National Climate Policy Ambitiousness: A Comparative Study of Denmark, France,Germany, Norway, Sweden and the UK

Abstract

This report explores how and to what extent the climate policies of Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden and the UK can be called ‘ambitious’. Relevant EU climate policies are also presented. The report develops three dimensions of ambitiousness: Market, Minimizing Societal Costs, and Technology Development. The climate policy portfolios of the six countries are ranked along these three dimensions, with three sets of specific criteria. Four climate policy areas are examined: emissions-reductions targets, emissions regulations, renewable energy policies and energy-efficiency policies. Applying different criteria for measuring level of ambition results in radically different rankings for the countries studied. The UK and Germany perform best with respect to technology development, with Denmark in second place and France on third. Norway is best as regards minimizing the social costs while Sweden ranks highest on the market dimension