Structural limitations of the decarbonization state

To achieve net-zero climate targets, many states have ramped up ambitions to decarbonize their economies. Despite these aspirations, the emerging decarbonization state faces a serious implementation gap between ambitious targets and actual policies, intensified by climate backsliding pressure. We argue that a deeper understanding of the prevalent model of the liberal capitalist state and its basic functions (that is, ensuring economic growth, maintaining legitimacy and providing security) can help to explain this gap. We conceptualize the nascent decarbonization state as increasingly aiming to shift from fossil fuels towards renewable energy rather than merely improving existing technologies. This transformation of the state, however, challenges basic functions of the underlying liberal capitalist state model. Our analysis implies analytical and normative avenues for future research. The implementation gap between national climate targets and actual policies has been seen as a main barrier for decarbonization. Here researchers show it is rooted in the structural limitation of states and discuss future research directions to promote the emergence of transformative states.