The Europeanization of the Renewable Energy Directive in France and the United Kingdom

Abstract

The European Union’s (EU) Renewable Energy Directive (RED) establishes a renewable energy target of 20 per cent by 2020, with binding national targets allocated to each member state. The RED is an important component of the EU's longer-term ambition to reduce greenhouse gas emission by at least 80 per cent by 2050. However, implementation of the Directive has been uneven across the 28 member states, potentially undermining the EU’s long-term objectives and its claims to international climate leadership. This thesis examines the Europeanization of the RED in France and the UK with a specific focus on the electricity sectors of the two countries. It compares the implementation of the renewabl..