This book provides a comprehensive overview of Ireland's response to the climate crisis. The contributions, written by leading scholars across a range of disciplines in the social sciences, humanities and beyond, shed light on diverse aspects of the climate crisis, the factors shaping Ireland's response, and prospects for the future. Long regarded as a 'climate laggard', Ireland's response to the urgent societal challenge of climate change has seen new momentum in recent times. The volume will serve as a key reference point for academics, students, policymakers, and a wide range of stakeholders. It will be of interest to readers within Ireland, as well as further afield, who wish to gain a deeper understanding of the constraints on, and opportunities for, successful climate action in Ireland.

This book considers the environmental policies that the EU employs outside its borders. Using a systematic and coherent approach to cover a range of EU activities, environmental issues, and geographical areas, it charts the EU's attempts to shape environmental governance beyond its borders. Key questions addressed include: What environmental norms, rules and policies does the EU seek to promote outside its territory? What types of activities does the EU engage in to pursue these objectives? How successful is the EU in achieving its external environmental policy objectives? What factors explain the degree to which the EU attains its goals? The book will be of interest to students and academics as well as practitioners in governments (both inside and outside of the EU), the EU institutions, think tanks, and research institutes.

The characteristics of small states generate multiple and contradictory expectations concerning their climate policies and politics. Do small states perceive themselves as market- and rule-takers, which are largely irrelevant to a global problem, and which must prioritise international competitiveness above climate policy goals? Or do their institutions and their small size foster consensus, coordination, and nimble responses to a changing international scene, allowing them to attain competitive advantages and become climate leaders? Climate Politics in Small European States examines how the characteristics of small states structure climate politics and both enable and constrain ambitious climate policies. This volume contributes to our knowledge of how institutions, including electoral institutions and institutions of interest intermediation, actors such as parties, interest groups, individuals, governments, and ideas shape climate policy and politics. The volume also contributes to redressing a deficit in the attention given to smaller states in the study of comparative climate politics. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of Environmental Politics.

The characteristics of small states generate multiple and contradictory expectations concerning their climate policies and politics. Do small states perceive themselves as market- and rule-takers, which are largely irrelevant to a global problem, and which must prioritise international competitiveness above climate policy goals? Or do their institutions and their small size foster consensus, coordination, and nimble responses to a changing international scene, allowing them to attain competitive advantages and become climate leaders? Climate Politics in Small European States examines how the characteristics of small states structure climate politics and both enable and constrain ambitious climate policies. This volume contributes to our knowledge of how institutions, including electoral institutions and institutions of interest intermediation, actors such as parties, interest groups, individuals, governments, and ideas shape climate policy and politics. The volume also contributes to redressing a deficit in the attention given to smaller states in the study of comparative climate politics. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of Environmental Politics.

Pioneers, Leaders and Followers in Multilevel and Polycentric Climate Governance focuses on pioneers, leaders and followers as central drivers for international climate change governance innovations. A burgeoning literature has identified pioneers and leaders as central drivers for international climate change governance innovations. A wide range of actors (such as international organisations, the European Union, NGOs, corporations and cities) have been identified as potential and actual climate pioneers and/or leaders. Despite this, much of the academic debate is still largely focused on states. To address this research gap, this volume focuses primarily on non-state actors in different multilevel and polycentric governance structures. The chapters offer a critical analysis of the different types of actors (e.g. the EU, corporate actors, NGOs and cities) who can act as pioneers and/or leaders at different levels of climate governance (including the international, supranational, regional, national and local) encompassing non-state and state actors. The volume provides a clear conceptualisation of pioneers, leaders and followers while assessing their motives, capacities, styles and strategies. It examines critically the dynamic interrelationship between leaders and pioneers on the one hand, and followers and laggards on the other. Moreover, it analyses how multilevel and polycentric climate governance structures enable and/or constrain climate pioneers, leaders and followers. This volume will be of great use to scholars of environmental governance, climate change, and international governance. The chapters were originally published as a special issue in Environmental Politics.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of Ireland's response to the climate crisis. The contributions, written by leading scholars across a range of disciplines in the social sciences, humanities and beyond, shed light on diverse aspects of the climate crisis, the factors shaping Ireland's response, and prospects for the future. Long regarded as a 'climate laggard', Ireland's response to the urgent societal challenge of climate change has seen new momentum in recent times. The volume will serve as a key reference point for academics, students, policymakers, and a wide range of stakeholders. It will be of interest to readers within Ireland, as well as further afield, who wish to gain a deeper understanding of the constraints on, and opportunities for, successful climate action in Ireland.

This book considers the environmental policies that the EU employs outside its borders. Using a systematic and coherent approach to cover a range of EU activities, environmental issues, and geographical areas, it charts the EU's attempts to shape environmental governance beyond its borders. Key questions addressed include: What environmental norms, rules and policies does the EU seek to promote outside its territory? What types of activities does the EU engage in to pursue these objectives? How successful is the EU in achieving its external environmental policy objectives? What factors explain the degree to which the EU attains its goals? The book will be of interest to students and academics as well as practitioners in governments (both inside and outside of the EU), the EU institutions, think tanks, and research institutes.