16.11.2021
Abstract
Can we achieve climate neutrality in Europe without hindering the quality of European democracies? Is there a correlation between people’s support for GHG emissions reduction and the share of population that sees the EU as democratic? This paper shows that citizens who view the EU, in a larger share, as democratic tend to have a higher support for climate action.
The European Green Deal has set the framework for the European Union to become the first climate neutral continent by 2050. With this ambitious target we need to ask if we can achieve climate neutrality without hindering the quality of the European democracies given the mass-scale transformations in society and economy. This paper aims to tackle the connection between climate action and democracy by looking for correlations between citizens’ support for the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the citizens describing the EU as democratic. In the last part, this paper explores five recommendations for facilitating a just and fair transition that does not undermine the quality of the European democracies.
About the author
Eliza Vaș has been working for the European Institute of Romania since 2014, as an expert in European Affairs. She is the Policy & Strategy Director of the Young Initiative Association. With an academic background in international relations and political science, she is a PhD candidate with the Babeș-Bolyai University. Her research themes include democracy, digital transformation, circular economy, and youth policies.
#climateaction #democracy #greentransition #climatesupport #energydemocratisation
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