2.2.1 Equal access, unequal voice Business and NGO lobbying on EU climate policy Anne Therese Gullberg1
The European Union (EU) has for quite some time been considered an agendasetter in climate policy internationally. In 2007 it adopted three important climate policy aims that came to be known as the ‘20–20–20’ targets: reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent compared to 1990 levels; increase the share of energy from renewable sources to 20 per cent; and enhance energy efficiency by 20 per cent – all to be achieved by 2020. The reputation of the EU’s vanguard climate policies was dented somewhat during the Copenhagen negotiations in 2009, however, when EU leadership was overshadowed by other players.
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Nonetheless, the fact remains: the EU is one of the most important forums for climate policy-making, with a far-reaching impact on the dynamics of international negotiations and national debates in other countries. 2 Risks associated with undue influence by vested interests on EU climate policies can therefore ripple out and slow down action elsewhere. An examination of EU policy-making is therefore imperative for a full understanding of the challenges of accountable climate policy-making in the global system. How real are such risks of undue influence on EU decision-making? A number of factors shape this assessment.
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