ALBERT

Description: Air pollution has large impacts on the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH), affecting not just the health of people and ecosystems, but also climate, the cryosphere, monsoon patterns, water availability, agriculture, and incomes (established but incomplete). Although the available data are not comprehensive, they clearly show that the HKH receives significant amounts of air pollution from within and outside of the region, including the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP), a region where many rural areas are severely polluted. In addition, the HKH receives transboundary pollution from other parts of Asia. This chapter surveys the evidence on regional air pollution and considers options for reducing it, while underlining the need for regional collaboration in mitigation efforts. As described in Chap. 1, the HKH region is fragile and rapidly changing; while the outcome of the interplay of complex drivers is difficult to predict, it will have major consequences. That holds true for air pollution as well.

Description: Trade is the lifeblood of the global economy, but few would consider it a social good. Instead, our views on trade have polarized between two extremes: ‘free trade’ ideologues who regard trade as an end in itself, and ‘protectionists’ who view it as a destructive force to be contained. But there is another way to trade – one with the interests of people, not profit, at its heart. In this visionary work Christian Felber, founder of the Economy for the Common Good movement, offers a dazzling new paradigm for the global trading order. Confronting the ‘free trade religion’ which has reigned since Adam Smith, Felber champions an alternative approach in which trade serves the wider interests of society, incorporating the key issues of our time: human rights, climate change, and the growing divide richer and poorer countries. He proposes the groundbreaking idea of an ‘Ethical Trade Zone’, founded on a principled approach to tariffs and trade policies, and built with international cooperation on trade, taxation and labour.

Description: This paper describes and quantifies three different energy policy pathways for Spain’s energy transition: government-centred, represented by the socialist party (Partido Socialista Obrero Español, PSOE); market-centred, represented by the conservative party (Partido Popular, PP); and grassroots, represented by Unidas Podemos.

Description: Sufficiency is one important strategy for sustainable development. At an individual level, we need a better understanding of the relationship between sufficiency attitude and CO2 footprint. In this paper, we analyze sufficiency as a psychological determinant of low-carbon lifestyles and introduce an empirical measurement scale for individual sufficiency attitudes. Sufficiency aims at a total reduction of resource consumption, which is urgently needed to achieve our climate and sustainable development goals. This paper explores individual attitude towards a sufficiency-oriented lifestyle as a driver of a low carbon footprint. Survey data of 310 participants was analyzed to test whether individual sufficiency attitude manifests in people’s carbon footprint. The results provide evidence for this relationship but its strength varies between behavioral domains ‐ that is, heating, electricity, food consumption, everyday mobility, air travel. Potential structural and individual barriers to reducing CO2 emissions are discussed as possible factors that could explain differences between the behavioral domains. We argue that intrapersonal factors matter for sustainable lifestyles but that policy-making and structural change should complement and facilitate voluntary endeavors to achieve low-carbon lifestyles.

Description: The files include results to out study investigating the possibility for renewable electricity autarky in Europe. For each administrative unit on the continental, national, regional, and municipal levels these files include: * Name, country, population, current electricity demand, land cover statistics, shared coast with exclusive economic zone * Potential in terms of area [km2], installable capacity [MW], annual electricity yield [TWh]

Description: This paper proposes “making refuge” as a conceptual placeholder and an analytical rubric, a guiding ethos and praxis, for the engaged Buddhist aspiration of responding to the social, political, economic, and planetary crises facing the world. Making refuge is conceived as the work of building the conditions of trust and safety necessary for living and dying well together as co-inhabitants of diverse communities and habitats. The paper will explain the rationale for making refuge by connecting the dharmic understanding of dukkha with feminist conceptualizations of the body and vulnerability. This will chart some theoretical and methodological pathways for engaged Buddhism to further its liberatory aspirations in reciprocity with emergent movements in radical critical theory, contemplative studies, and social and ecological activism. The paper will also examine the effects of white supremacy in U.S. Buddhism through the framework of making refuge. This will demonstrate how political healing and restorative justice might be cultivated through a dispositional ethics that pays appropriate attention to the vulnerabilities facing oppressed people.

Description: This study analyses the employment impacts of different plans for expanding electricity generation in South Africa’s power sector; this was carried out in the context of the COBENEFITS1 project with the aim of assessing the co-benefits of a low-carbon energy transition in the country. Four scenarios for the future development of the electricity sector in South Africa were analysed: Council for Scientific and Industrial Research Least Cost planning scenario (CSIR_LC); Department of Environmental Affairs Rapid Decarbonisation scenario (DEA_RD); Integrated Resource Plan 2016 (IRP 2016); and Integrated Resource Plan Policy Adjusted scenario 2018 (IRP 2018).

Description: This policy brief makes three recommendations for strengthening international cooperation in support of a global energy transition.

Description: Humans have a long history of mobility on a spectrum from voluntary migration to forced displacement in response to social, political and environmental change. While many migration drivers exist, climate change is likely to amplify the environmental drivers of migration. At least 1.5°C of warming above pre-industrial levels between 2030 and 2052 are projected if global warming continues to increase at the current rate. The associated impacts are diverse and include temperature and precipitation extremes in most inhabited regions and increased probability of drought and flood. Migration can be an important and useful adaptive response to climate impacts when it increases household resilience and reduces socio-economic vulnerabilities, and yet can also have negative health consequences. The climate–migration–health nexus entails complex interactions including the following: first, climate-related risks to health faced by migrants at all stages of the migration journey. Second, the impacts of migration itself on health with possible specific health implications of climate-related migration. This article provides a brief overview of climate-related migration, identifies climate hotspots where substantial migration and displacement are anticipated and explores the health implications of climate-related migration.

