Sustainable Development and Governance in Europe: The Evolution of the Discourse on Sustainability

This book analyses the evolution of the sustainability discourse in the European Union, exploring the conditions necessary for sustainable development to move from a conceptual model into a model for action for strategic decision makers at all levels of governance.

This book questions the extent to which the discourse on sustainability has become embedded into governance structures in Europe. It focuses on the importance of the nature of the language of the political discourse on sustainability and how ideas are communicated amongst the actors and stakeholders in the policy making process, as well as assessing the conceptual, political, institutional and operational barriers apparent across the European geographic region. Drawing case studies from numerous policy areas including climate change, EU emissions trading scheme, renewable energy, nuclear energy, the European integrated energy market, transport mobility, and environmental protection, expert contributors unveil a narrowing of the discourse on sustainability that has taken place in Europe. However, a considerable discontinuity remains between the economic and environmental objectives of sustainable development, and the authors argue that it is essential that conditions for a dynamic discourse, open to multiple participants, are developed.

Sustainable Development and Governance in Europe will be of strong interest to students and scholars of comparative politics, governance, sustainable development and environmental politics and studies.

Pamela M. Barnes is Jean Monnet Chair ‘ad personam’ in European Political Integration, Research Associate at the Centre for European Integration at ESSCA School of Management, LUNAM University, Angers, France; Visiting Fellow at the University of Lincoln, UK, and Visiting Professor at Millersville University, Pennsylvania, USA.

Thomas Hoerber is Associate Professor at the Centre for European Integration at ESSCA School of Management, LUNAM University, Angers, France.