All it Takes is Political Will ? Governments and the Adoption of Climate Regulations

This paper explores why and how elected governments in both majoritarian and consensual political systems adopt “hard” climate policies—such as command-and-control instruments and regulatory measures—despite the political risks involved. While prominent studies suggest that stringent climate policies are more likely when political institutions can shield governments from electoral backlash and facilitate compensation for cost-bearing groups, I propose an additional mechanism explaining the adoption of regulatory climate policies: the access of climate policy entrepreneurs to key executive positions, where they can negotiate their policy preferences into adopted measures. These actors strategically adapt their policy approaches to their political system's institutional opportunities and constraints. To illustrate this argument and thanks to 74 in-depth interviews with policymakers, I trace the political processes that led to two significant regulatory reforms in the building sector: Germany’s 65 per cent renewable energy requirement for heating systems, included in the 2023 reform of the Building Energy Act (Gebäudeenergiegesetz), and France’s 2021 adoption of minimum energy performance standards for rentals, as part of the Climate and Resilience Law (Loi Climat et Résilience). This study sheds new light on how political institutions—through their mix of formal and informal rules—affect policy outcomes: they shape the access of climate policy entrepreneurs to key executive roles, ultimately influencing their strategies and their ability to transform policy preferences into adopted legislation.