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Developing Asia is the driver of today's emissions intensive global economy. As the principle source of future emissions, the region is critical to the task of global climate change mitigation. Reflecting this global reality and a range of related domestic issues, the governments of the People's Republic of China, India, Indonesia, Thailand, and Viet Nam have embarked upon an ambitious policy agenda. This report reviews the present and future policy settings for climate change mitigation and green growth in Asia's major emerging economies. Although recent targets and commitments will involve a fundamental change in emissions trajectories, the urgency and extent of necessary global action requires ambition to be raised even further in developing Asia. An additional transformation will be required for the trajectory of emissions and energy demand, as well as the future composition of the power generation mix. Achieving these transformations will not be easy. There are a substantial number of policy instruments available, yet significant obstacles stand in the way of their effective deployment. Governments face a number of policy challenges, including: energy sector reform, economic reform, strengthening institutional capacity, and securing international support. The principal conclusion of this analysis is that the task facing Asia's policymakers is not simply one of setting targets and pursuing narrowly focused policies to reach them. Rather, a broad-scale approach involving all sections of the economy and government will be required to achieve the shift to a sustainable, low-emissions development trajectory.

Climate change mitigation pilot projects (REDD+ - Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation) affect and interact with the local population in Central Kalimantan and many other parts of Indonesia. Rather than being politically and economically neutral activities, climate change mitigation projects tend to objectify the value of carbon, land and labour, contributing to a process of commodification of nature and social relations. In this specific case study, a set of values - equality and autonomy - central to the Ngaju people, the indigenous population in Central Kalimantan, become contested in the course of the climate change mitigation project. These central values are produced in everyday activities that include mobility and the productive base - subsistence and market-based production - among the Ngaju people. On the other hand, the climate change mitigation project-related environmental practices and actions produce values that point to individual (material) benefit and stratification of the society. The aim of the paper is to draw attention to and create understanding of value production and related tensions in the efforts to 'fix' environmental degradation problems through the climate change mitigation pilot project in Central Kalimantan. ; Peer reviewed

Through a dynamic model of energy system change the paper examines the role of innovation in bringing about a low carbon energy system. The processes of innovation and technological substitution are cumulative, dynamic, and highly non-linear processes such that how the energy system evolves in the long term is extraordinarily sensitive to the strength and duration of the initial policies. It is possible, under some policy assumptions, that energy systems would continue to depend on fossil fuels for so long as fossil fuels remain abundant and the least cost resource; and under other assumptions, after allowing for the unavoidable lags associated with investment and the building up of a new capital stock, that fossil fuels would become almost wholly displaced by the non-carbon alternatives. The implication is that the external benefits of innovation, which include the creation of options and the reduction of costs arising directly from innovation itself, and the reduction of environmental damage, are far greater, perhaps by orders of magnitude, than the traditional cost–benefit models used for the analysis of climate change mitigation. The analysis suggests why a focus on discovery and innovation offers a promising way forward for national and international policies on climate change.

