The EU Effort Sharing Approach: Allocation and implementation of mitigation efforts among Member States and lessons learnt for Chinese Provinces

Effort sharing, in the EU context, refers to a policy framework, and associated legislation, whereby the EU’s overall emissions reduction target is translated to targets for individual Member States. This paper looks at the EU’s effort sharing approach to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions: how EU-wide emissions reduction targets have been translated to individual Member State targets, what policies have been put in place at the EU and Member State levels to ensure said targets are met, and what have been the results thus far. This examination has been carried out with the view of providing useful lessons for China and its provinces.