Journée du Gerpisa

Drawing on his doctoral work on the making of emission standards in Sweden, and inscribing the analysed case into the European context, Näsman provides us with valuable inputs that can enrich the broader debate on environmental regulations, on the current Green Deal and on a Just Transition in the automotive industry.

He traces the historical trajectory that led Sweden from the first serious discussions on environmental standards in the 1960s to the approval of European emission regulations based on the use of three-way catalytic converters in the 1980s. Through his case, Näsman highlights several, crucial issues. Firstly, he sheds light on the political economic environment that may affect the design and the implementation of new regulations – including political institutions, business and technical authorities. Secondly, he delves into the relationship between national and European institutional forces, and into the way this can either facilitate or hamper the advancement of progressive policy regulations. Thirdly, he shows how the development of emission standards may encounter technical obstacles, like the actual availability of material infrastructure (ex. fuel infrastructure). read more