Environmental Policy in the Heart of Europe
About the author: Benek Robertson ’20 is an FSI The Europe Center Undergraduate Intern at the Centre for European Policy and LICOS, in Brussels Belgium. Benek is currently a Political Science major at Stanford University.
On a sunny day in Brussels, the scene is striking. When I arrived in the city on a Friday afternoon, it was a sight to take in. Sitting at a café at eight in the evening, with the summer light streaking into the center of Ixelles, groups of threes and fours sit cross-legged in the square. A buzz of French conversation hangs over the crowd sitting elbow to elbow at red metal tables. From time to time, a spurt of English comes filtering through the crowd, then bits of Spanish, German, or something else I can’t quite place. Just past the pavement, swans glide across a large pond ringed by trees and a packed walking path. Brussels feels welcoming, vibrant, and international.
It’s an appropriate setting for my internship, which is focused on problems that cross borders, like air pollution, wastewater management, and carbon emissions. I am working on environmental policy research this summer, and the beginning stages of this summer have focused on learning more about the European Union’s leadership in the area. European environmental policy is an exciting new topic for me because of the region’s reputation for leadership in the field. Reading research papers about the negotiations behind the EU’s ambitious targets for greenhouse gas emissions — a 40% cut by 2030 and a climate-neutral economy by 2050 — helps me better understand the politics behind this progress. While nations like Germany and Sweden push forward with ambitious goals that can even extend beyond EU legislation, places like Poland seek to defend their heavily coal-focused energy portfolio by opposing EU directives. Many debates surrounding the EU’s environmental policy are complex and less straightforward, but the region’s overall efforts are inspiring.
Brussels is the heart of Europe and a great setting to learn more about the region’s environmental ambitions. As a Political Science major, I’ve spent a lot of time studying American politics. In the turbid atmosphere of the United States, there has been no shortage of interesting coursework about our own government’s systems. After three years filled with debates on the electoral college and the nuclear option in the Senate, it is a new challenge to understand the different bodies of the European Union. I’m familiarizing myself with the different decision-making bodies, the differences between regulations and directives, and so much more. Sitting on crowded trains full of Eurocrats only adds to the experience.
Brussels is a varied city, and it has been a treat to learn the ins and outs of a new city in a new country. I’m a Californian who still marvels at the options for public transportation in the region, hopping from train to bus to scooter. My Belgian housemates let me pepper them with questions over coffee; they’ve taught me a lot about the country’s education systems and the best spots to try waffles downtown. And after four years without French classes, I’m slowly picking the language back up. The experience of living in Belgium and researching European environmental policy has been a treat so far, and I’m looking forward to progressing forward in my research.