Description: In recent years, manifold ways to deal with the ecological crisis are subsumed under the header “transition/ transformation to sustainability” or even “Great” transformation. This chapter critically discusses the current debate from the perspective of a Polanyian understanding of a Great Transformation. The authors argue that the current debate suffers from a narrow analytical approach to transformation ignoring the dynamics of global capitalism and the power relations involved. Thus, a “new critical orthodoxy” of knowledge about transformation is emerging which runs the danger of contributing to ecologizing capitalism while ignoring the root causes of social-ecological crises. Based on Polanyi, but also on regulation theory, the authors distinguish between three types of transformation which focus either on an adaptation of the current institutional systems or on a new phase of green capitalism. Beside these two types, however, a post-capitalist Great Transformation requires more profound structural changes and exceeds the accumulation imperative as much as other structural constraints of capitalist development.

Description: The world going low carbon is believed to put an end to petrostates, and to force incumbent oil producers to diversify their economies away from fossil fuels. This article challenges this assumption. Whether petrostates are in for the long game or end up with a ‘panic and pump’ strategy, it is argued, is a function of the lifting costs and the social costs of producing oil. What is more, the low‐carbon energy transition may well throw petrostates an additional lifeline, as fast decarbonizing OECD countries will shed some of their most energy‐intensive sectors, including refineries and petrochemicals, which opens up new export opportunities. Particularly for Middle Eastern petrostates it may therefore be very rational to further specialize in the high‐carbon segment. The policy challenge, therefore, will be twofold: managing a rapidly changing energy system in order to secure the transformation dividends it will bring, for human security and economic welfare; and balancing the (geo) political after pains of the incumbent fuels leaving the system.

Description: Profound societal transformations are needed to move society from unsustainability to greater sustainability under continually changing social and environmental conditions. A key challenge is to understand the influences on and the dynamics of collective behavior change toward sustainability. In this paper we describe our approach to (1) understanding how affective narrative expressions influence transitions to more sustainable collective behaviors and (2) how that understanding, as well as the potential for using narrative expressions in modeling of social movements, can become a basis for improving community responses to change in a rapidly changing world. Our focus is on narratives that express visions of desirable futures and narratives that reflect individual and social identities, on the cultures and contexts in which they are embedded, exchanged, and modified, and through which they influence the dynamics of social movements toward sustainability. Using an analytical categorization of narrative expressions of case studies in the Caribbean, Micronesia, and Africa, we describe insights derived from the narratives of vision and social identities in diverse communities. Finally, we suggest that narrative expressions may provide a basis for agent-based modeling to expand thinking about potential development pathways of social movements for sustainable futures.

Description: Climate has for a long time been a taken-for-granted background against which social, political and economic interactions have taken place. But this taken-for-granted background is cleaving. It is becoming hard to ignore the potential repercussions of a changing climate, and the uneven impact of certain forms of human society and energy cultures that risk undermining their own environmental conditions.In a comprehensive and accessible way, this book:Drawing on the insights of various disciplines and citing numerous examples, Society and Climate probes the interplay between society, science and climate, and warns against making any easy assumptions.

Description: Stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI) as a solar radiation management (SRM) technology may provide a cost-effective means of avoiding some of the worst impacts of climate change, being perhaps orders of magnitude less expensive than greenhouse gas emissions mitigation. At the same time, SAI technologies have deeply uncertain economic and environmental impacts and complex ethical, legal, political, and international relations ramifications. Robust governance strategies are needed to manage the many potential benefits, risks, and uncertainties related to SAI. This perspective reviews the International Risk Governance Council (IRGC)’s guidelines for emerging risk governance (ERG) as an approach for responsible consideration of SAI, given the IRGC’s experience in governing other more conventional risks. We examine how the five steps of the IRGC’s ERG guidelines would address the complex, uncertain, and ambiguous risks presented by SAI. Diverse risks are identified in Step 1, scenarios to amplify or dissipate the risks are identified in Step 2, and applicable risk management options identified in Step 3. Steps 4 and 5 involve implementation and review by risk managers within an established organization. For full adoption and promulgation of the IRGC’s ERG guidelines, an international consortium or governing body (or set of bodies) should be tasked with governance and oversight. This Perspective provides a first step at reviewing the risk governance tasks that such a body would undertake and contributes to the growing literature on best practices for SRM governance.

Description: The natural capital of the vast deep ocean is significant yet not well quantified. The ecosystem services provided by the deep sea provide a wide range of benefits to humanity. Proposed deep-sea economic activities such as fishing, deep-sea mining and bioprospecting therefore need to be assessed in this context. In addition to quantifying the economic benefits and costs of such activities on their own, their potential impact on the deep-sea natural capital also needs to be considered. This article describes such a natural capital approach, identifies relevant ecosystem services and looks at how a range of proposed commercial activities could be assessed in this context. It suggests a methodology for such analysis and suggests an approach to a sustainable blue deep-sea economy that is consistent with environmental precaution. It will close with suggestions of how potential risks can best be handled. The article aims to show that modern environmental economics based on natural capital can provide a useful framework for deciding future deep-sea efforts.

Description: The role of investor countries remains poorly understood in the contemporary “land grab” debate. This book provides a comparative historical-institutional and politico-economic account of “land grabbing” from a home country perspective. Specifically, the book investigates large-scale land acquisitions from two investor countries: the UK and China. The regional focus is on Sub-Saharan Africa, a major target of such land-consuming investments since 2000. The assessment provides an empirical-analytical account of 40 Chinese and British “land grab” projects that occurred during 2000-2015. It also reviews the specific details of the home country’s industrial set-up, development challenges, ideological framing, political economy, and significant events critical to understanding what is happening. The book advances three arguments: Firstly, it shows that Chinese outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) mentioned in the “land grab” literature reflects the demands of the country’s resource-intensive and market-dependent manufacturing industry, and is part of economic upgrading. In the case of the UK, large-scale land acquisitions occur in response to reforms in the host countries, to international and domestic energy and climate policies, and to reindustrialization efforts. Secondly, the comparative analysis reveals that in spite of their politico-economic differences, both countries share many similarities, such as the multiplicity of agencies, structures, and events involved, the guiding ideology in place, and the institutional framework supporting such OFDI projects. Notably, both countries’ governments consider outward foreign direct investments (of which “land grabs” form a part) as a strategic instrument to pursue particular national development ambitions. These projects allegedly “push the limits” of profitable business and/or social mobility in an increasingly globalized economy, and serve as a tool to “fight the limits” of national development trajectories that cannot provide sufficient (and good) jobs, erode the national resource base, and are strongly vulnerable in their reliance on export markets. Thirdly, the book reviews the main features of late 19th century colonial and imperial practices, to be aware of important factors and dynamics in the evaluation of contemporary land acquisitions.

