The European Union plays a key role in promoting the achievement of climate targets globally
The European Green Deal, a new programme published around last Christmas, strives to make Europe the world’s first climate neutral continent by 2050. According to Professor Sebastian Oberthür, the programme is an important step forward in putting the climate and energy transition front and centre in European politics.
“The goal of this ambitious programme is to develop policies towards climate neutrality by 2050 across all relevant policy fields. To achieve this goal, the programme will need to be developed further over the coming years – and most importantly: it will need to be implemented and filled with life.”
Sebastian Oberthür started as Professor of Environmental Policy and Law at the University of Eastern Finland in the beginning of 2020. He has several years of experience in working on the development and implementation of various environmental agreements and international environmental institutions, as well as climate policies. His research, on the other hand, focuses on the international and European governance of the climate and energy transition. In particular, he has studied how interaction between different levels of governance and between national and sub-national policies can help in the achievement of climate neutrality world-wide.
According to Oberthür, this requires the formation of a coalition by countries that have highly ambitious climate targets.
The EU has an essential role to play in building this coalition and reaching out to key partners such as China, India and Japan,” Oberthür points out.
Alongside the UN, initiatives taken by governments and private actors provide important fora for promoting the achievement of climate targets.
Geopolitical situation was reflected on the Madrid climate summit
As a researcher and policy advisor, Oberthür has followed several international environmental negotiations closely, including the negotiating processes on the protection of the ozone layer and the climate negotiations. According to him, the setting of the Madrid climate summit in December 2019 was difficult due to the geopolitical situation.
“Different countries have very diverse national interests – think of the lack of support for climate policy in key countries such as the US, Brazil and Australia. The time was perhaps not ripe to make the necessary leap forward in Madrid.”
According to Oberthür, the Centre for Climate Change, Energy and Environmental Law, CCEEL, at the University of Eastern Finland, is already conducting crucial research on effective, fair and economically viable climate policy. The CCEEL comprises researchers and other experts representing climate change, energy, natural resources and environmental law.
“I am excited that I will have the chance to help advance this research at UEF and thereby hopefully inform policy-making for the climate transition.”
Photos available for download at
https://mediabank.uef.fi/A/UEF+Media+Bank/35805?encoding=UTF-8
https://mediabank.uef.fi/A/UEF+Media+Bank/35804?encoding=UTF-8
For further information, please contact: Professor Sebastian Oberthuer, puh. +32-477-841-654, sebastian.oberthuer(at)vub.be
Sebastian Oberthür
- Professor of Environmental Policy and Law, 1 January 2020–
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PhD, Free University Berlin 1995
Major roles
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Professor for Environment and Sustainable Development, Institute for European Studies, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 2015–
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Academic Director, Institute for European Studies, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 2005–2015
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Assistant Professor for International Relations, Otto-Friedrich-University Bamberg, 2001–2005
- Member of various editorial and advisory boards of major journals such as Global Environmental Politics, International Environmental Agreements, Climate Law
- Observer and policy advisor in the international climate negotiations since 1991
- Member of the Compliance Committee of the Kyoto Protocol, 2005–2013