The All-Time Stepchild : Directions for Climate Policy Development

Tóth, Bettina (2024) The All-Time Stepchild : Directions for Climate Policy Development. In: The 2024 Hungarian EU Presidency. Ludovika Egyetemi Kiadó, Budapest, pp. 273-290. ISBN 9789636530624; 9789636530617; 9789636530631

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Abstract

Climate protection and policy development have been part of the international discourse since the 1970s. In the European Union, however, it was only the first report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 1990 that started the real dialogue. Although the EU institutions are trying to encourage policy development, member states have different views on how to achieve climate protection because of their different geographical, climatic and geopolitical situations. The Presidencies of the Council of the EU have the opportunity to shape policy (and regulation) by channelling their interests based on past achievements and setting the agenda for future ideas. In the 2010–2011 Spanish–Belgian–Hungarian trio, but specifically in Hungary’s programme and achievements, the focus on green policy was rather slight; the policy was mostly driven by energy policy. However, the changes after 2020 in the international environment and discourse have made the field even more prominent, with the European Green Deal and its legal instruments now having a compelling force on aspects such as biodiversity conservation or the development of a circular economy. A holistic approach to policy is essential, as the effects of climate change are felt differently everywhere and therefore require different approaches: Hungary (and the other two members of the trio) must take this perspective into account. This paper examines the policy issues that will be unavoidable for Hungary’s future, both at national and EU level.

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