Description: A major hurdle for implementing CCU technologies is often their economic viability as well as the social acceptance for using such technologies. Therefore, assessments regarding the economic and social impacts of CCU technologies are needed. Being among the biggest emitters of anthropogenic CO2, the cement industry requires affordable pathways towards a sustainable future. CCU technologies could potentially contribute to this direction. A technological concept developed in this field is the so called "accelerated carbonation" process. Hereby, CO2 is reacted with activated minerals to form carbonates. The carbonates could potentially be used for multiple purposes, such as fillers or cement additives or for land reclamation projects. Some policy advice reports use the accelerated carbonation process as a positive example for the utilization of CO2 as a feedstock, because unlike most other CCU concepts, the carbonation reaction is energetically favorable. Although the concept is not new, the accelerated carbonation routes lack detailed and comparable economic assessments in literature. In this contribution, economic assessments of several carbonation routes will be presented, uncovering the advantages of certain routes towards an economically viable implementation. Moreover, the evaluation of the circumstances under which these novel technologies become economically feasible as well as the analysis of key factors which can be influenced in order to promote economic feasibility will be investigated. Understanding the economics of accelerated carbonation routes is essential for their further development and deployment in the context of broader sustainability strategies.

Description: A comprehensive overview is provided evaluating direct real-world CO2 emissions of both diesel and petrol cars newly registered in Europe between 1995 and 2015. Before 2011, European diesel cars emitted less CO2 per kilometre than petrol cars, but since then there is no appreciable difference in per-km CO2 emissions between diesel and petrol cars. Real-world CO2 emissions of diesel cars have not declined appreciably since 2001, while the CO2 emissions of petrol cars have been stagnant since 2012. When adding black carbon related CO2-equivalents, such as from diesel cars without particulate filters, diesel cars were discovered to have had much higher climate relevant emissions until the year 2001 when compared to petrol cars. From 2001 to 2015 CO2-equivalent emissions from new diesel cars and petrol cars were hardly distinguishable. Lifetime use phase CO2-equivalent emissions of all European passenger vehicles were modelled for 1995–2015 based on three scenarios: the historic case, another scenario freezing percentages of diesel cars at the low levels from the early 1990s (thus avoiding the observed “boom” in new diesel registrations), and an advanced mitigation scenario based on high proportions of petrol hybrid cars and cars burning gaseous fuels. The difference in CO2-equivalent emissions between the historical case and the scenario avoiding the diesel car boom is only 0.3%. The advanced mitigation scenario would have been able to achieve a 3.4% reduction in total CO2-equivalent emissions over the same time frame. The European diesel car boom appears to have been ineffective at reducing climate-warming emissions from the European transport sector.

Description: In search for sustainability of the oceans, the concept of resilience arises as a necessary perspective from which to analyse what course of action to take. Resilience refers to the capacity of a system to absorb change, but also to adapt and develop in face of those changes. Resilience thinking has recently permeated the sphere of legal studies, and the two fields have been interested in exploring the impact they have on one another. To explore this interaction further in the context of the management of the oceans, the present paper looks at areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ) as a socio-ecological system. It argues that the law can be a tool for improving the resilience of a system, but that it must, for that purpose, be able to ensure at least some adaptive capacity. In light of the upcoming, consolidated regime for the sustainable management of biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) through the development of an internationally legally binding agreement on the topic, and considering the uncertainty surrounding our knowledge of ABNJ, this paper suggests to look at the BBNJ agreement from the perspective of resilience thinking. The paper explores how this perspective could bring new insights to the development of the BBNJ agreement, as well as the emerging literature linking law and resilience.

Description: Early in October, the German government introduced its “climate package.” It is a comprehensive bill aimed at reducing the country’s greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing a sustainable energy transformation, especially in sectors that have not succeeded in these tasks so far: Transportation, buildings, and industry. The bill features annual emission budgets for each sector that are in line with the country’s goal of reducing overall emissions to 55-56 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. Among the proposed measures to support these reductions are a carbon price, a tax break for train tickets and building retrofits, and tax credits for commuters. NGOs and think tanks are heavily criticizing the bill for its lack of ambition and the laxity of its instruments. The carbon price has been deemed far too low to be effective, the compliance mechanisms to enforce each sector’s emission budget as well as the external monitoring mechanisms too weak. Overall, experts agree, the bill fails to trigger the large-scale transformation necessary in Germany to ensure Germany’s compliance with its 2030 targets.

Description: This book systematically introduces historical trajectories and dynamics of environmental policy and governance in India. Following the features of environmental policy in India as outlined in Chapter 1, subsequent chapters explore domestic and international factors that shape environmental policy in the country. The chapters examine the interplay between governmental and non-governmental actors, and the influence of social mobilisation and institutions on environmental policy and governance. Analysing various policy trajectories, the chapters identify and explore five central environmental policy subsystems: forests, water, climate, energy and city development. The authors drill down into the social, economic, political and ecological dimensions of each system, shedding light on why striking a balance between national economic growth and environmental sustainability is so challenging. Drawing on political science theories of policy processes and related theoretical concepts, this innovative edited volume will be of great interest to students and scholars of environmental policy and politics and South Asian studies more broadly.

