europes-share-climate-challenge-pb-heaps.pdf-78574e2ac4616883.pdf

This policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute outlines a mitigation scenario for the EU27 to meet its 'fair share' of the global climate challenge. It argues that Europe can achieve a 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 and nearly 90% by 2050 through domestic action, including radical energy efficiency improvements and a shift to renewables, while simultaneously fulfilling international financial obligations to assist developing nations.

• To keep the mean global temperature rise below 2 degrees C, the EU27 must reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent by 2020 and almost 90 per cent by 2050, relative to 1990 levels.
• Using the Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning (LEAP) system, SEI determined that Europe can achieve the 40 per cent emission reduction target through domestic action alone, without using international carbon offsetting schemes.
• The mitigation scenario requires a total transformation of the energy system: coal must be entirely abandoned by 2035, nuclear power progressively phased out, and oil consumption eliminated by 2050 except for air travel, shipping, buses, and road freight. Renewable energy's share of primary energy would rise from 10 per cent in 2010 to 71 per cent by 2050.
• Significant reductions in energy demand are necessary, including a 16 per cent decrease in household energy use by 2020 and 63 per cent by 2050 (compared to 2010). This involves retrofitting 90 per cent of existing homes to reach an average heating energy consumption of 27 kWh/m2.
• Passenger transport requires a shift toward rail and electrification; the scenario envisions doubling the rail network by 2050, fully electrifying rail by 2030, and ensuring virtually all cars on the road are fully electrified by 2050.
• Agricultural emissions can be reduced through efficiency gains and dietary changes, specifically a shift to a diet approximately 60 per cent less meat-intensive than current levels by 2020.
• Based on the Greenhouse Development Rights (GDRs) Framework, the EU's total obligation by 2020 is to reduce emissions by 103 per cent below 1990 levels, combining domestic mitigation and international investment.
• The financial cost of domestic action (2010-2020) is estimated between 1 per cent and 3 per cent of EU GDP. International obligations to assist developing nations are estimated at an additional 1 per cent to 3 per cent of projected 2020 GDP, totaling between €150 billion and €450 billion per year in 2020.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (n.d.). europes-share-climate-challenge-pb-heaps.pdf-78574e2ac4616883.pdf. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate-mitigation-adaptation/europes-share-climate-challenge-pb-heaps.pdf.pdf

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. europes-share-climate-challenge-pb-heaps.pdf-78574e2ac4616883.pdf. n.d. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate-mitigation-adaptation/europes-share-climate-challenge-pb-heaps.pdf.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=europes-share-climate-challenge-pb-heaps.pdf-78574e2ac4616883.pdf |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate-mitigation-adaptation/europes-share-climate-challenge-pb-heaps.pdf.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitutendeuropesshareclimatechallengepbheapspdf78574e2ac4616883pdf, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{europes-share-climate-challenge-pb-heaps.pdf-78574e2ac4616883.pdf}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate-mitigation-adaptation/europes-share-climate-challenge-pb-heaps.pdf.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }