Context Matters: Variation in the Shortsightedness of European Climate Policy

When governments are faced with long-term issues like climate change, it is often argued that they bias the short term over the long term, leading to inadequate policy responses. However, the shortsightedness of European Union (EU) climate governance has varied over time and between policy areas. This suggests that, under certain conditions, EU policy-makers can formulate policies for the long term. This article examines the shortsighted mechanisms in the decision-making of the European Commission, European Parliament and Council of the EU on two groups of cases: (1) the 2030 Climate Framework and the Fit for 55 Package and (2) the 2014, 2019 and 2023 Regulations on the CO2 emission performance standards for new passenger cars. The article reveals that responsiveness to electoral and interest group concerns differs amongst EU institutions, and depending on the shortsightedness of these concerns, their own shortsightedness may likewise vary.