Description: This report presents the results of the third and the last workshop in the series “Yamal 2040” organised within Blue-Action work package WP5 “Delivering and valuing climate and information services”. The Blue-Action team at the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) in cooperation with the Primakov National Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Science (IMEMO) and Foresight Intelligence, and with inputs provided by the National Oceanographic Center (UKRI-NOC) and the M. Obukhov Institute of Atmospheric Physics Russian Academy of Sciences (IAP-RAS) in the Blue-Action work package WP2 “Lower latitude drivers of Arctic changes” developed forward-looking scenarios to better understand the risks and opportunities associated with multiple developments in the Arctic and help stakeholders to adapt to them. This case study looks at a specific region, the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug in Arctic Russia (YNAO or Yamal region), a region with substantial ongoing and planned petroleum and shipping activities. Together with stakeholder groups, the team has co-developed a suite of scenarios to describe possible futures for this region in 2040 by incorporating cutting edge climate predictions with environmental, social and cultural concerns, economic opportunities, and political and legal developments. The scenarios are the outcome of a truly co-design and co-development process involving partners, stakeholders and using various foresight methods tailored to the project’s needs. These methods allow to constructively deal with cognitive biases, thus enabling participants to think out of the box when planning the future. This approach is very helpful in tackling complex issues linked to numerous interacting uncertainties.

Description: Die soziale Bewegung der Gemeinwohl-Ökonomie (GWÖ) fordert, dass jegliches Wirtschaften dem Gemeinwohl dienen soll. Mit Blick auf einen Mangel an Forschung zur Praxis gemeinwohlorientierten Wirtschaftens haben wir Interviews mit GWÖ-Unternehmen durchgeführt. Wir beleuchten die Eigenschaften und Praktiken gemeinwohlorientierter Unternehmen und diskutieren, warum die GWÖ ein attraktives CSR-Instrument für kleine und mittlere Unternehmen ist.

Description: The Economy for the Common Good (ECG) is a social movement that claims that all economic activity should serve the common good. Addressing the lack of research on the common good approach in entrepreneurial practice, we conducted interviews with companies that have joined the ECG. We illuminate common good-oriented companies’ characteristics and practices and discuss why the ECG is an attractive CSR tool for small and medium-sized companies.

Description: While Marchetti (1977) was the first to propose using ocean density currents to transport and store anthropogenic carbon dioxide in the deep ocean, “marine geoengineering” first came to widespread public attention in 1990 when global headlines announced US ocean scientist John Martin idea that ocean fertilization could be used to enhance biological carbon dioxide uptake and storage to counteract carbon dioxide induced global warming. It came to widespread public attention again in 2007 due to a proposed ocean iron fertilization activity, planned as a commercial venture by Planktos Inc., off the Galapagos Islands. Such ventures have since taken place in the North-East Pacific off Canada and have been planned for the western seaboard of South America off Chile. The Contracting Parties to the London Convention and London Protocol (LC/LP) expressed concern about the marine environmental impacts of the proposed activity off the Galapagos. In 2008 the Parties adopted a resolution deciding that ocean fertilization activities other than legitimate scientific research should be considered as contrary to the aims of both instruments. Subsequently, due to ongoing interest in marine geoengineering, the LP was amended in 2013 to regulate ocean fertilization activities. These amendments also enable the Parties to regulate other marine geoengineering activities within the scope of the LP by listing them in the new Annex 4 of the Protocol. Thus, the LP has a governance framework that potentially can be applied to newly emerging marine geoengineering technologies. Objectives In the light of the growing interest in marine geoengineering techniques and the LP amendment, GESAMP decided that a Working Group (WG) was needed to: 1 Better understand the potential environmental (and socio-economic) impacts of different marine geoengineering approaches; and 2 Provide advice to the London Protocol Parties to assist them in identifying those marine geoengineering techniques that it might be sensible to consider for listing in the new Annex 4 of the Protocol. Establishment of WG 41 The WG was established and comprised mainly natural scientists with wide-ranging expertise relevant to marine geoengineering, along with a smaller group of experts from economics and political sciences. The preliminary and main findings are reported here.

Description: Exhibiting the fastest growth among all fuels in the electricity sector, renewables are about to fundamentally change the energy system. This change is hoped to bring about important social and economic co-benefits, including sustainable and affordable energy for all, green job opportunities, and increased human health and wellbeing. But there may also be some fundamentally political implications of the low carbon shift. This is what a high level group of global leaders was tasked to look into, the result of which was published in their recent report titled A New World The Geopolitics of the Energy Transformation, published by IRENA, the international renewable energy agency. To be sure, the IRENA report is not the first one to ponder the geopolitics of the low carbon transition. For example, a recent book took a deeper look into the geopolitics of renewables, Harvard’s Belfer Center put together a group to tackle similar questions, Nature, the journal, featured a piece on low carbon policy risk, and a recent paper offers some important conceptual insights for the fate of oil producer economies whose business case might wither away. But the report by the Global Commission is the first one which comes close to representing a political document. So what do we learn from it?

Description: In relation to organizational performance measurement, there is a growing concern about the creation of value for people, society and the environment. The traditional corporate reporting does not adequately satisfy the information needs of stakeholders for assessing an organization’s past and future potential performance. Practitioners and scholars have developed new non-financial reporting frameworks from a social and environmental perspective, giving birth to the field of Integrated Reporting (IR). The Economy for the Common Good (ECG) model and its tools to facilitate sustainability management and reporting can provide a framework to do it. The present study depicts the theoretical foundations from the business administration field research on which the ECG model relies. Moreover, this paper is the first one that empirically validates such measurement scales by applying of Exploratory Factor Analysis on a sample of 206 European firms. Results show that two out of five dimensions are appropriately defined, along with some guidelines to refine the model. Consequently, it allows knowledge to advance as it assesses the measurement scales’ statistical validity and reliability. However, as this is the first quantitative-driven research on the ECG model, the authors’ future research will confirm the present results by means of Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA).

