This book explores the current policy measures adopted by the EU in order to realize its Kyoto Protocol commitment and to prepare for further emission reductions after 2012. EU Climate Change Policy focuses on legal instruments, with emissions trading at the forefront of the policy package, accompanied by directives on energy taxation, energy efficiency and renewable energy. Distinguished authors provide a commentary on each aspect of the policy measures, discussing both theoretical and practical aspects. Overall, it is concluded that whilst EU policy is very 'green', it needs to be developed further in a comprehensive and meaningful way. With discussions on the current state of affairs of EU climate change policy, and on the issues that may shape its future agenda, this book will be of great interest to academics, civil servants, students and stakeholders.

EU environmental law is now a dominant source of influence in the development and application of environmental law and policy in most Member States. This important new study provides a fresh appraisal of the changing nature of EU environmental legislation, and the tensions between discretion and goals. Above all it tackles the difficult questions of the appropriate role and design of law in tackling current and future environmental challenges. It should be required reading by all those concerned with the future of environmental law, both within Europe and elsewhere, and the authors are to be congratulated on the quality and scope of their analysis.' - Richard Macrory, University College, London, UKThis thought-provoking book offers a cross-cutting debate on EU environmental legislation from a legal perspective focusing on key themes such as regulatory instrument choice, the coherency of law, and enforceable commitments. Based on thorough investigations of several environmental domains - particularly water law, air quality law, industrial emissions law and climate and energy law - it presents the current state of EU environmental regulatory approaches and suggests potential ways for improvement. It pays close attention to the consequences of EU legislative choices for Member States and balances the need for clear environmental legislation providing enforceable substantive rights to citizens against the wish to leave discretion to Member States. This timely book provides a critical review of the complexity and inherent flexibility of EU environmental law. It will have great appeal to environmental law scholars, political scientists, environmental policy and law consultants and to Governmental officers both in the EU and Member States. Contributors: B. Beijen, M. Bogaart, F. Groothuijse, S. van Holten, A. Keessen, J. van Kempen, F. Oosterhuis, M. Peeters, M. van Rijswick, R. Uylenburg, E. Vogelezang-Stoute

The European Union has succeeded in bringing into force an impressive package of regulatory measures aiming to provide a high level of environmental protection across the EU. As a result, scholars, students and practitioners are confronted with the challenge of gaining insight into this complex legislative framework and its effects. This wide-ranging Research Handbook investigates a multitude of substantive issues including waste, nature conservation, air pollution, water quality protection, chemical substantives and genetically modified organisms. Based on contributions developed by 40 environmental law scholars, this comprehensive Research Handbook discusses how the EU has used its regulatory power to steer towards environmentally friendly behaviour, delving into the deep concerns related to the compliance with and enforcement of EU environmental law. It also highlights the important role of civil society?s use of environmental procedural rights, and characterizes how the CJEU case law has contributed to the effective implementation of EU environmental legislation. Shedding light on the institutional, horizontal and sectoral dimensions of EU environmental law, the Research Handbook on EU Environmental Law will be a key resource for environmental law scholars both in the EU and worldwide, whilst also being of value to environmental law practitioners working in EU member states.

