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The report argues that while biomass is essential for a low-carbon economy, it is a limited resource constrained by land, water, and the need for ecosystem functioning. Through four scenarios, the authors demonstrate that a 'Sustainability Transition'—combining aggressive climate policy with focused agricultural productivity improvements—is the most viable path to reducing emissions without excessively increasing the agricultural footprint. The analysis highlights that future yield gains must move beyond the 'Green Revolution' strategy of increasing harvest index (shifting biomass to grain) toward increasing total photosynthetic efficiency to provide enough raw material for both food and industrial bio-materials.

The report assesses three global energy scenarios—Baseline, Basic Energy Access, and Shared Development Agenda—to determine how to provide energy for development while limiting global warming to 2°C. It argues that achieving these goals requires a massive socio-technical transformation of energy supply and demand, moving beyond incremental changes to a system dominated by renewables and high energy efficiency. The authors emphasize that this transition requires multi-level governance, including stronger public RD&D, the removal of fossil fuel subsidies, and a shared global development agenda that prioritizes equitable income growth and energy access for the world's poorest regions.

The document finds that GHG mitigation policies significantly improve air quality by reducing emissions of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter. In the EU27, this leads to substantial health gains, including an increase in average life expectancy by one month by 2050 and annual economic co-benefits ranging from €44 billion to €95 billion. The analysis also highlights significant benefits in China and India, where life expectancy gains are estimated at 19 and 30 months respectively by 2050. Additionally, mitigation reduces regulatory abatement costs for businesses and lessens the acidification and eutrophication of ecosystems.

The ClimateCost project estimates significant health risks for Europe under a medium-to-high emission (A1B) scenario, with heat-related mortality and coastal flooding causing the highest welfare costs. Heat-related deaths are projected to reach 127,000 per year by the 2080s, though this is reduced by acclimatisation and mitigation (E1 scenario). Salmonellosis cases and labour productivity losses are also expected to rise, particularly in Southern Europe. The report highlights that technical adaptation, such as sea dikes, can drastically reduce coastal flood fatalities, while other health adaptation measures remain under-researched.

The paper examines the EU power sector's transition toward a low-carbon future, highlighting the critical role of the electricity sector in decarbonizing transport and buildings. It identifies significant risks in current investment trends, such as carbon lock-in from new gas and coal plants, and argues that the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) fails to provide a credible long-term signal for post-2020 investments. The authors recommend establishing post-2020 emissions caps and calibrating the ETS to ensure carbon scarcity after accounting for energy efficiency and renewable energy objectives.

The report argues that many climate-economics models rely on a 'no-development' assumption for the poorest countries, which underestimates future emissions and weakens the urgency for rich countries to reduce their own emissions. By comparing three scenarios—'Without Development', 'Development with Carbon', and 'Development without Carbon'—the author demonstrates that if low-income countries achieve rapid economic growth similar to India's, the global emissions budget will be exhausted much faster unless aggressive decarbonization policies and financial support from wealthy nations are implemented. A case study of Latin America and the Caribbean illustrates these dynamics, showing that cumulative regional emissions could double if growth accelerates without policy intervention.

The report argues that many climate-economics models rely on overly pessimistic growth projections for the poorest countries, which artificially reduces the perceived urgency for rich countries to cut emissions. By comparing three scenarios—'Without Development', 'Development with Carbon', and 'Development without Carbon'—the author demonstrates that if low-income countries achieve genuine economic development, the global emissions budget will be exceeded unless aggressive decarbonization policies and financial support from high-income nations are implemented. A case study of Latin America and the Caribbean illustrates how regional emissions could double under a high-growth, no-policy scenario, but could be significantly reduced through targeted support for low-carbon technology and emissions intensity reductions.

The document presents a framework for a global energy assessment to support the Rio+20 Earth Summit, focusing on a 'triple global energy challenge': providing affordable energy for all, phasing out fossil fuels to stabilize the climate, and operating within Earth system boundaries. It proposes a 'new model' of development where all countries reach a GDP per capita equivalent to current middle-income levels by 2050, requiring a massive transition to renewable energy and efficiency. The authors recommend the adoption of strategic principles, including a transparent global investment fund for renewables in poor economies and the use of the planetary boundaries framework to manage environmental risks.

The research evaluates the transition from voluntary to mandatory emissions trading in Japan using the CASE-ASIA model. It compares two primary designs—one including the electricity sector in the ETS and one applying a CO2 tax to it—across various allocation modes including full auctioning, border adjustments (BA), and output-based allocation (OBA). The findings highlight a critical trade-off between electricity prices and industrial product prices, noting that border adjustments for exports are essential for Japan due to its high export volume of steel and cement. While OBA is most effective at limiting production decreases, the study concludes there is no single superior design, and policy choices will depend on government priorities regarding revenue and competitiveness.

The document argues that achieving an annual improvement of nearly 2 percentage points in water and sanitation access across Africa would significantly reduce child malnutrition and infant mortality, increase GDP, and lower the probability of state failure. It identifies that such progress requires an additional public investment of nearly US $35 billion over 40 years, primarily targeting sanitation. The analysis highlights that success in this sector is driven by public policy, institutional management, and finance rather than technology, citing examples from Burkina Faso and Ethiopia.

