Introduction.- Part I From the top down.- Cooperation on issues of Common Concern and Public Goods.- Linking International Trade to Climate Change and Energy.- Using Trade Agreements to Achieve Sustainability: A Counter-Intuitive Conundrum.- Trading Sustainable Energy.- Part II From the bottom up.- Decentralization and Empowering the Citizen.- Smart Grids and Empowering the Citizen.- Practical Applications of Decentralized Energy in the EU.- Innovation, Research, and Technology.
Rafael Leal-Arcas is the Jean Monnet Chaired Professor of European and International Economic Law at Queen Mary University of London, holds the first ever Jean Monnet Chair in EU International Economic Law awarded in the UK by the European Commission, and is the Director of Research at QMUL's Centre for Commercial Law Studies (CCLS). He teaches, and is the convenor of, the courses International Economic Law; Trade, Climate Change and Energy: EU and international perspectives; International Trade and Investment Law of the EU; as well as the External Relations Law of the European Union in the LLM programme. In addition, he teaches International Investment Law and Policy and Climate Change Law and Policy in the LLM programme.
This book explores links and synergies between international trade and two of the most urgent challenges of the 21st century: achieving sustainable energy (i.e., energy that is affordable, secure, and clean) and mitigating climate change. It takes the unique approach of not only examining how international trade can help achieve energy and climate goals, but also the impact of emerging tools and technologies such as smart grids and demand response, and the potential role and impact of citizens and prosumers. The book analyzes energy- and trade-related regulations in a range of jurisdictions to assess how conducive the regulation is towards achieving sustainable energy, and identifies gaps and overlaps in the existing legal framework.