Austerity policy and welfare regimes in the EU: What is the impact on the environment.

摘要

The financial crisis of 2008 began the worst economic downturn in the West since the Great Depression. It spread throughout the world, and hit Europe in the form of a currency crisis. Many states in the West, especially those in Europe, responded to these crises with several economic measures collectively known as austerity. The enactment of austerity on such a broad scale provides an opportunity to study other facets of the international community. One such facet is the environment. The environment is a public good, and a healthy environment requires some form of government assistance to maintain. Since austerity measures involve cuts to government spending and capacity, they should have some measurable effects on environmental indicators. Furthermore, states have previous spending commitments; primarily the welfare apparatus. The structure of the welfare states can have far-reaching effects on both the economy and society. It stands to reason that the structure of the welfare state affects the intensity of the impact of austerity on the environment. This thesis will argue that austerity measures do have an effect on the environment and that the effect is either intensified or mitigated according to the structure of the welfare state.