Transnational Carbon Governance: Legal Pluralism and Cross-Border CCS Regulation in the North Sea

Objective

As the EU intensifies its reliance on carbon capture and storage (CCS) to meet net-zero targets by 2050, fragmented legal frameworks threaten coherence, investment certainty, and climate ambition. PluriCarb addresses this gap by analysing how legal pluralism and regulatory fragmentation affect the legitimacy and effectiveness of transboundary CCS regulation in the EU/EEA, specifically in the North Sea. Through comparative socio-legal analysis of three flagship projects: Greensand (Denmark), Northern Lights (Norway), and Porthos (Netherlands), PluriCarb maps definitional conflicts, jurisdictional overlaps, and institutional responses to legal uncertainty. These cases, strategically selected for their legal diversity, cross-border infrastructure, and regulatory innovation, are ideal for examining institutional bricolage and definitional contestation. Grounded in legal pluralism, multi-level governance, and regulatory theory, PluriCarb develops a novel framework for assessing how actors navigate overlapping mandates. Combining doctrinal legal analysis, interviews, and document analysis, the project generates actionable insights for EU/EEA and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) regulators and civil society, with a focus on definitional politics, bricolage, and forum shopping as mechanisms of adaptation. Findings will inform the implementation of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), and the Net Zero Industry Act (NZIA), advancing the European Green Deal's goals of legal clarity, cross-border cooperation, and inclusive governance. Hosted at the Centre for Climate Change Law and Governance (CLIMA) at the University of Copenhagen, under the guidance of Professor Beatriz Martínez Romera, the fellowship produces academic publications, policy briefs, and engages stakeholders while enhancing expertise in legal analysis, qualitative interviewing, comparative methods, and policy communication.