The book gives detailed discussions of essential EU climate law and presents profound national reports which cover the transposition of EU law and focus on national climate strategies, which are often complex and sometimes also ambitious. Comparative studies at the grassroots level are an important source of ideas and possibilities and also useful documentation both for researchers and political actors.' - Erkki Hollo, University of Helsinki, Finland'This is an outstanding collection of essays by a multi-national team of leading scholars. It reminds us that in a system of multi-level governance, it is crucial to examine and appraise developments not only at the level of the European Union but also within the Member States. This task has become easier with the publication of this excellent book.' - Joanne Scott, University College London, UK The complex and multifaceted nature of EU climate legislation poses a major challenge for EU Member States. This timely book focuses on national climate action, addressing the regulatory responses required for the purposes of meeting greenhouse gas emissions reduction objectives for 2020 (and beyond). The book seeks to answer such questions as: what kind of legislative approaches should be developed to comply with EU climate law? What room for national discretion should remain? What opportunities exist to go beyond EU ambitions? In addition, distinguished authors analyze national regulatory developments across selected Member States, identifying potential areas for review and improvement. The book offers further discussion and legal analysis of core themes such as: long-term target setting; contrasting legislative approaches; instrument mixes; and key linkages between environmental and energy law. In light of the challenges confronting national legislators, this book offers important insights into the role and contribution of law towards improved climate protection, with potential lessons for countries both within and outside the EU. With this in mind, Climate Law in EU Member States will be a valuable read for policymakers and civil servants at national ministries and at the European Commission, carbon consultants and environmental non-governmental organizations, as well as for academics in and outside the EU. Contributors: E. Bergsma, J. de Cendra de Larragan, K. de Graaf, J. Gupta, N. Herve-Fournereau, M. Holwerda, G. Kaminskaite-Salters, L. Karski, A. Langlais, T. Parejo Navajas, M. Peeters, B. Pozzo, C. Reid, T. Schomerus, L. Squintani, M. Stallworthy, N. van der Grijp, S. Weishaar

`Climate Change Liability provides an illuminating comparative perspective on the role of the courts in this critical area. The book probes a critical yet constructive analysis of theories of tort liability. Beyond tort law, the book insightfully explores alternative forms of litigation, such as actions in the ECHR to remedy inadequate adaptation measures and public law actions to force governments to adopt mitigation measures.' - Daniel Farber, University of California, US `As climate change negotiations slow down despite the growing scientific evidence, there is room for a new approach to the problem - climate liability. This thoroughly researched timely book discusses the different aspects of liability and will hopefully push governments to take action!' - Joyeeta Gupta, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands `Since the 2009 Copenhagen Climate Change conference, international efforts to stop global warming are in disarray, making the need for innovative approaches all the more urgent. This book explores the utility of litigation as an alternative to conventional measures in the battle against climate change. While acknowledging the difficulties that attempting to impose liability can pose, it suggests and assesses solutions to meet these challenges, thus paving the way for taking the fight against global warming to the court room.' - Rene Lefeber, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands This book sheds new light on the growing issue of using liability as a tool for both preventing and compensating for the damage caused by climate change. Michael Faure and Marjan Peeters have brought together a selection of expert contributors who explore a variety of both national and European perspectives on the topic. Climate change liability is no longer only a theoretical idea since climate change litigation has become so hotly debated and this book examines to what extent it can be used for mitigation and adaptation issues. Chapters discuss the potential role of liability within various legal systems, like the national systems of the USA and The Netherlands, but also EU and ECHR law. Liability is outlined in a broad perspective since not only compensation for damage suffered by plaintiffs is discussed, but also the need for prevention in order to obtain a reduction of greenhouse gases. This well-documented work will be invaluable to law and environmental science students, researchers, lawyers and civil servants.

