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The EU in the World Summit on Sustainable Development

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The European Union and Multilateral Governance

Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in European Union Politics ((PSEUP))

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Abstract

The three major global environmental conferences that have taken place under the auspices of the United Nations (UN) since 1972 have embedded the concept of sustainable development into policy debates (Bruyninckx, 2005). To an important extent, we have seen the EU1 develop as a global environmental actor and then try to shape the global debates about sustainable development. At previous summits, notably the Earth Summit in Rio in 1992, the EU was identified as a leading protagonist in the development and support for the Kyoto Protocol on climate change and acknowledging a broader environmental commitment to prevent major damage to the environment and ensure sustainable development (CEC, 2001). Such significant progress has resulted in suggestions that the EU is fast becoming ‘a surprisingly effective international environmental actor, even aspiring to leadership’ (Vogler, 1999, p. 24).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Senior Lecturer in European Politics, University of Leeds, UK

    Simon Lightfoot (Director)

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  1. Simon Lightfoot
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© 2012 Simon Lightfoot

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Lightfoot, S. (2012). The EU in the World Summit on Sustainable Development. In: The European Union and Multilateral Governance. Palgrave Studies in European Union Politics. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230375918_12

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