In this century, among the gravity of problems that sometimes are one step ahead of us, climate change is standing boldly, casting a dark shadow on all of us as co-habitants on the earth. With this lens, liberalism is a prism that allows us to view and be able to grasp humanly the difficulties encountered during the process of environmental governance and sustainable development. This paper focuses on how liberal theory is implemented in the global environmental governance field, with a relevant focus on identifying the role of this approach in the EU climate policies. While debunking the core principles of liberalism on climate change and evaluating the relevance of these principles to the EU’s strategies on climate change, this project aims to prove the efficiency of a liberal understanding of the complex dynamics of international environmental agreements and the implementation of environmental policies. Within the context of climate change, liberal values should be governed by the idea of stimulating inventions, prizing environmentally conscious practices, and building up the capacity of different actors to collaborate to achieve a goal. These principles form the rudiment of the EU climate policy that strives for environmental sustainability at the highest level through cutting-edge carbon emission reduction goals, significant investments in renewable sources, and collaboration within the operational framework of the Paris Agreement (Zito et al., 2020).
The European Union is the forerunner among multilateral frameworks and environmental management initiatives, functioning as an outstanding case study on the involvement of liberal principles in climate governance. Via supranational mechanisms like the European Commission and parliamentary agencies like the European Parliament, the EU has made a rigorous legislative framework of enactments to limit climate change impacts while creating economic and social welfare. The climate policies of the EU, from carbon reduction payments to subsidizing renewable energy resources, and the way the EU strives for equilibrium, that is, uniting economic and environmental requirements, are the embodiment of a liberal ethos. From this point onward, the EU’s leadership in late-night diplomacy to the crusade of liberal ideas in world politics is naturally part of its ideology (Morin et al., 2020). Such an approach not only proves that liberalism can be efficient when talking about transnational issues but also reveals how the issue of environmental conservation is a constituent part of the stability of world politics (Wallace et al., 2020). This paper aims to reveal the interwoven connection between liberalism and climate governance in the European Union, which is used as a fundamental tool by the EU in combination with the critical problem of our time – climate change – that is addressed. Through a comprehensive look at policy structures, knowing why they are effective and how they can be improved, this text will show the ongoing importance of liberalism in current global environmental governance efforts. It will advocate for a more sustainable future for all by highlighting the role of liberalism in shaping the complex landscape of global environmental governance.
Liberalism stands for so much more than just a collection of political ideas about how the state should function; rather, it embodies this complicated ideology that includes all rights, fundamental beliefs about individual rights, free markets, and international cooperation. These concepts are illustrative and are enforced in their fundamentals in many multinational organizations, even in the field of global environmental governance, where for sustainable development and prosperity to exist, peace has to be a key facet. The European Union (EU), the world leader in liberal values, demonstrates how environmental policies, when communicated through the liberal lens, are capable of tackling the imminent danger of a changing climate (Ghosh, 2020). For the foundation, the liberal ecology defends the idea that the rational actor (whether the state, international organizations, or non-state actors) can manage the environmental matter effectively by cooperating with the other parties involved. However, the EU makes clear the principle by the values it holds dear, admirably manifested in actions like the design of the European Green Deal, a multidimensional strategy aiming at carbon and climate neutrality by 2050. With the help of market instruments, technological innovations, and a heavy regulatory process, the EU will endeavor to create a new economy that will tackle climate change and greenhouse emissions while maintaining an increase in economic growth and the welfare of the people.
Additionally, according to the liberals, the main responsible factor for the emergence of cooperation and solving the collective action problems is institution building. In the context of global warming, correspondence sites like the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) create discussion stages and inspire agreements on emissions mitigation modeling. The EU’s stellar progress in acting as a lead player at the UNFCCC demonstrates its leadership in multilateralism, which is crucial in the resolution of global environmental problems.
Besides, Liberal thinking puts international law and norms in the forefront of the way jurisdictions are perceived as well as encourages cooperation. EU’s commitment to maintaining agreements on the environment, like those of Paris, is a symbol of its strength of mindset in the behavior of responsibility and amicability toward the environment. Under the endorsement and enactment of the Paris Agreement, the EU displays a model for the rest of the world and stresses that effective multilateralism is the only way through which global climate change can be tackled (Baylis, 2020).In addition to that, liberalism holds in high regard that environmental problems are not isolated as they are interlinked with the broader economy and society. European Union uses equity, justice, and sustainable development and relates concepts together as principles to define its climate change policy, which reflects the holistic approach. In this context, the European Social Fund and the Just Transition Fund have been among the measures that the European Union embraces to ensure that green economy transition endeavors do not lead to social exclusion and inequality by tackling the displacement of jobs and income inequalities while building the adaptability to the vulnerable communities.
The EU is not the only contributor to a liberal view of environmental governance; all over the world, this liberal approach is still being employed in global efforts to combat the effects of environmental degradation. The expanding understanding of societal problems as international commons theorizes reciprocity and fairness that is sovereign to liberalism, which ensures the preservation of these shared resources. Besides the countries, non-liberal forces, such as the non-state actors, also have contributed to achieving liberal environmentalism. Civil society organizations, research institutions, and multinational corporations are very critical sources of capability and funding in educating the public on sustainability and the protection of the environment. Partnerships and collaborators bring different actors, and they make governmental undertakings and economic aspirations realized through diverse means (Savu, 2021).
