European climate policy in 2020. At the crossroads between leadership aspirations and struggles to put promises into practice

Climate change has become a major political concern for many people. There has been a lot of talk and no lack of calls for action. But to what extent does the world, and particularly Europe, also do the walking? Where do we stand with regard to meeting our long-term climate goals? Charlotte Unger is Research Associate at the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies in Potsdam, Germany. She is a specialist in national and international climate policy and, as a participant in several climate conferences, has first-hand experience of the negotiations over climate action. She analyses the aspirations and what the challenges are to achieve them, also zooming in on the role the EU has played and can play in the future to ensure that words become reality...within the deadlines pledged.