International and EU green policies

1
International and EU green policies

• Henrik Riisgaard, Aalborg University

2
Lecturer presentation

• Henrik Riisgaard, Master of Science, AAU
• Main research interests
• Integrated Product Policy, Eco-labels, Green
  public procurement, Eco-Innovation
• External task
• Regional Environmental forum making AAU
  environmental research useful to small Danish
  businesses (network coordination)
• Teaching
• Life Cycle Assessment, Eco-design, Innovation,
  Engineering responsibility, supplementary
  education for professionals

3
The Program
1st Lecture International conventions and policy
institutions (HR) Objective The lecture
introduces the course and the linkages to other
courses. I also provides an overview of
international agreements in the environmental
area. The emphasis is on why some agreements work
and others not. Another part considers the policy
making institutions especially in the EU. 2
The EU environmental policy processes
institutions and instruments (DK) 3 Mobilising
consumption for sustainability using labelling
and public procurement - Background, mechanisms,
procedures, evaluations, impacts and barriers
(HR) 4 Environmental policy strategies with a
life cycle approach - Fora, procedures and access
IPP, ETAP, SCP, governance and lobbying (HR) 5
EU and the regulation of chemicals (SL) 6 EU
regulatory frameworks - the free energy market
(ANA) 7 EU regulatory frameworks - climate
change policies (ANA) 8 To be announced later
(guest lecture)
4
and the purpose

• The course presents the international conventions
  and, especially, the EU policies in the
  environmental and energy areas. The course deals
  with some of the following issues When and why
  do international conventions work? What kind of
  political institution is the EU? How are the
  procedures and policy process of the EU in
  relation to the environmental and energy areas?
  These questions will be discussed in general
  terms as well as through specific examples in the
  environmental and energy areas.

5
Todays program

• International agreements/treaties/conventions
• Garett Hardins The Tragedy of the Commons
• Brief EU intro (History and institutions)

6
Important reference points

• Dorte Kardels institutional overview
• Carla Schminks Market orientation
• Andrew Jamiesons Ecological modernization
• Søren Løkkes four dimensions of power

7
International Environmental Problems

• Environmental problems in
• a technical perspective
• International Environmental
• problems do not respect
• national boundaries
• Neil Carter(2001)
• Environmental problems are characterised by
• Toxicity of substance
• Amount of substance
• Locality of spill/use

Environmental problems in a political
perspective Problems for public goods (Hardin
1968) Common-pool resources Can be
individually appropriated, not purely public good
Ex. Flora and fauna Common-sink resources
Cannot be individually appropriated, purely
public good Ex. Clean air
8
International conventions through United Nations

• Conditions for international cooperation, e.g. a
  green convention
• Existence of sovereign independent
• Political units (e.g. states) with some contact
• Common understanding of the problem
  Acknowledgement of the need to create
  institutional tools and methods to deal with the
  problem Governing via consensus

9
Key Principles in Int. Env. law

• Sustainable Development, Integration and
  interdependence
• Inter-genereational and Intra-genereational
  equity
• Responsibility for transboundary harm
• Transparency, Public Participation and access to
  information and remedy
• Cooperation and common but differentiated
  responsibilities
• Precaution
• Prevention
• Polluter Pays Principle
• Access and benefit sharing regarding natural
  ressources
• Common Herritage
• Good Governance
• Training Manual on International Environmental
  Law , UNEP 2006