Publication
Energy systems power the world’s economies. They are pivotal to providing sustained economic prosperity that provides the goods and services that humans desire. Climate change is intimately linked with energy systems because CO2 from fossil fuel use is the most important anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emitted to the atmosphere, and cumulative
Energy systems power the world’s economies. They are pivotal to providing sustained economic prosperity that provides the goods and services that humans desire. Climate change is intimately linked with energy systems because CO2 from fossil fuel use is the most important anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emitted to the atmosphere, and cumulative anthropogenic emissions determine Earth’s concentration of CO2. Limiting climate change therefore means that global energy systems must reduce net CO2 emissions to zero and stabilize emissions of other GHGs.
In their new publication published on the Review of Environmental Economics and Policy journal , Edmonds, Fujimori et al. compare energy system pathways as they are currently evolving with alternatives that have the potential to limit climate change over the twenty-first century. The team discover that differences are profound, and also discuss some frontier research issues that can provide a better understanding of potential pathways and their implications for decision makers.
Global Energy System Transitions
Jae Edmonds, Shinichiro Fujimori, Gokul Iyer, Haewon McJeon, Patrick O’Rourke, Jiesper Tristan, Detlef van Vuuren, and Sha Yu