Multi-level systems and the fulfilment of international commitments

In the Copenhagen Accord of 2009, 23 parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) committed themselves to mitigating their greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. While the European Union will fulfil its commitment, other parties such as Australia, Canada and the US will not reach their envisaged targets. These four cases face the common challenge that emission mitigation concerns the jurisdictions of different levels of government. Consequently, the successful accomplishment of their commitments requires the cooperation and coordination with and the action of the provinces, States, Member States and regions, respectively. This project seeks to explain the EU’s capacity to fulfil its international climate commitments by especially focusing on the coordination and cooperation mechanisms between the EU, its Member States and the regional level. To better understand the functioning, dynamics and performance of these mechanisms, some 15 interviews with representatives of the EU institutions and of the EU Members States and regions will be conducted. The project will be carried out under the supervision of one of the leading experts in EU environmental and climate policies.

Faculty Supervisor:

Frédéric Mérand

Student:

Partner:

Université Catholique de Louvain

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Education

University:

Université de Montréal

Program: