This title was first published in 2000. Using the latest surveys and original data, this volume contrasts energy and environmental policies in Western and Eastern Europe. In doing so, it provides an overview of European environmental regulation as a whole and suggests how best developments in the mature market economies of the West may be adapted for the transition economies of the East.
Environmental and energy policies have become increasingly significant in European and North American politics. This fascinating book uses a wide range of case studies that embrace climate change, product standards, chemical regulations, renewable energy policies, food safety and genetically-modified organisms to examine areas of conflict and cooperation in the transatlantic relationship. While there are many areas where the European Union and the United States are following divergent policy paths, there are also many signs that a more cooperative transatlantic relationship could emerge in the future. Transatlantic Environment and Energy Politics is highly relevant to understanding how the European Union and North America can cooperate more effectively in meeting today's many global environmental and energy policy challenges. It is essential reading for all advanced students and scholars.
One of the consequences of the post-socialist transformation of Eastern and Central Europe and the Former Soviet Union is the emergence of energy poverty, a condition where households are living in inadequately heated homes. This book provides the first full-length examination of the causes, consequences and patterns of energy poverty in former Communist countries. Based on empirical evidence that spans different spatial contexts and scales and compares these with other parts of the world, the book links household-level deprivation with broader organizational and political dynamics. The book also analyzes the lived experiences of scarcity and marginalization with the aid of two in-depth country studies. Furthermore, it identifies the socio-demographic factors that distinguish energy-poor families from the rest of the population, while stressing the need for a comprehensive range of policy tools to address energy poverty. As the issue of energy supply from the former Soviet Union is likely to become one of the most important economic and political problems across the whole of Europe within the next couple of decades, the book argues that there is a direct link between the energy crises experienced by the region, and the social aspects of energy use in households.
Assesses and contrasts the roles of globalisation, institutions and ideas on policy-making in the EU Views the creation of liberalised European single markets in the telecommunications and electricity supply sectors out of national monopolies as an example of the dramatic transformation of economic organisation across Europe in the last twenty years Connects micro policy-making processes in two industrial sectors to macro international political economy Covers the period from the mid 1980s, when the single market came on the agenda, through the liberalising initiatives in the 1990s to the new regulatory framework in communications in 2002 and the 2003 directive on the full liberalisation of electricity by 2007 Will be of interest to anyone studying globalisation, European integration and policy-making, regulation and policy in utility sectors.
With regulation seeking to foster competition at the same time as also having to protect essential services, the authors investigate regulatory styles, costs of new regulatory functions and how firms in the new regulatory landscape access and influence regulatory authorities. The authors consider how EU pressures may hinder or help the functioning of new regulatory markets and the establishment of business-regulator relationships, as well as the broader policy implications for these new regulatory environments. The book also determines how regulatory authorities emerge and evolve under different state traditions and assesses, over time, the degree to which there is potential for convergence, divergence and continued differences as regulatory functions mature.
How and why do policies change? The author addresses this question by examining the renewable electricity policies of five European countries (Belgium, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK) over the last thirty years. Employing a comparative approach that is qualitative yet consistent and rigorous, she describes how these countries' policies changed over time, whether incrementally or comprehensively, and shows how those changes may be explained, citing political, economic, social, and technological factors.
IBSS is the essential tool for librarians, university departments, research institutions and any public or private institution whose work requires access to up-to-date and comprehensive knowledge of the social sciences.
Renewable energy has enjoyed relatively good - and sometimes extraordinary - growth in recent years, in particular photovoltaics and wind; but it will be difficult to sustain such rates of diffusion on a global basis. A more complete transition to renewable energy is required on a demanding timescale set by climate change and fossil fuel depletion. This book analyses strategies for promoting renewable energy within the context of a rapid energy transition, using case studies from different countries over the past 30 years. Having described the global context in detail, covering oil and gas depletion, climate change, third world development and the potential for renewable energy, the authors evaluate support mechanisms at national and international levels, offering readers a clear understanding of the regulatory framework and an opportunity to promote renewable energy effectively. This book offers energy policy makers, renewable energy professionals, energy consultants and students a platform for development and an invaluable research text. Contributing authors include: Jorg Schindler and Werner Zittel, Ludwig Bohlkow-Systemtechnik, Germany; Ian Rowlands, University of Waterloo, Canada; Giulio Volpi, WWF Europe; Kristian Hvitfelt Nielsen, Aarhus University, Denmark; Staffan Jacobsson, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden; Peter Connor, University of Warwick, UK; Ole Langniss, Centre of Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research in Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany; Ryan Wiser, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, US; David Elliott, The Open University, UK; and Frede Hvelplund, Aalborg University, Denmark
Global warming is a serious threat to the stability of world climate and to economic prosperity in some regions. The book offers a theoretical analysis which focuses on double dividend issues. Moreover, the ecological tax reform in Germany and the options of modern energy policy are described and evaluated. The volume presents innovative model simulations and analyzes, in the context of the model, the benefits of a modified tax reform, based on a Schumpeterian approach. Finally, implications for the European Union and other countries are discussed.
