Time Horizons in International Environmental Policy

Basic data for this project

Description

Which role plays "time" in European climate and fishing policy? Time limits are a significant feature of democratic politics. Thus, political systems and their requirements for sustainable environmental governance are faced with a multidimensional problem: global environmental policy not only demands international cooperation. It also confronts democratic systems with an inter-temporal dilemma. Hence, prompt and sustainable political action is not only demanded normatively facing questions of inter-generational responsibilities, but already when factors like cost-efficiency are embraced. Therefore, cost-benefit calculations and a normative commitment towards sustainability imply both short-term and long-term oriented environmental policies. Thereby the long-term character of sustainable environmental policy and the relatively short time horizon of democratic politics stand vis-à-vis. The research project, funded by the German Research Community (DFG), examines this dilemma, focusing on environmental governance in the European Union, an international player trying to trace a sustainable and global environmental policy in different areas. Despite of the time dilemmas mentioned, the Union seems to be able to capture a leading role in international climate policy. In contrast, the Union's efforts to evolve fishing policies are piteous. To explain this phenomenon in the context of time factors, involving interacting structural and actor-specific aspects of power, is the central research goal of the project. Our research agenda can be divided into a two parted question: firstly, it explores the role and mode of functioning time discourses and time horizons for the formation of political interests. Secondly, we analyze their permanent political implementation by and within institutions in a democratic multilevel system.