Environmental leadership? Comparing regulatory outcomes and industrial performance in the United States and the European Union

Gouldson, Andy; Carpenter, Angela; Afionis, Stavros

doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.03.029

Cited by 7 publications

(6 citation statements)

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“…However, while there is some convergence in how EU countries are responding to climate risks, and to the energy challenge in particular [19][20][21][22][23][24], states' environmental and energy policies combined with their individual market characteristics are continuing to shape the particularities of how policy innovation, adoption, and implementation within countries is taking place [25][26][27][28][29]. In response to this heterogeneity, there is a considerable body of recent research that is devoted to understanding this socio-technical transition phenomenon, and especially from a multi-level perspective (MLP) [30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Spanish Turn against Renewable Energy Development

2018

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Abstract:In this study, we focus on the case of Spanish energy policy and its implications for sustainable energy development. In recent years, Spanish legislation has changed dramatically in its approach to sustainable energy sources. This change is despite EU and international efforts to increase energy efficiency, and to accelerate the transition to renewable energy sources (RES) in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Based on the socio-technical transitions literature, this paper assesses the role of the new legislation in this altered scenario, and analyzes the evolution of energy production in Spain in the EU context. The results are triangulated with two expert assessments. We find that Spanish energy policy is responding to the energy lobby's demands for protection for both their investment and their dominant position. This has resulted in a reduction in the number of investors combined with a lack of trust in both local and foreign investors in the sustainable energy sector, affecting also social innovations in energy transitions. We conclude that Spain is a particular case of concomitance between the energy sector and political power which raises concern about the viability of a higher level of energy sovereignty and the achievement of international commitments regarding climate change.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Spanish Turn against Renewable Energy Development

2018

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“…Vast literature elaborates on whether or not and how the EU plays out its "green normative power" (Falkner, 2006) by providing leadership in GEP in general (Sbragia & Damro, 1999;Vogler & Stephan, 2007;Zito, 2005), or in some other specific environmental issue areas in particular. In addition to the studies of EU climate leadership, examples include negotiations on sustainable development (Lightfoot & Burchell, 2005), biofuels policy (Afionis & Stringer, 2012), biosafety regulation (Falkner, 2007), industrial environmental regulation (Gouldson, Carpenter, & Afionis, 2015), international energy governance (Goldthau & Sitter, 2019), the protection of the ozone layer (Oberthür, 1999), and the marine environment (Carpenter, 2012), for instance.…”

Section: Leaders and Leadership Strategiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many GEP scholars have also investigated the leadership role of the United States in international environmental regime formation (Bang & Schreurs, 2011Falkner, 2005;Gouldson et al, 2015;Ivanova & Esty, 2008;Paarlberg, 1997Paarlberg, , 1999Parker & Karlsson, 2018;Paterson, 2008;Skodvin & Andresen, 2006;Sussman, 2004;Urpelainen & Van de Graaf, 2018). As the global status of the United States is generally declining and China's keeps rising, a wide range of International Relations studies elaborate international leadership in the post-American international order in general, and the role of China in that order in particular.…”

Section: Leaders and Leadership Strategiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Leadership in Global Environmental Politics

Kopra¹

2020

Oxford Research Encyclopedia of International Studies

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There is wide consensus among global environmental politics (GEP) scholars about the urgent need for leadership in international climate negotiations and other environmental issue areas A large number of GEP studies elaborate rhetoric and actions of aspiring leaders in GEP. In particular, these studies seek to identify which states have sought to provide leadership in international negotiations on the environment, and how they have exercised this role in institutional bargaining processes at the international level. The biggest share of GEP studies generally focus on leadership in environmental governance within the United Nations (UN), and international negotiations on climate under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in general, or the role of the European Union (EU) in those negotiations in particular. Many GEP scholars have also investigated the leadership role of the United States in international environmental regime formation, whereas there are no systematic investigations concerning China’s leadership in GEP. In addition to the states, GEP literature identifies a wide range of other actors as potential leaders (and followers) in environmental issue areas: international organizations, non-governmental organizations, corporations, cities, religious organizations, social movements, politicians, and even individuals. Since leadership is a social relation, a growing number of scholars have moved to study perceptions of leadership and to conceptualize the relationship between leaders and followers. GEP scholars also identify some qualitative aspects a leader must have in order to attract followers. Many empirical studies show that despite the EU’s aspiration to be a climate leader, it is not unequivocally recognized as such by others. At the same time, it seems that some forms of leadership, especially those based on unilateral action, do not necessarily require followers and recognition by others. In addition to the leader–follower relationship, the motivation of leadership constitutes one of the key controversies among GEP scholars. Some argue that self-interest is a sufficient driver of leadership, while others claim that leaders must act for the common good of a wider constituency (or at least be perceived to do so). To conclude, most scholars studying leadership in GEP regard structural leadership (based on material capabilities and hard power) as an important type of leadership. Much less attention has been paid to the social dimensions of leadership; this is undoubtedly a gap in the literature that prospective studies ought to fill.

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“…In this paper, we extend this literature by focussing on the oil refinery industry, a classic heavy industry with significant environmental risks and impacts that have been regulated in most industrialised countries for many years (Gouldson et al, 2014(Gouldson et al, , 2015 [9,10]). In particular, we analyse how environmental performance of individual refining plants can be associated with determinants of economic inequality at the micro-level.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental justice in the oil refinery industry: A panel analysis across United States counties

Carpenter

Wagner

2019

Ecological Economics

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Environmental injustice due to economic inequality and its correlates and consequences has been a focus for researchers and policy makers alike over many years, with much of that research focusing on race as the major determinant of inequality. In this paper we extend this literature by focussing on emissions from the oil refinery industry at the community level. In particular, based on the use of panel data, we analyse econometrically how the environmental performance of individual petroleum refineries (emissions of benzene and toluene to the atmosphere) associates with determinants of economic inequality at the micro-level in terms of average per capita income at the level of United States counties as well as average county-level unemployment rates. The paper finds evidence of environmental injustice as a result of unemployment levels in areas around refineries and, to a slightly lesser extent, as a result of income inequality. It discusses these results in a wider context, referring amongst other things to the role of county-level community characteristics and the potential for private firms to substitute for the intervention of public institutions, if these are lacking.

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Environmental leadership? Comparing regulatory outcomes and industrial performance in the United States and the European Union

Cited by 7 publications

References 50 publications

The Spanish Turn against Renewable Energy Development

The Spanish Turn against Renewable Energy Development

Leadership in Global Environmental Politics

Environmental justice in the oil refinery industry: A panel analysis across United States counties

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