Legislative Dynamics of Mitigation and Adaptation Framework Policies in the EU

In this study we examine the adoption of climate framework laws in 20 member states of the European Union (EU) from 1990 until 2015. Our analysis is guided by the following research questions: First, which EU member states have adopted climate change legislation that addresses mitigation, adaptation, or both? Second, do EU countries act coherently or do we observe differences across countries regarding the response strategy or point in time of policies directed towards climate change? Third, comparing mitigation and adaptation frameworks, which approach came first and did it affect the adoption of the respective other? Our findings show that all countries save one (i.e., Hungary) covered in the analysis have adopted framework laws tackling mitigation and/or adaptation to climate change. While we did not observe a coherent pattern with respect to timing or sequence of adaptation and mitigation frameworks, we found that the best predictor of a national government's behavior is the behavior of the governments of other countries. However, the response of EU member states to climate change is less homogenous than one would have expected based on previous literature. In addition, by highlighting that mitigation and adaptation measures are equally prominent, at least within our sample of EU countries, we complement current climate change literature that often places mitigation efforts at the forefront in terms of legislation activity. Future research should examine this issue more closely, as this dynamic is likely to continue since the Paris Agreement gave prominence to adaptation. 欧盟气候减缓和适应框架政策的立法动态 本文检验了1990‐2015年间欧盟20个成员国采用的气候框架法律。研究了下列几个问题: 第一,哪些欧盟成员国采用了减缓气候变化的立法? 哪些采用了适应气候变化的立法? 哪些两者都采用了? 第二, 关于气候变化的应对措施和政策时间点, 欧盟各国的回应是否一致? 第三, 对比减缓框架和适应框架, 哪种措施最先诞生? 它是否影响了对方的采用? 结果表明: 除匈牙利外, 其他欧盟成员国都采用了处理减缓和(或)适应气候变化的框架法律。然而, 本文并未发现减缓和适应框架出现的时间点或顺序存在连贯模式; 本文发现, 预测一个国家的政府行为, 最好的方式是通过观察其他国家的政府行为。然而, 基于以往的文献, 各成员国对气候变化的回应并不如预期那样相同。另外, 通过强调减缓和适应措施的同等重要性, 本文以欧盟国家样本, 对当前把减缓气候变化的立法措施作为主要研究的文献进行了补充。未来研究应更加密切检验适应问题, 因为巴黎协议突出强调了适应的重要性, 该动态很可能持续下去。