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Demand-side approaches for limiting global warming to 1.5 °C
Title / Series / Name
Energy Efficiency
Publication Volume
12
Publication Issue
2
Pages
Editors
Keywords
1.5 °C target
Behavioral change
Climate change mitigation
Demand-side approaches
Energy efficiency
Low-carbon energy technologies
Mitigation pathways
Paris Climate Agreement
Policy instruments
General Energy
SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy
SDG 13 - Climate Action
Behavioral change
Climate change mitigation
Demand-side approaches
Energy efficiency
Low-carbon energy technologies
Mitigation pathways
Paris Climate Agreement
Policy instruments
General Energy
SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy
SDG 13 - Climate Action
URI
https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14018/28442
Abstract
The Paris Climate Agreement defined an ambition of limiting global warming to 1.5 °C above preindustrial levels. This has triggered research on stringent emission reduction targets and corresponding mitigation pathways across energy economy and societal systems. Driven by methodological considerations, supply side and carbon dioxide removal options feature prominently in the emerging pathway literature, while much less attention has been given to the role of demand-side approaches. This special issue addresses this gap, and aims to broaden and strengthen the knowledge base in this key research and policy area. This editorial paper synthesizes the special issue’s contributions horizontally through three shared themes we identify: policy interventions, demand-side measures, and methodological approaches. The review of articles is supplemented by insights from other relevant literature. Overall, our paper underlines that stringent demand-side policy portfolios are required to drive the pace and direction of deep decarbonization pathways and keep the 1.5 °C target within reach. It confirms that insufficient attention has been paid to demand-side measures, which are found to be inextricably linked to supply-side decarbonization and able to complement supply-side measures. The paper also shows that there is an abundance of demand-side measures to limit warming to 1.5 °C, but it warns that not all of these options are “seen” or captured by current quantitative tools or progress indicators, and some remain insufficiently represented in the current policy discourse. Based on the set of papers presented in the special issue, we conclude that demand-side mitigation in line with the 1.5 °C goal is possible; however, it remains enormously challenging and dependent on both innovative technologies and policies, and behavioral change. Limiting warming to 1.5 °C requires, more than ever, a plurality of methods and integrated behavioral and technology approaches to better support policymaking and resulting policy interventions.
Topic
Publisher
Place of Publication
Type
Journal article
Date
2019-02-14
Language
ISBN
Identifiers
10.1007/s12053-018-9722-9