Introduction

The introductory chapter sets the scene for the overall volume in four steps. First, it provides some background on EU climate policy and external relations in the context of the global decarbonisation challenge. Second, it discusses how the study relates to and advances four related and evolving literatures on EU climate policy, EU foreign policy and external relations, environment/climate and security, and the geopolitics of energy. Third, the chapter introduces the book’s analytical approach and methodology, including the criteria for the selection of the six case studies that lie at the core of this study. Finally, the introductory chapter provides a short overview of the remainder of the volume (the six case studies on Nigeria, Indonesia, Azerbaijan, Colombia, Qatar, and Canada, and the concluding chapter).