The Elgar Encyclopedia of Environmental Law is a landmark reference work, providing definitive and comprehensive coverage of this dynamic field. Each volume probes the key elements of law, the essential concepts, and the latest research through concise, structured entries written by international experts. Each entry includes an extensive bibliography as a starting point for further reading. The mix of authoritative commentary and insightful discussion will make this an essential tool for research and teaching, as well as a valuable resource for professionals and policymakers.Climate Change Law, the first volume of the Elgar Encyclopedia of Environmental Law, provides a guide to the rapidly evolving body of legal scholarship relating to climate change. The amount of international, European and national legislation, judicial decisions, and legal scholarship in the field of climate law has now become almost overwhelming. This book focuses on the underlying concepts that are of concern to researchers, students and policymakers rather than on the details of national legislation. The core topics include the difficulty of setting up a coherent international treaty approach, the importance of national and subnational legal action, the potential role of international and national courts, and the importance of human rights and environmental justice. Providing a comprehensive discussion, more than 50 entries developed by experts from across the world cover mitigation and adaptation issues in their wider context, from both international and national perspectives. Each chapter concludes by identifying important research challenges. Finally, the concluding chapter argues that a discernible global legal regime is emerging. The 2015 Paris Agreement marks both the increasingly interlinked but polycentric nature of this new regime. This is the definitive resource for all those seeking the state of the art of climate change law, from students and legal scholars to practising lawyers, civil servants and NGOs. Contributors include: D. Badrinarayana, D. Benson, W.W. Buzbee, M.R. Caldwell, A.E. Camacho, H.S. Cho, R.K. Craig, B. Curtis, J. Dafoe, P. DeArmey, J. de Cendra de Larragan, J.C. Dernbach, N. de Sadeleer, M. Doelle, W.T. Douma, D.M. Driesen, B. Egelund Olsen, K.H. Engel, D.A. Farber, Heline Sivini Ferreira, S. Ferrey, S.R. Foster, D. French, P. Galizzi, M.B. Gerrard, N.S. Ghaleigh, M. Hall, S.B. Hecht, D. Hodas, T. Honkonen, S.-L. Hsu, A. Jordan, A. Kaswan, A. Keessen, S.-H. Kim, S. Krakoff, K. Kulovesi, M.A. Livermore, K. Lu, J. Lueders, R. Lyster, M.L. Melius, Z. Meng, H.M. Osofsky, J. Peel, M. Peeters, B. Pontin, L. Rajamani, A.W. Reitze Jr, J. Reynolds, B.J. Richardson, F. Romanin Jacur, T.Schomerus, J. Scott, D.A. Serraglio, F. Sindico, M.P. Solis, B.K. Sovacool, P.-T.Stoll, L.G. Sun, T. Tang, A.D. Tarlock, Q. Tianbao, X.F. Torrijo, H. van Asselt, M. van Rijswick, M.P. Vandenbergh, R.R.M. Verchick, C. Voigt, X. Wang, M. Wilensky, K.M. Wyman, Y. Zhang

This timely book examines the role played by regional authorities in the EU in the transition towards renewable energy. Regional governments generally have important decision-making powers concerning energy transition, but they may encounter resistance to the establishment of renewable energy activities in their communities.Drawing on both academia and practice, the expert contributors explore some of the key legal questions that have emerged along the energy transition path. Specific attention is paid to support mechanisms, administrative procedures for authorizing renewable energy projects, including the relevance of procedural rights as set out in the Aarhus Convention, and opportunities for allowing citizens, particularly citizens living near renewable energy projects, participate financially in renewable energy production. Based on experiences in several Member States (Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the Netherlands) improvements to the content and application of the law are discussed. The book shows the complexities of renewable energy law, which will most likely become a controversial field of law in the near future. Providing a much-needed contribution to the literature, this is the first book to map legal questions around renewable energy from the perspective of local governments. It will have great appeal to scholars across both law and social sciences, as well as to practitioners in governments, NGOs and law firms. Contributors: B. Egelund Olsen, S. Fanetti, S. Gaines, K. De Graaf, I. Del Guayo Castiella, L. Holstenkamp, H. Kahl, C. Maly, A. Marseille, M. Meister, G. Michanek, M. Peeters, B. Pozzo, T. Schomerus, H. Thomas

This timely book focuses on the EU-wide greenhouse gas emissions trading scheme for major sources. It combines legal and economic approaches and reviews the major revision of this scheme. A distinguished range of authors assess the experiences thus far and also consider future development from both theoretical and practical perspectives. They also discuss many design options, including auctioning, credit and trade, the inclusion of aviation emissions, and linking possibilities. Moreover, attention is paid to the role of legal principles, the role of case law, and to aspects of democratic accountability within an emissions trading scheme. Ways to avoid carbon leakage and the role of national climate policies are also discussed. This book makes clear that the economic efficiency and effectiveness of an emissions trading scheme depend to a large extent on the specific legislative choices, and hence the legislative design of such a scheme deserves meticulous attention. Discussing legal and economic aspects of emissions trading, this book offers new insights to academics and policy makers both in the public and private sector. Those insights are not only relevant for understanding the past, but moreover for guiding the future design of emissions trading for greenhouse gases.