Der anthropogene Klimawandel verlangt die Reduktion von Treibhausgasen. Diese Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit den Kosten und Strategien zur Vermeidung des Klimawandels. Dabei werden vor Allem Investitionsstrategien der Vermeidung untersucht. Die Arbeit is unterteilt in fünf Teile, die jeweils Unterfragen der allgemeinen Forschungsfrage untersuchen. Nach einer Einleitung in das Problem des Klimawandels und MakroÖkonomischen Mechanismen der Vermeidung werden diese Unterfragen in einzelnen Kapiteln beantwortet. Die Analyse basiert auf Integrated Assessment Modellen. Zuerst werden die Auswirkungen von technologischem Spillover in einem Mehrregionenmodell mit technologischem Wandel in Form von interregionalem Spillover analysiert. Modellergebnisse zeigen, daß je größer der Quotient zwischen Arbeits- und Energieeffizienz steigernden Spilloverintensität ist, desto geringer sind die Vermeidungskosten. Außerdem werden die Vorteile von Vorreitern und Anreize für eine Klimapolitik untersucht. Ein mehrregionales Hybridmodell mit einem detailierten Energiesystem wird benutzt, um die Investitionen in Energietechnologieen im Detail zu analysieren. In Klimapolitikszenarien wird der gesammte Energiekonsum verringert, während erneuerbare Energie und CCS Technologieen sofort ausgebaut werden. Verschiedene Regionen verfolgen grundsätzlich untershciedliche Vermeidungsstrategieen. Während ambitionierte Klimaschutzschranken zu moderaten globalen Kosten erreicht werden können, variieren die regionalen Kosten deutlich. Des Weiteren werden Integrated Assessment Modelle genutzt, um herauszufinden, was es bedeutet, wenn die Welt sich in den nächsten Jahren nicht auf eine klimafreundliche Politik einigen kann. Die Auswirkungen von frühzeitigen Investitionen in erneuerbare Energieen in erstbesten und zweitbesten Welten wird analysiert. Die Vermeidungskosten steigen signifikant, wenn die Implementierung von Klimapolitik verzögert wird. Hingegen verringert ein frühzeitiger Einsatz von erneuerbaren Energieen die globalen Kosten. In einem Hybridmodell mit fünf Regionen werden die Auswirkungen von Dynamik und Richtung des technologischen Wandels unter Klimapolitik untersucht. Es zeigt sich, daß die Vermeidungskosten und -strategieen sensitiv auf diese Variablen reagieren. Weitere Experimente deuten an, daß die Auswirkungen vom Spektrum der zur Verfügung stehenden Technologieen abhängt. Um die Rolle des endogenen technologischen Wandels für die Vermeidung des Klimawandels zu studieren, wird dieses Modell um eine neue Formulierung von Effizienssteigerungen erweitert. Es zeigt sich, daß Investitionen in die Effizienz von einigen Energiesektoren eine entscheidende Rolle für niedrige Vermeidungskosten spielen. In Klimapolitikszenarien können die durch technologische Einschränkungen erhöhten Vermeidungskosten durch F&E Investitionen in die Energieeffiezienz reduziert werden. Wie auch immer, zeigen die Ergebnisse dieser Arbeit die wichtige Rolle von Investitionsstrategien für die Vermeidungskosten von Klimawandel. DieWelt profitiert von frühzeitigen Investitionen in eine große Bandbreite von Technologieen und in Energieeffizienz. Dabei erbringen vor allem die unmittelbare Förderung und die hohe Diversität der Investitionen niedrige Vermeidungskosten. ; The substantial threat of anthropogenic climate change implies the reducing of greenhouse gas emissions. This thesis deals with the costs and strategies of climate change mitigation. In particular, investment strategies for climate change mitigation are investigated. The thesis is separated into five parts each focusing on subquestions of the overall research question. After an introduction into the problem of climate change and the important macro-economic mechanisms for mitigation, these subquestions are answered in separate chapters. For the analysis Integrated Assessment models are used. First, the impacts of technological spillovers under climate policies are analyzed by means of a multi-regional model with technological change in form of interregional spillovers. Model results indicate that the higher the ratio between the spillover intensities for energy and labour efficiency, the lower are mitigation costs. As well, first-mover advantages and commitment incentives for climate policy scenarios are investigated. A multi-regional hybrid model with a more complex energy system is used for studying investments into energy technologies in detail. In climate policy scenarios the entire energy consumption is reduced, while renewable energy and CCS technologies are expanded immediately. Different regions follow quite different mitigation strategies. While ambitious climate targets can be reached with moderate global costs, the regional costs show a high variance. In addition, Integrated Assessment models are used to investigate what happens if the world will not agree on a climate friendly policy within the next years. The impacts of early investments into renewable energy technologies in first-best and second-best worlds are analyzed. Mitigation costs increase significantly, if the climate policy implementation is delayed. In contrast, early deployment of renewable energy technologies reduces the global costs. Within a five-region hybrid model the impacts of dynamics and direction of technological change under climate change mitigation are studied. It turns out that mitigation costs and strategies are quite sensitive to these variables. Further experiments indicate that the impacts depend on the set of available technologies. For studying the role of endogenous technological change for climate change mitigation, this model is extended by a new formulation of efficiency improvements. It turns out that investments into the efficiency of some energy sectors play a crucial role for low mitigation costs. In climate policy scenarios, the increased mitigation costs of technological restrictions can be overcome by R&D investments into energy efficiencies. However, the results of this thesis demonstrate the important role of investment strategies for climate change mitigation costs. The world gains from early investments into both a broad portfolio of technologies and energy efficiencies. Thereby the immediate support and high diversity of investments mainly provide low mitigation costs.

