EUROPE 2020 CLIMATE CHANGE POLICY: CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS

Rufus Aisedion Ph.D.

ABSTRACT

The startling rate of biodiversity loss, ever-increasing impacts of climate change, and the economic consumption of natural resources have posed a severe threat to economic and sustainable development. Concerns by developed and developing states in Europe to mitigate the emissions of greenhouse gases resulting from the emission of carbon dioxide emissions and other related environmental threats evolved in the decision of Europe’s 2020 climate change policy. The climate change policy is a calculated attempt to avert the destructive effects of human and natural activities on ecosystems for sustainable development. In carrying out the study, some objectives were examined such as the challenges associated with Europe’s 2020 climate change policy and prospects linked to the policy. The study employed secondary materials such as textbooks, governments reports, the Internet, and institutions reports. Furthermore, the functionalist theory was used as our theoretical orientation for the study. It was revealed that industrial and human activities among others are the causes of global warming. We recommend that for Europe to have sustainable socioeconomic growth, European countries should holistically tackle environmental issues affecting the world without states exercising their own climate change policies.

Keywords: Europe, Climate, Policy, Challenges, Prospects.

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