In this task we map and explore major driving forces that will be decisive for developing a European climate policy that may determine the fate of global climate policy, and how these driving forces should affect the design of European climate strategy. Examples of driving forces supplementary to international climate policy are the initiatives of a number of firms and industrial federations to play an active role in climate policy, the climate policy activity by American states (that is likely to affect federal policy in the USA), and the signs of a more active climate policy stance by China and other developing countries. Other drivers that could be included in the analysis are air pollution policies that overlap with climate policy, concerns for energy supply reliability (particularly oil imports from Gulf States), and sustainable development policies.  

Europe must develop its climate policy strategy further in a situation where a number of countries are likely to be skeptical to ambitious mitigation programs for greenhouse gases. In order to reach a wide consensus on a more ambitious climate policy Europe must identify channels and approaches that are attractive also to countries that are most hesitant. In this task we explore possible strategies in this regard building on flexibility and sensitivity to national circumstances, further development and linking of flexible mechanisms, collaboration on technology development and dissemination, and sector-based climate policy.
 
Finally, we seek to identify climate policy strategies for Europe that build on the various driving forces and at the same time are attractive to countries that are important for global climate policy but hesitant to moving forward with an ambitious climate policy. In the best case there are synergies between the two perspectives of supplementary driving forces and interests of countries that could make a climate policy strategy more robust and thus likely more successful.