Parker et al. - Assessing the European Union

Question 1

What was the EU’s first attempt to establish itself as a climate leader?

Answer 1

In 2001, when they managed to round up enough followers for the Kyoto Protocol

Question 2

When did the EU badly fail as a leader?

Answer 2

At the COP15 in Copenhagen (2009)

Question 3

What result made the Paris Agreement a success?

Answer 3

• Long term ambitious mitigation goal
• Nationally determined pledges to reducing GHG emissions
• Requiring countries to update their national climate plans

Question 4

What was unsuccessful about the Paris Agreement?

Answer 4

• Caps on emissions are not binding and will result in 2.7°C warming or more
• Text on decarbonization was removed
• No date when fossil fuel use should end
• Little financial support for developing countries

Question 5

What are the four modes of leadership?

Answer 5

1. Structural
2. Idea-based
3. Directional
4. Instrumental
   → EU has been utilizing all four models

Question 6

What is meant with Structural leadership?

Answer 6

The capacity to take actions, deploy power-resources, set incentives
→ E.g. in Kyoto; Less successfully prior to Copenhagen

Question 7

What is meant with Idea-based leadership?

Answer 7

Problem naming and framing, agenda setting efforts and discovering and proposing of joint solution
→ COP15 in Copenhagen

Question 8

What is meant with Directional leadership?

Answer 8

Leading by example and demonstrating the feasibility, value and supremacy of specific policy prescription
→ COP15 in Copenhagen

Question 9

What is meant with Instrumental leadership?

Answer 9

An actor’s ability to promote the forming of coalitions, solve negotiation problems and build bridges
→ After Copenhagen building bridges with US and China; Key to negotiation strategy at COP21 in Paris

Question 10

Is the EU recognized as a climate leader?

Answer 10

• No single, undisputed leader, rather a fragmented leadership landscape with three leadership candidates (US, China, EU)
• EU lost leadership after Copenhagen; US and China were in the forefront, the EU had its comeback with the Paris agreement

Question 11

Which leadership strategies have borne fruit?

Answer 11

Structural: unsuccessful at COP15 (China and US more successful)
Idea-based: successful at UNFCCC
Directional: not successful at COP15
Instrumental: not successful at COP15; successful at Kyoto protocol and COP21