Climate and Energy Law: Building Sustainable Global Governance for the 21st Century

Author: Rafael Leal-Arcas
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 9781041318675
Published In: September 2026
Format: Hardback
Jurisdiction: U.K. ? Disclaimer:
Countri(es) stated herein are used as reference only

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This book offers a bold and timely rethinking of how sustainable energy transitions can be achieved in an era of climate urgency and geopolitical uncertainty. Challenging the traditional top-down model of governance, the volume advances a compelling argument for a bottom-up transformation driven by citizens, prosumers, cities, and new market actors.

The book locates this shift within a broader structural transformation of the energy sector, namely from supply-driven systems to demand-side governance centered on electrification, renewable energy, efficiency, smart grids, and digital innovation. By integrating legal, economic, technological, and policy perspectives, it demonstrates how decentralization, democratization, digitalization, deregulation, and decarbonization are reshaping global energy governance. Combining theoretical analysis with practical EU-based case studies, the book explores smart grids, collaborative economics, decentralized energy markets, and the evolving role of prosumers in ensuring energy security and sustainability. It also addresses critical challenges, including cybersecurity, infrastructure finance, and regulatory design.

Bridging trade, energy, climate change, and sustainability, this work highlights a crucial knowledge gap and offers an innovative governance framework fit for the 21st century. Essential reading for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners in climate law, energy law, and global governance, the book provides a forward-looking blueprint for building a more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable global energy order.

Introduction

1. Decentralization and Citizen Agency in Energy Governance

2. Smart Grids and the Reconfiguration of Citizen Participation

3. Decentralized Energy Systems in the European Union: Empirical Insights and Policy Implications

4. Innovation, Research, and Technological Transformation in the Energy Transition

Conclusion and a Future Research Agenda