What does the Paris climate change agreement mean for local policy? Downscaling the remaining global carbon budget to sub-national areas

Kuriakose, Jaise; Jones, Chris D.; Anderson, Kevin; McLachlan, Carly; Broderick, John

doi:10.1016/j.rset.2022.100030

Cited by 10 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…When considering multiple carbon budgets, derived under different methods and allocation principles from the global carbon budget for 1.5 °C (see Supplementary Note 1 ), the amount of reduction in car travel activity that is necessary is uncertain. For example, taking the UK carbon budgets from the CCC (for a 50% chance of meeting 1.5 °C and considered lenient among other carbon budgets 57 , 58 ) allows, in a small set of cases, for car travel activity to increase as ‘business as usual’, although this is at the expense of total emissions including electricity generation and embedded emissions. Therefore, to avoid emissions from car use entering other carbon budgets, car travel activity must be reduced significantly and urgently.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of sustainable mobility transition policies on cumulative urban transport emissions and energy demand

et al. 2023

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The growing urban transport sector presents towns and cities with an escalating challenge in the reduction of their greenhouse gas emissions. Here we assess the effectiveness of several widely considered policy options (electrification, light-weighting, retrofitting, scrapping, regulated manufacturing standards and modal shift) in achieving the transition to sustainable urban mobility in terms of their emissions and energy impact until 2050. Our analysis investigates the severity of actions needed to comply with Paris compliant regional sub-sectoral carbon budgets. We introduce the Urban Transport Policy Model (UTPM) for passenger car fleets and use London as an urban case study to show that current policies are insufficient to meet climate targets. We conclude that, as well as implementation of emission-reducing changes in vehicle design, a rapid and large-scale reduction in car use is necessary to meet stringent carbon budgets and avoid high energy demand. Yet, without increased consensus in sub-national and sectoral carbon budgets, the scale of reduction necessary stays uncertain. Nevertheless, it is certain we need to act urgently and intensively across all policy mechanisms available as well as developing new policy options.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of sustainable mobility transition policies on cumulative urban transport emissions and energy demand

et al. 2023

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“…Specific climate targets, responsibilities and powers for local areas on climate change, as recommended by the Climate Change Committee, Skidmore Review and many independent commentators [ 41 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Use of evidence and expertise in UK climate governance: The case of the Cumbrian Coal Mine

Willis

2024

UCL Open Environment

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There is a clear scientific consensus that no new coal mines can be developed, if the Paris Agreement to limit global temperature rises is to be met. Yet in December 2022, following a lengthy Public Inquiry, the UK Government approved the development of Woodhouse Colliery in Cumbria. In doing so, it accepted the claim that the coal mine would be ‘zero carbon’, and could even result in lower global emissions overall. As this paper demonstrates, there is no independent evidence to support these claims, whilst a large body of independent evidence comes to the opposite conclusion. This paper uses the example of Woodhouse Colliery to examine the use of evidence and expertise in climate governance processes. It finds that the nature of expertise and evidence is not properly considered, and that there is ambiguity and confusion surrounding the implementation of the UK’s climate legislation, particularly the Climate Change Act. It also finds that the ways in which the decision-making process solicited and assessed evidence was flawed, promoting a ‘false balance’. This ambiguity and false balance provide scope for developers to argue the case for destructive developments, even while claiming adherence to climate ambitions. The paper concludes by suggesting reforms to governance processes, to provide a more transparent and credible implementation of policies to achieve the UK’s net zero target. Suggested reforms include clearer rules governing fossil fuel phase-out; greater transparency and better handling of conflicts of interest in decision-making; and devolution of climate responsibilities to local areas.

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“…As regards OPCC, the method itself has not been peer-reviewed, but the assessment framework used in the competition has [46]. The main reference documents for validation, respectively, are [47], [48], and [19]. Figure 1 provides an overview on how validation was methodologically approached.…”

Section: Methods Sectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Enhancing comprehension of when and how each method can be best applied could promote broader adoption. For effective climate action planning, methodologies need to be not just scienti cally accurate (as much as this is possible given prevailing high uncertainties), but also pragmatically feasible, bridging the gap between climate science, practice, and policy [18,19].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The interpretation of science-based targets for cities - Validating Deadline 2020, One Planet City Challenge, and Tyndall Local Carbon Budget Tool

Schwanitz,

Wierling,

Paudler

et al. 2023

Preprint

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We scrutinize widely-used, distinct methods to set city-level climate goals: Deadline 2020, One Planet City Challenge, and Tyndall Local Carbon Budget Tool. Through meticulous verification and validation of data input, calculation processes, and documentation, the exercise assesses whether the methods are fit-for-purpose. Our results establish confidence in all methods but given limitations and high uncertainties involved around emission target setting, we conclude that reduction goals should be understood as reference points for targeting the highest level of ambitious action on the ground. We stress the precautionary principle, particularly in cities of the Global South, so that climate actions remain well-grounded, considering each city's capacity and influence. This overdue exercise emphasizes the need for transparent and multi-faceted methods, adaptable to different city contexts, to ensure continued effectiveness in guiding city-level climate action around the globe. We propose recommendations that emphasize multi-level governance and prioritize action through a more nuanced approach to evaluating and enhancing city climate targets.

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What does the Paris climate change agreement mean for local policy? Downscaling the remaining global carbon budget to sub-national areas

Cited by 10 publications

References 40 publications

The effect of sustainable mobility transition policies on cumulative urban transport emissions and energy demand

The effect of sustainable mobility transition policies on cumulative urban transport emissions and energy demand

Use of evidence and expertise in UK climate governance: The case of the Cumbrian Coal Mine

The interpretation of science-based targets for cities - Validating Deadline 2020, One Planet City Challenge, and Tyndall Local Carbon Budget Tool

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