This book analyses how sustainability affects internal decision-making within the European Union and its external relations in working towards achieving its long-term goal of a climate-neutral Europe by 2050. Applying the term "European environmental conscience" as the perception of environmental degradation leading to a growing public awareness of the issues, a notion of common responsibility, and European institutions dealing with these growing concerns, the book investigates its emergence as a lever for deeper European integration and in fostering a genuine European identity. Examining policy areas such as green finance, innovation policies, and foreign policy, it reveals the impact these concerns have for other policy fields. This book is of key interest to scholars and students of environmental economics and politics, sustainability governance, green finance, climate policy, energy policy, and more broadly, to European studies and international relations.

This chapter examines the shortcomings of the ICS under CETA and the proposed MIC in safeguarding states’ regulatory autonomy and granting legal standing to third parties affected by foreign investment. The authors propose addressing these issues by introducing investor obligations through ESG clauses and allowing third parties to bring claims for breaches. They also consider potential challenges, including the impact on arbitration efficiency and limitations within public international law.

The aim of this article and the ensuing Special Issue is to assess, après fifteen years, the effects on the EU legal and political system of the overhaul of executive delegated powers inaugurated by the Lisbon Treaty. It also puts forward seven overarching reflections revealing some of the core issues and challenges posed by the current stage of development of the post-Lisbon EU system of delegated powers.