Lucas Bergkamp on the EU's Ineffective Climate Diplomacy

Network member Lucas Bergkamp (Leuven) has a new post at EurActiv on "The EU's ineffective climate diplomacy post-Paris."  In the post, he criticizes the failure to address "the collective action problem that resulted in the Paris Agreement’s huge disparity between collective ambition and individual obligation."  The opening follows; the full post is available here.

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At a meeting last week, the Council adopted conclusions on “European climate diplomacy after COP21.” This self-congratulatory document celebrates the EU’s diplomatic success in Paris and suggests that more of the same will move the climate agenda forward. According to the Council, the EU-led “High Ambition Coalition” could secure “timely signature, swift ratification, and full implementation by all parties of the Paris Agreement.”

There is nothing in the conclusions, however, that could help to resolve the collective action problem that resulted in the Paris Agreement’s huge disparity between collective ambition and individual obligation.