Setting countries across the globe on environmentally sustainable paths requires large-scale systemic changes across a range of areas, including energy systems, industrial systems and individual consumption patterns. Public policy plays a fundamental role in inducing such changes. Examples of policy instruments include different combinations of regulations, tax measures and subsidies...
Building a consensus on broader frameworks, metrics and accounts goes beyond simply agreeing on measurement issues: it calls for envisioning the new world we aspire to. Overcoming the addiction to GDP requires a collective commitment to broader well-being and sustainability. As argued in SPES Working Paper 3.3 by researchers from...
“Living well within planetary boundaries” is not just an aspiration but a core vision of the EU. As climate change, biodiversity loss, and ecosystem collapse accelerate, achieving this vision is increasingly urgent. Despite ambitious global frameworks, progress remains uneven. The Sustainable Human Development paradigm offers an integrated approach that balances...
Energy poverty - i.e. a situation in which households are unable to access essential energy services and products - is a key concept of the just and fair transition towards climate neutrality. Over the past decade the European Union has increased its efforts in reducing energy poverty, however they remains...
The European and global institutions have recently developed numerous policies and laws addressing climate change mitigation. The SPES Report 7.1 "The functioning and socio-economic impacts of the EU Emissions Trading System: updated evidence and insights" analyse the functioning and socio-economic impact of a particular climate policy instrument, namely carbon pricing....
