Short-Term Costs, Long-Term Gains: The Behavioral Challenge of Sustainability Regulation in the European Union

This editorial examines the behavioral and political dynamics that shape sustainability regulation in the European Union. While policy initiatives such as the European Green Deal and related directives reflect ambitious long-term goals, they often encounter resistance during implementation as short-term economic costs become more visible. Drawing on insights from behavioral economics, the analysis highlights how present bias, loss aversion, and political time horizons contribute to the softening or delay of regulatory measures. The editorial argues that effective sustainability governance requires not only strong policy design, but also an understanding of how individuals and institutions respond to temporal trade-offs and uncertainty.