The Rise and Evolution of Environmental Politics: A Comparative Study of American and European Approaches.

Abstract

In the past decades, environmental politics acquired a fundamental role in the global political framework, becoming one of the main political, economic and social issues of the twenty-first century. Not only has it become a central feature for public and private sectors, but it also became a core component of the private sphere of many people, in particular in developed areas of the world such as the United States and Europe, whose political approach towards the environment constitutes the focus of this thesis. Citizens and governments of the U.S. and of Europe became increasingly willing to lead a way of life aiming at the limitation of pollution, the preservation of the environment and the use of limited resources. Precisely, this environmental era begun after the end of World War II, where the first regulatory programs in public policy and decision making were initiated and that progressively developed into official institutions and new political parties. Briefly, environmentalism focuses on the preservation of the environment, shifting from destructive capitalist policies to policies fostering a sustainable use of the resources and by drawing attention to individual behavior. Among the causes promoted, activism related to climate change, water and air pollution provoked by greenhouse gas emissions are certainly some of the most relevant. This thesis aims at providing an overview of the emergence of environmental politics and particularly, of the different approaches by which the United States and the European Union handle environmental issues. Several aspects will be taken into account in order to explain the two different responses. A brief historical survey focusing on major transformations of the environment in the Global North will help to understand the origin of environmental awareness in the two continents, therefore leading to the foundations of environmental politics within their respective institutions. Moreover, the respective political systems and institutions will be analyzed, therefore exploring the degree to which they affect the implementation of environmental policy making. Among these, major multilateral environmental agreements and environmental policies implemented by the United States and the European Union will be examined, followed by an analysis of legislations concerning the principle of sustainable development. In addition, a section of this thesis will be dedicated to: climate change policies and the political responses of the U.S. and of the EU to the Paris Agreement of 2015; a study of the environmental impacts of trade with a particular focus on environmental provisions of major free trade agreements put in place or negotiated by the United States and the European Union; and finally the rise in international migration flows to these areas of the world following significant transformations of the environment in the Global South. To conclude, a section of this thesis will be dedicated to non-state actors and their influence on the development of environmental policies, from the rise of environmental movements to the birth of green parties and the relationship between the private sector and the state concerning environmental issues and social responsibility.