EU action for burden sharing for adaptation? Susanne Hanger Nordic Adaptation Conference Helsinki, 29-31August 2012

Transcription

1 EU action for burden sharing for adaptation? Susanne Hanger Nordic Adaptation Conference Helsinki, 29-31August 2012

2 Regional exposure to climate change over the medium term (European Commission 2008) Introduction Index based on change in population affected by river floods, population in costal areas below 5m, potential drought hazard, vulnerability of agriculture, fisheries and tourism, taking into account temperature and precipitation changes. 2

3 Burden sharing in the EU? EU budget Asylum seekers Mitigation Adaptation Introduction 4

4 Based on stakeholder s perception of adaptation is there a case for EU action for burden sharing? Question 5

5 Arguments for EU action Collective action and public goods» Cost-benefit rationale (efficiency)» Norm-based rationale (solidarity, equality, putting the most vulnerable first) Approach 6

6 Discourse analysis Discourses shape what can and cannot be thought, they delimit the range of policy options and thereby serve as precursors to policy outcomes. (Hajer and Versteeg 2005) Approach 7

7 Data Stakeholder consultation for the Adaptation Green Paper 190 web submissions 100 written statements 3 Focus groups EU policy makers National level policy makers Researchers (NGOs) Approach 8

8 Qualitative analysis Which adaptation problems are prioritized (European public goods?) Which instruments are proposed (cost-benefit vs. norm based rationales) Which role is attributed to the EU? 9

9 Adaptation problems Water management Biodiversity Ecosystems services Extreme events (Synergies) 10

10 Instruments Mainstreaming Incentives (e.g. EU Structural and Cohesion Funds Insurance I would say most of, maybe all the instruments are in principle available but the only thing is now to use them in a proper way Results 11

11 Instances for EU burden sharing Knowledge sharing Transboundary implications Helping those who cannot help themselves Results 12

12 Barriers Local dimension of adaptation Unsatisfactory definition for vulnerability Attribution What is a unit of adaptation? Results 13

13 Storylines (focus groups) Adaptation is local, we don t need burden sharing Burden sharing yes, but there are too many challenges Solidarity, nothing else matters But why would I finance an adaptation measure in, I don t know, Bulgaria or Hungary when it s not directly beneficial, because that is the actual nature of adaption its local its context specific At least several different hot points and that is so difficult to manage I don t know if it its ever We have to start thinking of it the point of having an EU in some ways is to be solidary [sic!] Discussion 14

14 Storylines (focus groups) Adaptation is local, we don t need burden sharing Burden sharing yes, but there are too many challenges Solidarity, nothing else matters Discussion 15

15 Implications Missing momentum for burden sharing Burden sharing by way of mainstreaming Discussion 16

16 References: Ciscar, J.-C. et al., Physical and economic consequences of climate change in Europe. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(7), pp Dellink, R. et al., Sharing the burden of financing adaptation to climate change. Global Environmental Change, 19(4), pp DG Regio 2008: Regions Dryzek, J.S., The politics of the earth: environmental discourses, Oxford University Press. European Commission, White Paper. Adapting to climate change: Towards a European framework for action. Hajer, M.A., The politics of environmental discourse: ecological modernization and the policy process, Clarendon Press. Hajer, M. & Versteeg, W., A decade of discourse analysis of environmental politics: Achievements, challenges, perspectives. Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning, 7(3), pp Haug, C. & Jordan, A., Burden sharing: distributing burdens or sharing efforts. In A. Jordan et al., eds. Climate change policy in the European Union. confronting the dilemmas of mitigation and adaptation? Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp March, J.G. & Olsen, J.P., Rediscovering Institutions: The Organizational Basis of Politics, Simon and Schuster. Rawls, J., A theory of justice, Harvard University Press. Sen, A., The idea of justice, Harvard University Press. Thielemann, E.R., Between Interests and Norms: Explaining Burden Sharing in the European Union. Journal of Refugee Studies, 16(3), pp Credits: photo1/6 Matteo de Simeone, photo2 ; photo3 photo4 globalwarming-arclei.blgospot.com; photo5 photo7 Rafael, The end 18