Climate policy integration, coherence and governance

Abstract

It is becoming evident that if high-consumption societies are to tackle climate change, significant changes in production processes as well as in consumption patterns will be required. Such transformations cannot be achieved unless climate change is taken into account in the general and sector-specific policies which underlie economic activity and general social development. When industry, energy producers or transport companies take action as a result of climate policies, they are also influenced significantly by other policies. The degree to which climate change issues are considered and integrated into existing policy areas is therefore a key issue, along with climate-specific measures such as emissions trading. This report assesses the extent of climate policy integration in different European countries, policy sectors and in some cases regions and municipalities. The assessment is based on five criteria: inclusion, consistency, weighting, reporting and resources. The report also analyses measures and means for enhancing climate policy integration and improving policy coherence