Climate Change

ENE research on climate change focuses on analyses of potentially dangerous climate change impacts and of mitigation strategies that might limit GHG concentrations or global average temperature increases. Research focuses on how to decisively limit the risk of dangerous interference with the climate system by using flexible decarbonization strategies that are robust against multiple uncertainties. The salient questions are how such reductions might be achieved and by whom, and what the effects (economic, distributive, etc.) might be.

Results

•  Setting an ambitious target is important for limiting the risk of dangerous interference with the climate system with high likelihood.
• Flexibility of solutions is central for identifying decarbonization strategies that are robust against multiple uncertainties due, for example, to potential technological failure and the associated risks.
  
•  Present commitments in terms of GHG reductions are not sufficient to limit global temperature increase to 2°C compared with preindustrial times (with a likelihood of above 50%).

Last edited: 07 March 2012