Description: The chapter studies the main features of U.S. energy policy in its emerging international policy dimension. It contrasts the energy policy of Donald Trump with energy and climate policy making under the Obama administration and with the approach in California, highlighting the domestic struggles sustainable energy and climate protection are facing in the U.S.

Description: Despite their increasing cost competitiveness, the continued expansion of renewable energy remains dependent on policy support. Moreover, the dismantling of renewable energy policies in a number of former pioneer countries indicates that continued policy support is not a foregone conclusion. Yet, in light of the accelerating expansion of renewable energy, the dismantling of renewable energy policies has captured comparatively less attention than the rapid spread of support schemes. This article seeks to fill this important knowledge gap by developing and testing a framework for the analysis of policy dismantling processes in the renewable energy sector. It applies the framework to conduct a comparative analysis of policy dismantling in Spain and the Czech Republic. Both countries represent European pioneers of renewable energy support who subsequently dismantled their policies. The paper finds that the inter-relationship between policy design and the broader configuration of the political economy in the energy sector are key for understanding dismantling processes. It offers a number of conclusions for the design of more robust renewable energy support policies.

Description: The lack of a comprehensive, up-to-date emission inventory for the Himalayan region is a major challenge in understanding the extensive regional air pollution, including its causes, impacts and mitigation pathways. This study describes a high-resolution (1 km × 1 km) present-day emission inventory for Nepal, developed with a higher-tier approach. The complete study is divided into two parts; this paper covers technologies and combustion sources in residential, industrial, commercial, agricultural diesel-use and transport sectors as Part I (NEEMI-Tech), while emissions from the open burning of municipal waste and agricultural residue in fields and fugitive emissions from waste management, paddy fields, enteric fermentation and manure management for the period 2001–2016 will be covered in Part II (NEEMI-Open). The national total energy consumption (except hydropower, solar and wind energy) estimated in the base year 2011 was 374 PJ, with the residential sector being the largest energy consumer (79 %), followed by industry (11 %) and the transport sector (7 %). Biomass is the dominant energy source, contributing to 88 % of the national total energy consumption, while the rest is from fossil fuel. A total of 8.9 Tg of CO2, 110 Gg of CH4, 2.1 Gg of N2O, 64 Gg of NOx, 1714 Gg of CO, 407 Gg of NMVOCs, 195 Gg of PM2.5, 23 Gg of BC, 83 Gg of OC and 24 Gg of SO2 emissions were estimated in 2011 from the five energy-use sectors considered in NEEMI-Tech. The Nepal emission inventory provides, for the first time, temporal trends of fuel and energy consumption and associated emissions in Nepal for a long period, 2001–2016. The energy consumption showed an increase by a factor of 1.6 in 2016 compared to 2001, while the emissions of various species increased by a factor of 1.2–2.4. An assessment of the top polluting technologies shows particularly high emissions from traditional cookstoves and space-heating practices using biomass. In addition, high emissions were also computed from fixed-chimney Bull's trench kilns (FCBTKs) in brick production, cement kilns, two-wheeler gasoline vehicles, heavy-duty diesel freight vehicles and kerosene lamps. The monthly analysis shows December, January and February as periods of high PM2.5 emissions from the technology-based sources considered in this study. Once the full inventory including open burning and fugitive sources (Part II) is available, a more complete picture of the strength and temporal variability in the emissions and sources will be possible. Furthermore, the large spatial variation in the emissions highlights the pockets of growing urbanization, which emphasize the importance of the detailed knowledge about the emission sources that this study provides. These emissions will be of value for further studies, especially air-quality-modeling studies focused on understanding the likely effectiveness of air pollution mitigation measures in Nepal.

Description: The Anthropocene concept allows human history to be imagined within the temporal framework of planetary processes. Accordingly, some environmentalists increasingly favour massively lengthening the temporal horizons of moral concern. Whilst there are defensible reasons for doing so, I wish to take issue with the ‘secular time’ perspective underlying some such approaches. To make my case, I present, in the first section, two recent manifestations of the long view perspective: a) ‘deep future’ narratives in popular climate science and futurism; b) the ideas behind the Long Now Foundation. In the second section, I apply a critical lens to these perspectives via classic analyses of secular time by Charles Taylor, Hannah Arendt and Giorgio Agamben. I conclude by suggesting that these post-secular critiques should be considered alongside recent approaches to the Anthropocene and the ‘geological turn’ from new materialist perspectives.

Description: This study quantifies the expenditure savings that may be achieved by residential and commercial consumers in South Africa when installing rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems with the aim of consuming most of the resulting electricity directly (henceforth termed self-consumption); the study was carried out in the context of the COBENEFITS project with the aim of assessing the co-benefits of a low-carbon energy transition in South Africa.

Description: Energy Transition towards a low-carbon emission energy system has been a long-term strategy for Germany and China. Both countries are expected to take the lead on the global effort to achieve clean energy and greenhouse gas emissions reduction. Although Germany and China have different characteristics, international-level strategic cooperation is essential for meeting the goals of both local and global energy transition. However, until now, no comparable research for energy transition in Germany and China exists in a peer-reviewed journal. In order to close this knowledge gap, a critical review was conducted and then some recommendations were proposed. First of all, after reviewing the background, milestones, current situation and challenges, we found infrastructure, policy instruments and market reform played the key roles in the transition process in Germany and China. While nuclear power and coal are likely to be abandoned in Germany, China has more ambition beyond the power sector and to reach self-sufficiency. As the two countries chosen different concepts and pathways to achieve their transition targets, there is great opportunity for them to take the lessons from each other. Germany and China need cooperation at multi-levels varies from politic, economic, scientific to public. Then, recommendations are presented on how to further foster cooperation and enable an energy transition.

