Abstract
Both the EU and China are important participants in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol. The EU’s reliance on legally binding rules and institutions demonstrates its strong belief on institutionalism. While interstate cooperation is certainly necessary, implementation of any international agreement and most of the work needs to be done within a state. Henceforth, an uneasy balance between national interests and international responsibility has to be maintained. In the case of EU–China partnership, the carbon aviation tax issue serves as a good example to examine the realist–institutionalist struggle. Although it is still too early to tell if the EU and China would overcome their major disagreements in the field of climate change, there is reason to believe that an international agreement may be reached by 2015.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
BBC News (2012) China ‘blocks Airbus deals’ in EU carbon levy spat. 8 March
BBC News (2013) China agrees $8bn Airbus plane deal. 13 April
Bretherton C, Vogler J (2006) The European Union as a global actor. Routledge, London
Burchell J, Lightfoot S (2001) The greening of the European Union. Sheffield Academic Press, London
Cantle K (2012) Chinese carriers shun EU ETS rules warning; signals retaliation. 17 May. Retrieved 5 November 2012, from http://atwonline.com/international-aviation-regulation/news/chinese-carriers-shun-eu-ets-rules-warning-signals-retaliatio
Chinese Foreign Ministry (2007) Special representative for climate change negotiations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Yu Qingtai receives interview of the media. 22 September. Retrieved 20 October 2009, from http://www.mfa.gov.cn/ce/celt/eng/xwdt/t366696.htm
Chinese Government (2006) Energy consumption major environment concern. 13 April. Retrieved 15 October 2009, from http://www.gov.cn/english/2006-04/13/content_252597.htm
Chinese Government (2007a) National emergency response mechanism tackles climate change. 8 June. Retrieved 15 October 2009, from http://www.china.org.cn/english/environment/213376.htm
Chinese Government (2007b) China’s national climate change programme prepared under the auspices of National Development and Reform Commission. June 2007. Retrieved 20 October 2009, from http://www.ccchina.gov.cn/WebSite/CCChina/UpFile/File188.pdf
Chow GC (2007) China’s economic transformation. Blackwell Publishing, Malden
Clark P, Hook L (2012) China injects vigour into carbon debate. FT 16 May
Commission of the European Communities (2000) Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament: on EU policies and measures to reduce greenhouse gas emission: towards a European climate change programme (ECCP). COM (2000) 88 Final. Brussels. 8 March
Commission of the European Communities (2005) Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: adapting to climate change in Europe—winning the battle against global climate change. COM (2005) 35 Final. Brussels. 9 February
Commission of the European Communities (2007) Green Paper—Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: adapting to climate change in Europe—options for EU action. COM (2007) 354 Final. Brussels. 29 June.
Commission of the European Communities (2008) 20 20 by 2020 Europe’s climate change opportunity. COM (2008) 30 final. Brussels. 23 January
Commission of the European Communities (2009) Working with China in the environment: the role of the European Commission. Brussels
Council of the European Union (2002) Council Decision of 25 April 2002 concerning the approval, on behalf of the European Community, of the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the joint fulfillment of commitments thereafter. OJL 130, 15 May 2002
Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 October 2003 establishing a scheme for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Community and amending Council Directive 96/61/EC. OJL 275. 25 October 2003: 32–46
Directive 2008/101/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 November 2008 amending Directive 2003/87/EC so as to include aviation activities in the scheme for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Community. OJL 8. 13 January 2009: 3–21
Egenhofer C et al. (1998) EU climate change policy after Kyoto. Centre for European Policy Studies Task Force Report. Brussels
EUbusiness (2013) China ‘will not accept’ carbon tax on EU flights: report. 18 May. Retrieved 30 May 2013, from http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/china-india-carbon.ond
Euractiv (2012a) Europe’s airline CEOs blast ‘crazy’ carbon pricing Scheme. 25 May