Additionally, technology is the primary tool of aggressive environmentalism, and its instruments are innovation and efficiency used in soil management and neutralization. The use of renewable energy sources, which include solar and wind power, provides a viable option to fossil energy, the majorsource of carbon, enabling a process of decarbonization and an improvement in the stability of the energy supply. Sustainable management of water, novel agricultural practices, and waste recycling present a great potential to deal with the dearth of natural resources and enhance living standards. Further, the liberal environmental theory acknowledges education and public awareness as vital elements that contribute to the development of a society based on environmental stewardship and sustainability (Kulin et al., 2021). Notable environmental education programs, mass communication campaigns, and public awareness initiatives constitute a backbone in raising people’s awareness about the environment, inspiring them to internalize the cause, and mobilizing their support around the policy measures needed to protect the environment.
Liberal environmentalism is a broadly defined approach to tackling the key problems of the natural establishment on the basis of principles of individual liberty, free markets, and internationalism. European involvement in the European Green Deal announcement and active participation in significant forums like the UNFCCC demonstrate how liberal order principles are being used to come up with solutions to the climate change problem. Liberal environmentalism advances the cause of adjusting ecological balance, economic growth, and social welfare through the intertwining of the concepts of justice, equity, and sustainable development to assist in the attainment of their elusive goal of safeguarding the environment and improving the welfare of the people (De Buck & Hosli, 2020) Superimposing this to the effect of liberal environmentalism across the globe in the formulation and implementation of policy and practice; therefore, we must examine instances where the liberal principles have been put into practice and the obstacles encountered on the way. Europe’s Energy Strategy, in particular, is a characteristic example of the EU’s ambitious move to set its environmental aspirations regarding economic growth issues and individual rights of the trade bloc. However, when the policy measures are lined up to be implemented, they often face resistance from stakeholders, and it is imperative to maintain a balanced co-existence of multiple stakeholders (Ghosh, 2020).
The effort of international bodies to ensure that states resolve their disparities in a diplomatic way rather than in battles cannot be underestimated. Although the UNFCCC and others drawings platforms to meet, negotiate, and share ideas, their limitations always arise because they cannot enforce compliance and the free rider problem. Thisclearly calls for creative ways to initiate participation and to make sure that the share of the burden is equitably distributed to different countries (Kaufman, 2022). The most important feature of the environmental problems and the way they connect to the social and economic issues is that a global approach is a must. Climate change mitigation measures, therefore, should have a framework that carefully evaluates the disparities in their effects on the vulnerable classes of people and, consequently, adopts such solutions that focus on increasing social and economic equity and justice. It is not only the area of policymaking that should be affected by that but also the patterns of societal norms and behaviors and the culture that should approach environmental issues responsibly and collaboratively.
Government action aside, the role of non-governmental actors, such as civil society, business, and academia global players, is given an appreciable role in the cut of the progress toward sustainability. Social actors usually show a lot of flexibility, knowledge, and resources, which become crucial tools for trying new measures and proposals that can address environmental problems. The partnership between various governments and private sectors with civil society will multiply impact and significantly increase the scope of the program where the same methods have already proven effective. Technology is also taking a leading role in the growth of the eco-sustainable sector, where it serves as a tool to protect the environment, decrease resource demand, and increase the adoption of environment-friendly energy sources (Sørensen et al., 2022). The overarching achievement of liberal environmentalism heavily relies on political enthusiasm, collective action, and an inherent justice that is interwoven with the notions of equity, justice, and sustainability. Nevertheless, being able to attain a sustainable and resilient world hinges on tremendously challenging aspects, but the multiple gains are undoubtedly worthwhile. By using the points that are proposed by liberal theory in favor of an approach that utilizes the powers of working together for sustainable development, the future can be assured for those who live now and in the future.
The use of liberal theory in this aspect is quite irreplaceable, not only for the clear perception of ecological problems but also for so-called climate change, which is a pressing issue today. Liberalism grounds its underlying premise on cooperation and the establishment of institutions. In addition, emphasis is put on adherence to international environmental regimes, laying down a significant foundation for tackling ecological issues and implementing conservation policies. One can learn a lesson from the EU’s climate change policy because it illustrates how liberal concepts formulate and contribute to environmental progress at the regional and national levels. Therefore, it appears equally important to remember the fundamental deficiencies in the approach of liberalism as a whole in its comprehensive dealing with environmentalism problems. Critics point out that a liberal agenda typically teams up with market mechanisms where the question of neglect of deep and transformative changes required to address the root problems of ecological degradation can arise.
Additionally, the tendency towards state autonomy and self-preservation might eventually wire the cooperation system, which may prevent the implementation of strict measures to stop environmental damage. Notwithstanding this, liberalism stands as the basis in the theoretical perspective for solving global environmental problems. Liberal theory develops models of cooperation, sets the framework, and promotes the application of norms in these efforts, ensuring that there is structure to the complicated process of environmental governance and that the initiatives are led in the right direction of sustainability and equity. In the quest to cope with the more and more prevailing developments of global warming, the instruments offered by liberalism will always retain their preeminent value in developing practical solutions and fostering responsible handling of the environment on the international level.What is left to us is to use liberal values as our lighthouse to show the way to policies that will create non-discriminating and inspiring programs for protecting the environment. Through the formation of enhanced cooperation efforts among the countries, international organizations must coordinate to enable a collective response to the multidimensional challenges caused by climate change. Generally, bringing liberal principles into the forming of the policy allows for the creation of different options that are coming out on top due to the fact that they balance economic interests with ecological ones, at the same time providing an opportunity for human societies to coexist with their natural surroundings. Here, liberalism only serves as a medicine without having a complete cure. Still, the principles it put forward could be used as a dish that is necessary for managing the complexity of environmental governance and making positive increments toward sustainable development.
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