To What Extent are the Economic and Environmental Aspects of Climate Change Regulation Actually Balanced?

Abstract

This paper explores current international and EU legal instruments to combat climate change, assessing their efficiency from an environmental and economic perspective. It attempts to decipher whether an obvious imbalance is present in relation to the growth of the economy overshadowing regulations imposed to reduce rapid environmental degradation. In the penultimate section a potential future instrument is considered that may alleviate the climate crisis and conquer the economic and environmental divide. This paper will conclude that the incorporation of business, industry and governments in the implementation of future climate regulation is critical to their success in climate stabilisation through substantial GHG emission reductions or climate modification methods.