedy in Communicating Climate Change Consensus

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward John Roy Clarke ◽  
Anna Klas ◽  
Joshua Stevenson ◽  
Emily Jane Kothe
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Policy Support ◽  
Mitigation Policy ◽  
Behavioural Intentions ◽  
Late Night ◽  
Mitigation And Adaptation ◽  
Climate Action ◽  
Adaptation Policies ◽  
Diverse Audience

Climate change is a politically-polarised issue, with conservatives less likely than liberals to perceive it as human-caused and consequential. Furthermore, they are less likely to support mitigation and adaptation policies needed to reduce its impacts. This study aimed to examine whether John Oliver’s “A Mathematically Representative Climate Change Debate” clip on his program Last Week Tonight polarised or depolarised a politically-diverse audience on climate policy support and behavioural intentions. One hundred and fifty-nine participants, recruited via Amazon MTurk (94 female, 64 male, one gender unspecified, Mage = 51.07, SDage = 16.35), were presented with either John Oliver’s climate change consensus clip, or a humorous video unrelated to climate change. Although the climate change consensus clip did not reduce polarisation (or increase it) relative to a control on mitigation policy support, it resulted in hyperpolarisation on support for adaptation policies and increased climate action intentions among liberals but not conservatives.

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