Bridging Global Climate Policies: Lessons for the United States from the EU and BRICS

Climate change continues to escalate, yet the United States still sees limited legislative action due to political polarization and concerns over economic impacts. In contrast, many countries globally have taken pragmatic action, demonstrating the effectiveness of climate legislation when supported by unified political will. Prior studies of the international adoption of climate change legislation have shown that new policies have increasingly been implemented since the turn of the 21st century, with numerous factors affecting the rate of adoption. This study analyzes climate legislation adopted between 2000 and 2022 in European Union and BRICS countries to identify effective frameworks for adoption in the US. The countries were chosen to diversify the sample data by including differing economic drivers and political landscapes. Using a quantitative approach, this analysis consists of 91 multivariate linear regressions, to examine correlations between policy aspects—categorized by instrument, sector, type, and objective—and CO₂ emissions per capita. The models control for GDP per capita, population, fossil fuel percentage, and carbon pricing in order to validate comparison across countries. Findings reveal that policies involving tendering schemes, general legislative measures, low-carbon technology promotion, fuel switching, and climate adaptation are consistently associated with statistically significant reductions in emissions (p-value < 0.05). The results suggest that a data-backed approach can contribute to bipartisan climate policy and highlight policy aspects which reduce emissions while supporting favorable economic outcomes. This research informs a policy proposal tailored to the US to serve as guidance for lawmakers in implementing effective climate policy measures.