Topics in Integrated Assessment of Climate Change Mitigation Strategies - Einzelansicht

Introductory reading assignments

• Perman, R., et al., Natural Resource and Environmental Economics: Chapters 2, 5, 16. 4th Edition. Addison Wesley (2018)
• Emmanuel, K. A., Climate Science and Climate Risk: A Primer, 17 pp. MIT (2016). https://eapsweb.mit.edu/sites/default/files/Climate_Primer.pdf
• The SENSES project. A primer on climate change scenarios. https://climatescenarios.org/primer/

Topical reading assignments

Tentative list, adjustments up to the introductory sessions are possible

Weyant, J., Some Contributions of Integrated Assessment Models of Global Climate Change. Review of Environmental Economics and Policy (2017)

Keppo et al., Exploring the possibility space: taking stock of the diverse capabilities and gaps in integrated assessment models, Environ. Res. Lett. 16 053006 (2021)

Riahi, K., R. Schaeffer, et al.: Mitigation pathways compatible with long-term goals. In IPCC, 2022: Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change. Contribution of Working Group III to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [P.R. Shukla, J. Skea, et al. (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK and New York,NY, USA. doi: 10.1017/9781009157926.005

Strefler et al.: Between Scylla and Charybdis: Delayed mitigation narrows the passage between large-scale CDR and high costs. Environ. Res. Lett. 13, 044015 (2018)

Emmerling, J. et al.: The role of the discount rate for emission pathways and negative emissions. Environ. Res. Lett. (2019) doi:10.1088/1748-9326/ab3cc9

Luderer, G. et al.: Economic mitigation challenges: how further delay closes the door for achieving climate targets, Environ. Res. Lett. 8 (2013)

Kriegler et al.: Short term policies to keep the door open for Paris climate goals. Environ. Res. Lett. 13 074022 (2018)

Bauer, N. et al.: Quantification of an efficiency–sovereignty trade-off in climate policy. Nature 588: 261–266 (2020)  

Tavoni, M. et al.: Post-2020 climate agreements in the major economies assessed in the light of global models. Nat. Clim. Change 5,119–126 (2015)

Brutschin et al.: A multidimensional feasibility evaluation of low-carbon scenarios. Environ. Res. Lett. 16 064069 (2021)

Warschawszki et al.: All options, not silver bullets, needed to limit global warming to 1.5 °C: a scenario appraisal. Environ. Res. Lett. 16 064037 (2021)

Concluding sessions: SENSES scenario toolkit: https://climatescenarios.org

Presentation and written report (Portfolio exam)

In this seminar, we explore key studies in integrated assessment of climate change mitigation strategies. The learning goal is to develop a sound understanding of main concepts of integrated assessment modelling and how it is used to inform climate policy making.

In a series of introductory sessions spanning two days (25.+26.10.2022; 11:00 (s.t.)-12:30; 13:00 (s.t.)-16:00; 6 SWS per day) we will provide (i) a primer on integrated assessment models (IAMs), (ii) an overview of their application for climate policy analysis, (iii) a summary of key characteristics of anthropogenic climate change and associated economic concepts, and (iv) an overview of the topics to be covered during the seminar.

In the second part of the seminar (10.+11.+12.01.2023; 11:00 (s.t.)-12:30; 13:00 (s.t.)-16:00; 6 SWS per day), we will go through key advances in the integrated assessment of climate change mitigation strategies, with a focus on the economics of reaching long-term climate targets. These advances will be explored step by step to foster an understanding how they build on each other:

1. IAMs and their use for climate policy evaluation
2. Emissions pathways towards long-term climate target and their assessment by the IPCC
3. The introduction of carbon dioxide removal to mitigation pathways: more ambitious targets, overshoot trajectories, economic implications
4. The emissions gap, and the challenge of delayed climate action for keeping long-term targets within reach
5. The international dimension: efficiency, equity, sovereignity and burden sharing
6. Feasibility assessment of 1.5-2°C mitigation pathways

In the January sessions of the seminar, students present on one of these topics based on their assigned reading of literature consisting of scientific articles or excerpts from textbooks and reports (ca. 2 literature sources per presentation). The presentation should include a clear description of the reading content and a reflection. It is followed by a group discussion relating the presented material to the topic. The discussion is opened by the instructor and a prepared comment by another student.

After the introductory sessions in October, students are given the opportunity to select (1) the topic of their reading assignment for the presentation and (2) the topic for their prepared comment on a first come-first served basis.

The final sessions of the seminar on the last day (12.01.2023) are dedicated to exploring an interactive IAM scenario toolkit and a concluding discussion of the entire material covered in the seminar.

The seminar is designed to allow participants to acquire an own understanding of the key concepts, applications and insights in the field. Besides knowledge about the integrated assessment of climate change mitigation strategies, the course promotes a series of important soft skills: public speaking, presenting and reflecting on scientific content, and navigating self-directed learning in the field of integrated assessment.