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The European Union and the Paris Agreement: leader, mediator, or bystander?

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  • Sebastian Oberthür
  • Lisanne Groen

Abstract

After its defeat at the Copenhagen climate summit in 2009, the EU can be considered to have scored a relative success with the Paris Agreement adopted in December 2015. With the mitigation ambition of the agreement exceeding expectations, the EU realized its policy objectives to a greater extent than it may have anticipated itself. This success was made possible by a moderation of the EU’s policy objectives pursued proactively through an EU bridge‐building and coalition‐building strategy. It was enabled and facilitated by the great‐power politics between China and the US as well as the French Presidency of the Paris conference. With Paris, the EU thus appears to have consolidated its role as a ‘leadiator’ in international climate policy, which it took on after the failure of the Copenhagen conference and road‐tested for the first time in Durban in 2011. In a multipolar climate world, this new role model should remain relevant for the years to come. However, the unpredictability of the underlying internal and external political, economic, and technological dynamics suggests the wisdom of a regular review and adjustment of strategy. WIREs Clim Change 2017, 8:e445. doi: 10.1002/wcc.445 This article is categorized under: Policy and Governance > International Policy Framework

Suggested Citation

  • Sebastian Oberthür & Lisanne Groen, 2017. "The European Union and the Paris Agreement: leader, mediator, or bystander?," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 8(1), January.
  • Handle: RePEc:wly:wirecc:v:8:y:2017:i:1:n:e445
    DOI: 10.1002/wcc.445
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    1. Negri, Valentina & Galán-Martín, Ángel & Pozo, Carlos & Fajardy, Mathilde & Reiner, David M. & Mac Dowell, Niall & Guillén-Gosálbez, Gonzalo, 2021. "Life cycle optimization of BECCS supply chains in the European Union," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 298(C).
    2. Zhao, Wanli & Zhai, Xiangyang & Ji, Qiang & Liu, Zhenhua, 2024. "Measuring crisis from climate risk spillovers in European electricity markets," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    3. Joshua W. Busby & Johannes Urpelainen, 2020. "Following the Leaders? How to Restore Progress in Global Climate Governance," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 20(4), pages 99-121, Autumn.
    4. Xiaohang Ren & Cheng Cheng & Zhen Wang & Cheng Yan, 2021. "Spillover and dynamic effects of energy transition and economic growth on carbon dioxide emissions for the European Union: A dynamic spatial panel model," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(1), pages 228-242, January.
    5. Fernández-González, Raquel & Pérez-Vas, Raisa & Puime-Guillén, Félix, 2022. "Small companies facing the mobility policy in Spain: Is it profitable to remain in the market?," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 113-120.
    6. Patricia Nayna Schwerdtle & Edwige Cavan & Lukas Pilz & Silvio Daniele Oggioni & Arianna Crosta & Veranika Kaleyeva & Peshang Hama Karim & Filip Szarvas & Tobiasz Naryniecki & Maximilian Jungmann, 2023. "Interlinkages between Climate Change Impacts, Public Attitudes, and Climate Action—Exploring Trends before and after the Paris Agreement in the EU," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-19, May.
    7. Elena Borin & Luca Rossato, 2023. "Sustainable Management of International Partnerships for Cultural Heritage Digitization in Brazil," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(21), pages 1-17, October.
    8. Salekpay, Foroogh, 2021. "Distributing the European Union Greenhouse Gas emission 2030," Working Papers 2072/534909, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Department of Economics.

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