ABSTRACT
Climate change is an environmental problem that is very different from the more traditional areas of pollution, such as water, waste or air quality. As part of the new post-war world order, the European nations strongly supported the creation of multilateral institutions, known as the 'Pax Americana'. In the field of environmental protection, the United Nations (UN) has been the preferred forum for discussing issues related to trans-boundary pollution. In 2011, the European Commission therefore produced a Low Carbon Roadmap and an Energy Roadmap to flesh out the perspective through to 2050. The low-carbon transition provides a major opportunity for Europe's manufacturing industry, provided it succeeds in maintaining and enhancing its technological edge. Energy efficiency will continue to play an important role in meeting all objectives of European Union (EU) energy policy. EU climate policy basically started as part of environmental policy, which had a sound legal basis established by the Single European Act, which entered into force in 1987.
