Equilibrium Modeling for Environmental Science: Exploring the Nexus of Economic Systems and Environmental Change

Abstract Equilibrium models (EMs) are frequently employed to examine the potential impacts of economic, energy, and trade policies as well as form the foundation of most integrated assessment models. Despite their central role coupling economic and environmental systems, environmental scientists are...

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Main Authors: Matthew Cantele, Payal Bal, Tom Kompas, Michalis Hadjikakou, Brendan Wintle
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2021-09-01
Series:Earth's Future
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2020EF001923
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author Matthew Cantele
Payal Bal
Tom Kompas
Michalis Hadjikakou
Brendan Wintle
author_facet Matthew Cantele
Payal Bal
Tom Kompas
Michalis Hadjikakou
Brendan Wintle
author_sort Matthew Cantele
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Equilibrium models (EMs) are frequently employed to examine the potential impacts of economic, energy, and trade policies as well as form the foundation of most integrated assessment models. Despite their central role coupling economic and environmental systems, environmental scientists are largely unfamiliar with the structure and methodology underpinning EMs, which serves as a barrier to interdisciplinary collaboration and model improvement. In this study we systematically extract data from 10 years of published EMs with a focus on how these models have been extended beyond their economic origins to encompass environmentally relevant sectors of interest. The results indicate that there is far greater spatial coverage of high income countries compared to low income countries, with notable gaps in Central America, Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia. We also find a high degree of aggregation within production inputs and sectoral outputs, particularly within the context of global socioeconomic scenarios. For example, we were unable to identify a single temporally dynamic study that distinguished between products arising from managed versus natural forest, or pastures relative to natural grasslands. Due to the necessary breadth and associated knowledge gaps within a model of the entire global economy, we see considerable potential for cross‐disciplinary innovation as natural scientists gain familiarity into the role these models play in bridging the nexus between socioeconomic systems and environmental change.
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spelling doaj.art-c45dfd73f3fa48bf96a2f3dc8d327d032022-12-22T01:34:08ZengWileyEarth's Future2328-42772021-09-0199n/an/a10.1029/2020EF001923Equilibrium Modeling for Environmental Science: Exploring the Nexus of Economic Systems and Environmental ChangeMatthew Cantele0Payal Bal1Tom Kompas2Michalis Hadjikakou3Brendan Wintle4School of BioSciences University of Melbourne Parkville VIC AustraliaSchool of Ecosystem and Forest Science University of Melbourne Parkville VIC AustraliaCentre of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis, School of Biosciences and School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences University of Melbourne Parkville VIC AustraliaCentre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences Deakin University Burwood VIC AustraliaSchool of Ecosystem and Forest Science University of Melbourne Parkville VIC AustraliaAbstract Equilibrium models (EMs) are frequently employed to examine the potential impacts of economic, energy, and trade policies as well as form the foundation of most integrated assessment models. Despite their central role coupling economic and environmental systems, environmental scientists are largely unfamiliar with the structure and methodology underpinning EMs, which serves as a barrier to interdisciplinary collaboration and model improvement. In this study we systematically extract data from 10 years of published EMs with a focus on how these models have been extended beyond their economic origins to encompass environmentally relevant sectors of interest. The results indicate that there is far greater spatial coverage of high income countries compared to low income countries, with notable gaps in Central America, Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia. We also find a high degree of aggregation within production inputs and sectoral outputs, particularly within the context of global socioeconomic scenarios. For example, we were unable to identify a single temporally dynamic study that distinguished between products arising from managed versus natural forest, or pastures relative to natural grasslands. Due to the necessary breadth and associated knowledge gaps within a model of the entire global economy, we see considerable potential for cross‐disciplinary innovation as natural scientists gain familiarity into the role these models play in bridging the nexus between socioeconomic systems and environmental change.https://doi.org/10.1029/2020EF001923CGEcomputable general equilibriumpartial equilibriumintegrated assessmentsystematic review
spellingShingle Matthew Cantele
Payal Bal
Tom Kompas
Michalis Hadjikakou
Brendan Wintle
Equilibrium Modeling for Environmental Science: Exploring the Nexus of Economic Systems and Environmental Change
Earth's Future
CGE
computable general equilibrium
partial equilibrium
integrated assessment
systematic review
title Equilibrium Modeling for Environmental Science: Exploring the Nexus of Economic Systems and Environmental Change
title_full Equilibrium Modeling for Environmental Science: Exploring the Nexus of Economic Systems and Environmental Change
title_fullStr Equilibrium Modeling for Environmental Science: Exploring the Nexus of Economic Systems and Environmental Change
title_full_unstemmed Equilibrium Modeling for Environmental Science: Exploring the Nexus of Economic Systems and Environmental Change
title_short Equilibrium Modeling for Environmental Science: Exploring the Nexus of Economic Systems and Environmental Change
title_sort equilibrium modeling for environmental science exploring the nexus of economic systems and environmental change
topic CGE
computable general equilibrium
partial equilibrium
integrated assessment
systematic review
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2020EF001923
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AT payalbal equilibriummodelingforenvironmentalscienceexploringthenexusofeconomicsystemsandenvironmentalchange
AT tomkompas equilibriummodelingforenvironmentalscienceexploringthenexusofeconomicsystemsandenvironmentalchange
AT michalishadjikakou equilibriummodelingforenvironmentalscienceexploringthenexusofeconomicsystemsandenvironmentalchange
AT brendanwintle equilibriummodelingforenvironmentalscienceexploringthenexusofeconomicsystemsandenvironmentalchange