The study uses the POLES model to assess how different levels of economic growth and convergence between developed and developing nations affect the energy mix and abatement costs required to reduce global CO2 emissions by 50% by 2050. It finds that low stabilisation is technically feasible and economically viable across all scenarios, with total abatement costs representing less than 2% of global GDP by 2050. However, the results highlight that high convergence increases the reliance on Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and places a higher absolute burden on developing countries, while developed nations continue to bear the majority of the costs.

The Policy-Adjusted IRP 2010-2030 outlines South Africa's strategy for electricity generation expansion and demand-side management. It recommends a diversified energy mix including 9.6 GW of nuclear, 6.3 GW of new coal, and 17.8 GW of renewables (wind, solar PV, and CSP) to balance security of supply, economic growth, and carbon emission constraints. The plan emphasizes accelerating renewable energy to foster local industry and includes a Medium Term Risk Mitigation Project to address anticipated supply shortfalls between 2011 and 2016 through demand response and increased generation availability.

The report outlines a pathway for Seattle to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. By implementing aggressive strategies across transportation, buildings, and waste, the city could reduce per capita core emissions by 91% relative to 2008 levels. Key drivers include a massive shift toward electric vehicles, deep energy efficiency retrofits in the built environment, and a transition to low-carbon energy sources like biomass-fired district energy. While the scenario achieves a 90% reduction in core emissions, the report notes that the final 10% may require offsets or sequestration.

The report assesses how a 30% GHG reduction target by 2020 would affect EU energy security compared to a 20% target and a business-as-usual scenario. It finds that more ambitious targets generally improve primary energy security by reducing overall energy demand and fossil fuel imports, particularly oil. However, it notes that the transition may increase risks for specific countries like Poland due to a shift from coal to imported gas, and could negatively impact electricity grid security due to the intermittency of renewables and the need for significant new capacity investments.

The study uses the Imaclim-R model to analyze the economic trade-offs of EU emissions targets. It finds that a -20% target by 2020 may lead to prohibitive costs and negative GDP growth between 2040 and 2050 due to technological inertia and 'lock-in' of carbon-intensive infrastructure. While a more ambitious -30% target can reduce long-term risks and provide energy security co-benefits—especially in oil-constrained scenarios—it may impose significant short-term macroeconomic costs. The authors argue that carbon pricing alone is insufficient for 'inert' sectors like transport and residential buildings, recommending complementary sectoral policies, such as passenger car mobility reduction, to lower overall costs and avoid industrial decline.

The document assesses various Sectoral Approach (SA) models for the Chinese iron and steel (I&S) industry, concluding that ex-post crediting based on carbon intensity reduction targets is the most suitable methodology. It identifies the I&S sector as a critical area for China to meet its 2020 carbon intensity reduction target of 40% to 45%. The study projects that under a 'technology penetration enhanced scenario', emission intensity could decrease by 34% by 2020 compared to 2005 levels, generating up to 709 million tons of CO2 emission reduction credits by 2030. Key barriers to implementation include poor data availability, commercial sensitivity, and the high heterogeneity of technology levels across enterprises.

The report examines the 'water-energy nexus' in the western United States, specifically the eleven states of the Western Electric Coordinating Council (WECC). It models eight scenarios from 2008 to 2100, varying by carbon emission goals, water conservation mandates, and energy efficiency levels. The primary finding is that while power plants require water, their total consumption is small compared to agricultural and urban use, making the water-energy nexus a secondary concern in the region's broader water crisis. The analysis suggests that carbon pricing (around $70 per ton) is a more likely driver for shifting energy strategies than water pricing, as water prices would need to exceed $4,000 to $7,000 per acre-foot to make water-conserving energy scenarios the least-cost option.

The California Water Supply and Demand Model (CWSD) assesses how climate change affects water availability and usage in California, focusing on the energy, urban, and agricultural sectors. The model evaluates scenarios with no adaptation, slow adaptation, and fast adaptation across different climate projections (B1 and A2). Key findings indicate that without adaptation, agricultural water demand will rise due to higher temperatures, particularly in the San Joaquin Valley. While slow adaptation may only marginally reduce use, fast adaptation—driven by higher water prices and technological efficiency—could significantly decrease demand. The report also extends its agricultural analysis to other Western U.S. states, noting a general increase in water demand by 2100.

The document finds that Estonian transport trends are unsustainable, characterized by rapid increases in private car use and road freight, leading to transport fuel use per unit of GDP that is twice the EU average. It argues that current policies are insufficient to meet EU greenhouse gas (GHG) emission limits for 2020 and proposes a combined approach of technical vehicle efficiency improvements and modal shifts to achieve sustainability.

The document evaluates AWM strategies in the Nariarlé watershed, finding that improving rainfed agriculture and expanding gardening wells offer the broadest benefits. While small reservoirs have improved production, they face siltation and lack coordinated watershed-level governance, which is further complicated by the urban expansion of Ouagadougou.