Euractiv (2012b) EU-Chinese carbon market contacts intensifying. 5 June
European Commission (2009) Demonstrating carbon capture and geological storage (CCS) in emerging developing countries: financing the EU-China near zero emissions coal plant project. Brussels, 25 June. COM (2009) 284 final
European Commission (2013a) Climate action. Retrieved 29 May 2013 from http://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/transport/aviation/index_en.htm
European Commission (2013b) Environmental cooperation. 14 February. Retrieved 6 May 2013, from http://ec.europa.eu/environment/international_issues/relations_china_en.htm
Financial Times (2013) China would gain from carbon caps. 28 May
Flottau J, Perrett B (2012) Tianjin factory set to build additional A320s. Aviat Week Space Tec 25 June
Hale E, Carrington D (2012) EU hails airline emissions tax success. The Guardian 15 May
Harris D (2012) A European gun to the head. Airfinanc J 7 July
Heggelund G (2004) Environment and resettlement politics in China: the Three Gorges project. Ashgate, Hampshire
Hook L (2013) China reveals details of first carbon trading scheme. FT 21 May
Hu J (2009) Hu Jintao’s Speech on Climate Change. The New York Times 22 September
Lan L (2011) China to reduce carbon intensity by 17% by 2015. China Daily 29 July. Retrieved 5 May 2013, from http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2011-07/29/content_13006047.htm
Li J (2008) China issues Post-Kyoto plans on climate change. China Daily 30 October
MacPherson S, Zheng Y (1996) Economic and social development in South China. Edward Elgar Publishing, Cheltenham
Motaal D (2012) Curbing CO2 emissions from aviation: is the airline industry headed for defeat? Clim Law 3(1):1–24, 25
NBC News (2011) European court defies US over airline carbon tax. 21 December
People’s Daily Online (2006) China sets new targets in five-year plan. 8 March. Retrieved 15 October 2009, from http://english.people.com.cn/200603/07/eng20060307_248647.html
People’s Daily Online (2013) Chinese airlines stand firm over EU carbon tax. 20 May. Retrieved 30 May 2013 from http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90778/8250110.html
Point Carbon (2012) China’s draft climate change law backs continuation of CDM projects. 14 May
Rabinovitch S (2012) Chinese airlines refuse EU data request. FT 12 June
Reuters (2012) China buys Boeing 777s, delays Airbus deal. 26 April
Reuters (2013a) Analysis: airline emissions deal may not come before EU deadline. 19 May
Reuters (2013b) UPDATE 1-UN faces uphill battle to reduce global airline emissions. 13 May
Schreurs MA (2004) The climate change divide: the European Union, the United States, and the future of the Kyoto Protocal. In: Norman JV, Michael GF (eds) Green giants? Environmental policies of the United States and the European Union. The MIT Press, Cambridge, pp 207–230
Snyder F (2009) The European Union and China, 1949–2008: basic documents and commentary. Hart Publishing, Oxford
South China Morning Post (2012) Beijing applauds EU freeze on aviation carbon tax. 14 November
Tunteng VM (2012) Legal analysis on the inclusion of civil aviation in the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme. Centre for International Sustainable Development Law. Retrieved 7 November 2012, from http://www.cisdl.org/public/docs/news/CISDL_EU_ETS_Expansion_Legal_Brief.pdf
Valentine K (2013) Bombshell: China may be close to implementing a cap on carbon pollution. 22 May. Retrieved 29 May 2013 from http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/05/22/2047111/china-carbon-cap/
Vidal J, Adam D (2007) China overtakes US as world’s biggest CO2 emitter. The Guardian 19 June
Xinhuanet (2007) China, EU sign joint statement, to jointly face climate change. 3 December. Retrieved 21 October 2009 from http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-12/03/content_7194256.htm
Xinhuanet (2009) China announces targets on carbon emission cuts. 26 November. Retrieved 2 May 2013, from http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-11/26/content_12544181.htm
Zhang M (2011) Zhongguo tuichi kongke dingdan, cheng Oumeng hangkong ‘tanguanzhi’ tanpan chouma [China postponed the orders for airbus, making it bargaining chips for the EU’s ETS]. 21shiji jingji baodao [Twenty-first century economic news] 30 June
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Men, J. Climate change and EU–China partnership: realist disguise or institutionalist blessing?. Asia Eur J 12, 49–62 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10308-014-0373-y
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10308-014-0373-y