Leadership and lesson-drawing in the European Union’s multilevel climate governance system

Martin Jänicke,Rüdiger K.W. Wurzel

doi:10.1080/09644016.2019.1522019

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe important role that climate leaders and leadership play at different levels of the European Union (EU) multilevel governance system is exemplified. Initially, climate leader states set the pace with ambitious policy measures that were adopted largely on an ad hoc basis. Since the mid-1980s, the EU has developed a multilevel climate governance system that has facilitated leadership and lesson-drawing at all governance levels including the local level. The EU has become a global climate policy leader by example although it had been set up as a ‘leaderless Europe’. The resulting ‘leadership without leader’ paradox cannot be sufficiently explained merely by reference to top-level EU climate policies. Local-level climate innovations and lesson-drawing have increasingly been encouraged by the EU’s multilevel climate governance system which has become more polycentric. The recognition of economic co-benefits of climate policy measures has helped to further the EU’s climate leadership role.

Highlights

Leadership and lesson-drawing by followers has a long history in environmental policy.(1) It has become important for European Union (EU) climate policy (e.g. Oberthür and Kelly 2008, Jänicke 2005, 2017b, Wurzel et al 2017)
We argue that merely focusing on top-level governance decisions and legally binding laws, which have a direct effect on member states, cannot explain sufficiently climate governance innovations within the EU’s multilevel climate governance system
European Union multilevel climate governance The adoption of national climate policy innovations has often constituted the first step in a Europeanisation process that has involved the diffusion of innovations across member states including the subnational level

Summary

Introduction

Leadership and lesson-drawing by followers has a long history in environmental policy.(1) It has become important for European Union (EU) climate policy (e.g. Oberthür and Kelly 2008, Jänicke 2005, 2017b, Wurzel et al 2017). European Union multilevel climate governance The adoption of national climate policy innovations has often constituted the first step in a Europeanisation process that has involved the diffusion of innovations across member states including the subnational level.

Results

Conclusion