Nice CRS two-pager InFocus report (26 May 2020) by Kezee Procita, Kristin Archick and Jane A. Leggett: EU Climate Action and Implications for the United States.
Click on the graphics to enlarge them.
Download CRS_Report_EU_Climate_Actions_Impl_USA_26May2020
European Union: A Key Actor
The European Union (EU) has sought to play a leading role on international climate action for decades. The EU and the United States worked closely to negotiate the 2015 Paris Agreement (PA) to combat greenhouse gas (GHG)-induced climate change. The EU opposed President Trump’s 2017 decision to withdraw the United States from the PA. The current 27-member EU and the United Kingdom (UK)— which withdrew from the EU in January 2020—remain committed to the PA and to more robust climate action. Although the U.S. withdrawal is scheduled to take effect in November 2020, some Members of Congress are interested in the possible geostrategic and economic implications of climate change and mitigation efforts. (Table 1 compares selected U.S. and EU GHG emissions indicators.)
Cutting to the chase...
Implications for US - EU Relations
EU efforts to step up its climate action policies and elements of the proposed European Green Deal may exacerbate tensions in broader U.S.-EU relations. The EU has pledged that it will not conclude future free-trade agreements with countries that are not parties to the PA, creating another potential friction point in already fraught U.S.-EU trade talks. Some analysts suggest that possible EU carbon border adjustments could increase costs for U.S. firms doing business in Europe. U.S.-EU frictions also may mount if a perceived lack of U.S. engagement and cooperation on climate issues impedes the EU’s ability to convince other countries to pursue more robust GHG-mitigation measures. (Also see CRS In Focus IF10668, Potential Implications of U.S. Withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, by Jane A. Leggett.)
Enjoy!
"Whatever doesn't kill you only postpones the inevitable." - Unknown
Comments
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.