Description: We propose creating and maintaining records of engagement and decision-making (RoED) to help us and our communities better understand ourselves, our goals, our decisions, and the dynamic systems in which we all live. The purpose of RoED is to go well beyond noting that dialogue occurred or a decision was reached. The records should, in ways appropriate to the context and participants, document interactions and note biases, beliefs, emotions, behaviors, norms, and values. These crucial aspects are generally absent in academic papers and formal reports, yet they always play a role in decision-making processes. While not a panacea for addressing critical biophysical and social challenges, we propose that a comprehensive framework for promoting realistic, legitimate and inclusive engagement could enhance trust, establish institutional memory, and when and where appropriate, ensure greater transparency. The aim is to create and maintain RoED to collect significant information and share insights from multi-stakeholder decision-making processes from diverse institutions, contexts, and disciplinary domains. In the long-term RoED could promote more effective adaptive management or governance approaches. This paper describes an exploratory phase intended to catalyze collaborative efforts worldwide.

Description: Following more than a decade of informal deliberations, States at the United Nations (UN)are currently negotiating an “international legally binding instrument for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction” (“BBNJ Agreement”). The negotiations aim to strengthen the international legal framework for the protection and management of the global ocean by addressing gaps in the current framework and building on existing obligations under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to cooperate to protect and preserve the marine environment and conserve marine living resources. This policy brief explores how integrated ecosystem-based management (EBM) in marine areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ) can be advanced at the regional level and how the BBNJ Agreement can build on experiences in other legally binding agreements to strengthen regional cooperation, coordination and coherence. To this end, five building blocks are identified: 1. A robust global body such as a Conference of Parties capable of taking decisions and adopting recommendations; 2. A suite of regional mechanisms for integrated policy development and coordination; 3. Effective science-policy advisory mechanisms; 4. Overarching environmental obligations and principles; and 5. Operational principles to ensure good governance. A review of the current President’s draft text of the BBNJ Agreement highlights where the text could be strengthened to advance EBM. In particular, the BBNJ Agreement could draw inspiration from a range of existing instruments and craft specific obligations to: cooperate to promote in-situ conservation of ecosystems and natural habitats; mainstream biodiversity into all decision-making bodies and processes; and strengthen regional cooperation by supporting existing institutions and by building cross-sectoral platforms for cooperation.

Description: The overall aim of WP2 is to understand both the actual and possible application of the precautionary principle in eight different cases, and explain potential commonalities and differences in the application of the precautionary principle in the cases. This analysis should reflect the particular context of the case and reveal the arguments that have been used for invoking the precautionary principle and/or adopting precautionary measures (even without mentioning the precautionary principle). The multiple case study component of the RECIPES project is one of the key analytical phases of the project. Within the scope of the entire RECIPES project, WP2 builds on aspects of WP1, in particular the final WP1 report taking stock of the precautionary principle since 2000. The outputs of WP2 will feed directly into WP3, with the aim of the development of new tools and approaches to the PP in a co-creation approach. This document is intended for the individual case study analysis, and does not directly inform the cross-case comparison analysis which will take place in task 2.4.

Description: Vietnam has the opportunity to transition towards low-carbon planning pathways within the power sector that emphasise the uptake of renewable energy technologies – especially solar and wind, which are experiencing rapid cost declines in Vietnam and globally. However, the impact on employment, both in the power sector and more widely, needs to be effectively understood and prepared for by various actors and decision makers in the country. This study analyses the employment impacts of various scenarios for expanding electricity generation in Vietnam’s power sector; this was carried out in the context of the COBENEFITS project with the aim of assessing the co-benefits of a low-carbon energy transition in the country. Four scenarios are analysed for the future development of the power sector in Vietnam: Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) revised seventh Power Development Plan (PDP 7 (rev)); Danish Energy Agency Stated Policy (DEA Stated Policies); Asian Development Bank “Pathways to low-carbon development for Vietnam” low-carbon scenario (ADB Low-Carbon); and the Green Innovation and Development Centre (GreenID) Base and Renewable Energy (Base & Renew En) scenario. This report presents the resulting employment effects, presuming that the electricity sector focuses on all power generation technologies outlined in the government’s official power sector plan. It also provides an initial assessment of the skill requirements, attainment levels and technical training required for Vietnam’s present power sector plans and future low-carbon power sector ambitions. The four scenarios consider timelines consistent with MOIT’s reporting of the PDP 7 (rev) scenario, which is between the years 2015 and 2030.

Description: Social and sustainability reporting in universities and research institutes is still in its early stages compared to CSR reporting in corporations. Nevertheless, a growing number of institutions of higher education seek ways to integrate sustainability into their internal processes. The Economy for the Common Good (ECG) balance sheet provides a framework to measure an organizations’ contribution to the common good, focussing on dignity, solidarity, sustainability, justice and democracy. This paper presents case studies of the experiences of the International Graduate Center at City University of Applied Sciences Bremen (IGC) and the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) in Potsdam with adapting the ECG framework for strategic management and as an orientation for teaching. It will discuss the challenges in the development of an ECG-based social and sustainability reporting framework, particularly regarding the adaption of the ECG balance sheet which has been originally designed for corporations. Furthermore, the paper will put the ECG framework in relation to other evaluation methods, and outline the impact it has had on major stakeholder groups like students, faculty, staff, and the way in which organisational change has occurred and led to improved accountability and changes in sustainability performance in an academic setting.

Description: This chapter is mainly based on the "Techno-Economic Assessment and Life Cycle Assessment Guidelines for CO2 Utilisation" written by the authors. This chapter provides a brief introduction to techno-economic assessment (TEA) and life cycle assessment (LCA) for CO2 utilisation, and all topics are explained in further detail in the Guidelines mentioned above.