AbstractBackgroundResearch on the social bases of environmental concern has established robust findings across various sociodemographic characteristics. This includes interaction effects between education and political identity, as well as particularly low concern among supporters of President Trump.ObjectivesUsing 2016 survey data, we extend such research to examine U.S. public support for four climate‐change mitigation strategies: investment in renewable energy, lifestyle changes, a revenue‐neutral carbon tax, and cap‐and‐trade.MethodsWe perform ordered logit regression of belief in anthropogenic climate change and support for these strategies on several key independent variables.ResultsSupport follows some of the patterns expected for environmental concern generally but with new details. Trump support is a dominant predictor, and education × party interactions show significant variations in levels of support.ConclusionThis provides important insights for public policy decision making related to climate change by considering which characteristics are most predictive of support for specific strategies.

The results are presented from a survey of national legislation and strategies to mitigate climate change covering almost all United Nations member states between 2007 and 2012. This data set is distinguished from the existing literature in its breadth of coverage, its focus on national policies (rather than international pledges), and on the use of objective metrics rather than normative criteria. The focus of the data is limited to national climate legislation and strategies and does not cover subnational or sectoral measures. Climate legislation and strategies are important because they can: enhance incentives for climate mitigation; provide mechanisms for mainstreaming; and provide a focal point for actors. Three broad findings emerge. First, there has been a substantial increase in climate legislation and strategies between 2007 and 2012: 67% of global GHG emissions are now under national climate legislation or strategy compared to 45% in 2007. Second, there are substantial regional effects to the patterns, with most increases in non-Annex I countries, particularly in Asia and Latin America. Third, many more countries have adopted climate strategies than have adopted climate legislation between 2007 and 2012. The article concludes with recommendations for future research.Policy relevance The increase in climate legislation and strategy is significant. This spread suggests that, at the national level, there is some movement in reshaping climate governance despite the relatively slow pace of global negotiations, although the exact implications of this spread require further research on stringency of actions and their implementation. Asia and Latin America represent the biggest improvements, while OECD countries, which start from a high base, remain relatively stagnant. Implications of regional patterns are further refined by an analysis by emissions, which shows that some areas of low levels of legislation and strategy are also areas of relatively low emissions. A broad trend toward an emphasis on strategies rather than legislation, with the significant exception of China, calls for enhanced research into the practical impact of national non-binding climate strategies versus binding legislation on countries' actual emissions over time. ; GoVNAMAs - Phase I

"Climate Change Mitigation: Sequestration of Green House Gases is designed to not only give basic knowledge on the topics presented, but also to enlighten on conventional and advanced technologies, socioeconomic aspects, techno-economic feasibility, models and modeling tools, and detailed LCA approaches in the sequestration of GHGs for biofuel and biomaterials, including biopolymer production. These innovative technologies and novel prospective directly find applications in day-to-day practices. The book is a useful guide to politicians, researchers, teachers and waste management practitioners. It offers a treasure of knowledge to guide readers on the importance of GHGs sequestration in important areas. The issue of climate change is gaining much more attention by researchers, public, politicians and others. Climate change is one of the most complex issues the world is facing today. It has implications across society, including in science, technology, economics, society, politics, and moral and ethical dilemmas"--

