Climate policy integration and climate mainstreaming in the EU budget

The EU has championed the integration of climate change objectives into other policy areas through Climate Policy Integration (CPI). CPI emerged in the 2000s, especially in the areas of energy, agriculture and transport policy, as well as in the form of climate mainstreaming into the EU budget from 2014 onwards. Drawing on interviews, document analysis and peer-reviewed literature, this chapter traces the origins of CPI from the related concept of Environmental Policy Integration through various EU flagship policies to the integration of climate objectives into the EU budget, to accelerate the transition to climate neutrality by 2050. It discusses the purpose of CPI as a central cross-cutting policy instrument that goes beyond single-purpose climate policies and evaluates CPI with regards to the factors and framework conditions that determine its effectiveness.