European Energy Studies, Volume XVI: Achieving Carbon Neutrality

The decarbonisation of our economies and societies is the biggest challenge of our time and requires changes to our way of life of an unprecedented scale. Whether or not humanity, and the European Union with its claim to lead the transition, will succeed, is not least a matter of a good governance. The governance of the Green Deal will make the difference between good intentions

and actual achievements. The transformation in Europe is of an unprecedented complexity as it involves a multitude of stakeholders and instruments, several layers-including the European, the national, and the local-and a historic segregation in sectors such as energy, transport, industry, etc. Following the example set by the Paris Agreement, the European Union has been trying to move to more holistic policy-making based on targets and plans. On the EU level, the Green Deal ratchets up the level of ambition and adds new elements to the governance toolbox, while other players such as the Member States, global powers, civil society, or the private sector make their own inroads into the great transition. The social dimension, commonly referred to as the just transition, will play an ever increasing role.



This book will prove an invaluable guide for understanding the policy and governance of the European transition towards net-zero decarbonisation. Based on the development of European energy policy, with its historic focus on market liberalization and integration, it will explain and evaluate the targets, instruments, and stakeholders relevant for the achievement of this goal. The author is Chairholder of the Iberdrola Manuel Marin Chair for European Energy Policy at the College of Europe, as well as Deputy Director and Legal Counsel at the Secretariat of the Energy Community.