Description: The Future Fund meets three essential criteria for transformations to sustainability: It is underpinned by socially and ecologically sustainable finance model; investments made through the Future Fund reflect the priorities of a socio-ecological transformation; and part of its resources and possible returns are used to reduce social inequalities in the transition to sustainability.

Description: The Digital Revolution, including technologies such as virtual and augmented reality, additive manufacturing or 3D-printing, (general purpose) artificial intelligence, or the Internet of Things, has entered the public discourse in many countries. Looking back, it is almost impossible to believe that digitalization is barely featured in the 2030 Agenda or the Paris Agreement. It is increasingly clear that digital changes, we refer to them as the Digital Revolution, are becoming a key driving force in societal transformation. The transformation towards sustainability for all must be harmonized with the threats, opportunities and dynamics of the Digital Revolution, the goals of the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement. At the same time, the digital transformation will radically alter all dimensions of global societies and economies and will therefore change the interpretation of the sustainability paradigm itself. Digitalization is not only an ‘instrument’ to resolve sustainability challenges, it is also fundamental as a driver of disruptive change. This report that focuses on the Digital Revolution is the second one by The World in 2050 (TWI2050) that was established by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) and other partners to provide scientific foundations for the 2030 Agenda. This report is based on the voluntary and collaborative effort of more than 50 authors and contributors from about 20 institutions, and some 100 independent experts from academia, business, government, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations from all the regions of the world, who met four times at IIASA to develop science-based strategies and pathways toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Presentations of the TWI2050 approach and work have been made at many international meetings such as the United Nations Science, Technology and Innovation Forums and the United Nations High-level Political Forums. In 2018, the first report by TWI2050 on Transformations to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals identified Six Exemplary Transformations needed to achieve the SDGs and long-term sustainability to 2050 and beyond: i) Human Capacity & Demography; ii) Consumption & Production; iii) Decarbonization & Energy, iv) Food, Biosphere & Water; v) Smart Cities and vi) Digital Revolution. The focus of this report is the Sixth Transformation, The Digital Revolution. Although it is arguably the single greatest enabler of sustainable development, it has, in the past, helped create many negative externalities like transgression of planetary boundaries. Progress on the SDGs will be facilitated if we can build and implement detailed science, technology and innovation (STI) roadmaps at all levels that range from local to global. STI is a forceful driver of change connected to all 17 SDGs. The Digital Revolution provides entirely new and enhanced capacities and thus serves as a major force in shaping both the systemic context of transformative change and future solutions; at the same time it potentially carries strong societal disruptive power if not handled with caution, care, and innovativeness. This report assesses all the positive potential benefits digitalization brings to sustainable development for all. It also highlights the potential negative impacts and challenges going forward, particularly for those impacted by the ‘digital divide’ that excludes primarily people left behind during the Industrial Revolution like the billion that go hungry every night and the billion who do not have access to electricity. The report outlines the necessary preconditions for a successful digital transformation, including prosperity, social inclusion, environmental sustainability and good governance. Importantly it outlines some of the dramatic social implications associated with an increasingly digital future. It also covers a topic that so far has not been sufficiently dealt with in the cross-over discussions between sustainability and the Digital Revolution, that is, the considerations about related governance aspects.

Description: The IASS – and the research project Co-creation and Contemporary Policy Advice, in particular – aim to support policymakers in their efforts to address complex societal challenges within the context of a broad transformation towards sustainability. These challenges are interwoven with other issues and embedded within dynamic contexts that are characterized by a high degree of uncertainty, making it difficult to develop a unified approach to their resolution. In response to this, this IASS Discussion Paper presents a model for the development of co-creative policy advice that is intended to support actors from policymaking and public administration in addressing such complex challenges. The primary goal of the process outlined here is the development, in cooperation with relevant stakeholders, of an in-depth understanding of a specific challenge – before appropriate strategies and measures for its resolution are put in place. The insights gained in this scoping process shape the development of tailored solution generation processes and the allocation of public procurement contracts for the implementation of societal transformation processes. In this approach, the policy advice process begins well before potential solutions are developed and presented to policymakers and administrative bodies. Rather, this model responds to the need to develop an integrated understanding of societal challenges in close cooperation with the people and institutions affected on the ground before public procurement processes for their resolution are launched.

Description: The report highlights the fact that many of the world’s most pressing problems are also incredibly complex — including climate change, environmental pollution, economic crises and the digital transformation of societies. What’s more, the scientific knowledge around these areas can often be uncertain or contested. Science is one of many sources of knowledge that inform policy. Its unique strength is that it is based on rigorous enquiry, continuous analysis and debate, providing a set of evidence that can be respected as valid, relevant and reliable. Science advice supports effective policymaking by providing the best available knowledge, which can then be used to understand a specific problem, generate and evaluate policy options and monitor results of policy implementation. It also provides meaning to the discussion around critical topics within society. The advice works best when it is guided by the ideal of co-creation of knowledge and policy options between scientists and policymakers. The relationship between science advisers and policymakers relies on building mutual trust, where both scientists and policymakers are honest about their values and goals. Scientific knowledge should always inform societal debate and decision-making. Citizens often have their own experiences of the policy issue under consideration and should be included in the ongoing process of deliberation between scientists, policymakers and the public.

Description: Five U.S. B-52 Bombers were conducting a training mission on March 28 high over the Norwegian Sea in the Arctic Ocean. F-16 fighter jets from Norway were also aloft, part of joint NATO exercises involving 10,000 troops in northern Sweden. Unexpectedly, two Russian Tu-160 bombers crossed into the same airspace. Surprised, Norway scrambled the F-16s to follow the interlopers.

Description: Even though unit costs for renewable energy have fallen sharply, there’s clearly more finance needed for mitigation and adaptation. The least developed countries still don’t have the technologies they need. Can the private sector deliver, or should governments and the UN intervene?