Community Governance and Citizen-Driven Initiatives in Climate Change Mitigation : An Introduction / Jens Hoff and Quentin Gausset -- The Conundrum of Calculating Carbon Footprints / Bjarne W. Strobel, Anders Chr. Erichsen and Quentin Gausset -- Think Globally, Act Locally : Climate Change Mitigation and Citizen Participation / Jens Hoff -- On the Materialisation of Participation in a Municipality Near You / Irina Papuza -- Environmental Choices : Hypocrisy, Self-Contradictions and the Tyranny of Everyday Life / Quentin Gausset, Jens Hoff and Christian Scheele -- Energy Renovation Models in Private Households in Denmark / Lise Tjørring and Quentin Gausset -- Climate Ambassador Programmes in Municipalities : Encouraging climate change mitigation in public administrations and institutions / Michael Søogaard Jørgensen and Stine Rahbek Pedersen -- A local energy transition success story / Stefanie Baasch -- Incorporating Climate Change Mitigation Programmes in Local Administration : The Case of the CCP Programmes in Australia and New Zealand / Jens Hoff -- A Change of Just a Few Degrees : The possibilities and challenges of local American climate mitigation / Ebba Lisberg Jensen -- How Many Thick Television Sets Can There Be in the World? : Recycling workers and customers reflect on changing roles, recycling routines and resource flows / Ebba Lisberg Jensen -- Klimafesten : A Case Study of a Municipality's Intervention to Engage Citizens in Environmentally Sustainable Actions / Emilie Møllenbach and Kasper Hornbaek -- Computer Games and Social Innovation : Participation through Micro-contributions / Mette Wichmand

This paper considers the alignment of energy policy in South Africa with the Cabinet's mitigation vision of a 'peak, plateau and decline' greenhouse gas emissions trajectory to 2050. First, the term 'policy' is defined as having a number of components, ranging from the broad 'policy paradigm' which guides the approach to policy development in a particular area, to statements and intentions, written documents and institutional orientation and capacity. Following from this definition it is argued that, at the level of written and stated energy policy, the intention exists to move towards a more diverse, efficient and less carbon-intensive energy sector. A number of policy instruments are being developed which go some way towards achieving this. However, the targets set are too low, and all initiatives are hampered for institutional and financing reasons. On the other hand, however, the dominant energy policy paradigm and the orientation and capacity of the country's energy institutions are fundamentally misaligned with climate mitigation policy. In particular, conflicts between these institutions constrain policy co-ordination and hence alignment. The primary causes of misalignment are argued to be, firstly, existing and entrenched institutional orientation and capacity and, secondly, the lack of a single, overarching, co-ordinating energy policy institution which has sufficient power and influence to deal with the vested interests of the existing energy institutions. The paper then explores, by means of thought experiments in the areas of renewable energy and energy efficiency, what would be required to align energy policy with Cabinet's mitigation vision. The establishment of a single, overarching, co-ordinating energy policy institution is identified as a pre-requisite to any chance of alignment. This institution would then establish and govern appropriately oriented institutional capacity, either by creating new institutions, or mandating existing institutions to deliver on low carbon initiatives. It is suggested that whilst new capacity would be optimal, it may be unrealistic to attain this level of sector transformation within the timeframes required by mitigation policy, given the strongly entrenched interests in maintaining the status quo. The paper concludes that intervention at the highest political level is required to enforce energy institutional co-ordination and achieve actualisation of emissions mitigation aligned energy policies.

Abstract Background The Indian Council of Agricultural Research has set a target for increasing forest cover from the present level of 23% of land area to 33% and agroforestry contributes to this target. Methods The effect of agroforestry on carbon sequestration and livelihood security of people in India was reviewed. Also, a survey was conducted in two regions of West Bengal, one drought-prone and the other in a mountainous district, to assess the contribution of agroforestry to human well-being and livelihood security. Results The average carbon sequestration potential of agroforestry systems is estimated to be 25t.ha -1 over 96 million ha but there is substantial regional variability. The survey showed that village communities are dependent on agroforestry systems for income, employment opportunities and livelihood security. An account is also given of Government forestry and tree-planting programmes that encourage the practice of silvipasture, agrisilviculture, and agrihorticulture in rain-fed and irrigated areas. Conclusions Agroforestry systems offer opportunities for the improvement of the livelihood of poor people through provision of economic and environmental security.