A Comparative Study of the Impact of Technological Policymaking on Environmental Security in the United States and the European Union

Abstract

In the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, new technologies have developed with unprecedented speed, efficiency, and convergence, bridging the digital, physical, and biological boundaries. At the same time, environmental crises have become a serious threat to global security. The United States and the European Union have been designing and implementing policies to protect the environment since the 1960s. Using a documentary study method and a descriptive-analytical approach, this article seeks to find out what impact the technological policies of the European Union and the United States have had on environmental security. The results of the research indicate that alignment between technological policies and environmental goals is a prerequisite for achieving sustainable development and ensuring environmental security. The European Union has been able to create effective synergies between technology and environmental goals by developing comprehensive policies such as the Lisbon Strategy, Europe 2020, and Horizon Europe, as well as implementing programs such as the Green Deal, the circular economy, and the clean energy transition. In contrast, the United States, despite political fluctuations in the environmental field, has been developing clean technologies and optimizing energy consumption through technological innovations in the private sector. However, recent geopolitical challenges, such as the Ukraine war, have disrupted environmental policies in both regions, such as budget cuts, a partial return to fossil fuels, and a focus on short-term energy security.