Demand-side approaches for limiting global warming to 1.5 °C

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 consideratio...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Mundaca, L, Ürge-Vorsatz, D, Wilson, C
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: Springer Nature 2018
_version_ 1797107647916277760
author Mundaca, L
Ürge-Vorsatz, D
Wilson, C
author_facet Mundaca, L
Ürge-Vorsatz, D
Wilson, C
author_sort Mundaca, L
collection OXFORD
description 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.
first_indexed 2024-03-07T07:17:30Z
format Journal article
id oxford-uuid:e2e766ae-688e-4b10-8440-e62ef004743d
institution University of Oxford
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-07T07:17:30Z
publishDate 2018
publisher Springer Nature
record_format dspace
spelling oxford-uuid:e2e766ae-688e-4b10-8440-e62ef004743d2022-08-25T16:19:59ZDemand-side approaches for limiting global warming to 1.5 °CJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:e2e766ae-688e-4b10-8440-e62ef004743dEnglishSymplectic ElementsSpringer Nature2018Mundaca, LÜrge-Vorsatz, DWilson, CThe 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.
spellingShingle Mundaca, L
Ürge-Vorsatz, D
Wilson, C
Demand-side approaches for limiting global warming to 1.5 °C
title Demand-side approaches for limiting global warming to 1.5 °C
title_full Demand-side approaches for limiting global warming to 1.5 °C
title_fullStr Demand-side approaches for limiting global warming to 1.5 °C
title_full_unstemmed Demand-side approaches for limiting global warming to 1.5 °C
title_short Demand-side approaches for limiting global warming to 1.5 °C
title_sort demand side approaches for limiting global warming to 1 5 °c
work_keys_str_mv AT mundacal demandsideapproachesforlimitingglobalwarmingto15c
AT urgevorsatzd demandsideapproachesforlimitingglobalwarmingto15c
AT wilsonc demandsideapproachesforlimitingglobalwarmingto15c