Description: Today, representative politics are often perceived as being primarily concerned with short-term goals. Moreover, the future appears to be pre-determined by economic or technological necessities. This ‘closing’ of the future, however, becomes increasingly problematic in the face of global existential crises, such as environmental depletion and climate change. These catastrophic developments could only be mitigated by immediate, decisive political interventions, which would amount to systemic changes that redirect technological research and economic activities. This article seeks to outline how political theory and philosophy can contribute to “(re-)Politicizing the Future”. I argue that political thought should take temporality, and in particular futurity, as a central conceptual and methodological concern. Drawing on the works of prominent twentieth century thinkers such as Hannah Arendt, Stanley Cavell, and Jacques Derrida, I want to develop a deepened analytical understanding of the possibility for a ‘future directed’ political thought which highlights intrinsic connections between sustainability and democracy.

Description: In this article, I aim to delineate the genesis and analytical scope of risk governance. Risk governance pertains to the various ways in which many actors, individuals and institutions, public and private, deal with risks surrounded by uncertainty, complexity and/or ambiguity. The ambition is that risk governance provides a conceptual as well as normative basis for how to deal responsibly with complex risks. I propose to synthesize the body of scholarly ideas and proposals on the governance of risks in a set of management regimes: the combination of risk-based, precautionary and discourse-based management regimes. This set of regimes should be read as a synthesis of what needs to be seriously considered in organizing structures and processes to govern risks and to include stakeholders in the assessment and evaluation of risks.

Description: Against the backdrop of natural hazards and disaster risks, the Sendai Framework articulates the need for improved understanding of disaster risk in all its dimensions of exposure, vulnerability and hazard characteristics as well as the strengthening of disaster risk governance (UNISDR, 2015). The report introduces the perspective of systemic risks and demonstrates how this perspective contributes to the goals of the Sendai Framework by highlighting the systemic aspects of disaster risks. The report proposes the concept of inclusive risk governance for improved disaster risk governance. Finally, the report puts forward policy recommendations for disaster risk governance.

Description: The Tibetan Plateau and its surroundings are known as the Third Pole (TP). This region is noted for its high rates of glacier melt and the associated hydrological shifts that affect water supplies in Asia. Atmospheric pollutants contribute to climatic and cryospheric changes through their effects on solar radiation and the albedos of snow and ice surfaces; moreover, the behavior and fates within the cryosphere and environmental impacts of environmental pollutants are topics of increasing concern. In this review, we introduce a coordinated monitoring and research framework and network to link atmospheric pollution and cryospheric changes (APCC) within the TP region. We then provide an up-to-date summary of progress and achievements related to the APCC research framework, including aspects of atmospheric pollution's composition and concentration, spatial and temporal variations, trans-boundary transport pathways and mechanisms, and effects on the warming of atmosphere and changing in Indian monsoon, as well as melting of glacier and snow cover. We highlight that exogenous air pollutants can enter into the TP’s environments and cause great impacts on regional climatic and environmental changes. At last, we propose future research priorities and map out an extended program at the global scale. The ongoing monitoring activities and research facilitate comprehensive studies of atmosphere–cryosphere interactions, represent one of China's key research expeditions to the TP and the polar regions and contribute to the global perspective of earth system science.

Description: Effective monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) is critical for the success of marine conservation and management measures. Whereas States have the exclusive right to manage the marine resources within their national jurisdiction, areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ) are subject to a complex patchwork of international rules and regulations (Wright et al., 2018). Effective MCS of these deep and distant waters is a significant technical challenge and there is growing interest in how MCS tools and policies can be applied to this vast global commons. States at the United Nations (UN) are currently negotiating an international legally binding instrument (ILBI) for the conservation and sustainable use of the biological diversity of marine areas beyond national jurisdiction (referred to here as the “high seas treaty”). This brief explores how the negotiations could strengthen MCS in ABNJ and the contribution MCS could make to the implementation of a future treaty.

Description: In the current financial climate, there is an opportunity for surplus capital to incentivize ecological economic production. Markets and financial products created in response to this surplus include investments in the maintenance of biologically viable natural systems and the development of sustainability transformation technologies. In this paper we critically examine their potential for supporting conservation and socio-ecological transformation. Using Nicholas Georgescu-Roegen's flow-fund theory, we take sovereign wealth fund (SWF) investments as a case in point and ask: according to what principles might it be possible to ensure that SWF investments are directed toward producing new economic processes compatible with the transformation to an ecological economy? Employing the flow-fund theory concepts of economic Anschauung and process-funds, we specify a flow-fund fiduciary responsibility associated with ensuring that an economic process is designed so that its final cause, or purpose, can be realized sustainably and sustained over time. We illustrate the generalizability of these fiduciary criteria by applying them to the two very different potential target investments: mangrove forest recuperation and conservation and the roll-out of the electric vehicle transport sector. We conclude with reflections on the general applicability of this approach and recommendations for further research.

Description: Research and policy processes in many fields, such as sustainability and health, are increasingly relying on transdisciplinary cooperation among a multitude of governmental, nongovernmental, and private actors from local to global levels. In the absence of hierarchical chains of command, multistakeholder governance may accommodate conflicting or diverse interests and facilitate collective action, but its effectiveness depends on its capacity to integrate systems, transformation, and target knowledge. Approaches to foster such governance are nascent and quickly evolving, and methodological standards to facilitate comparison and learning from best practice are needed. However, there is currently no evaluation approach that (i) comprehensively assesses the capacity for knowledge integration in multistakeholder governance, (ii) draws on the best available knowledge that is being developed in various fields, and (iii) combines a systematic and transferable methodological design with pragmatic feasibility. We brought together 20 experts from institutions in nine countries, all working on evaluation approaches for collaborative science–policy initiatives. In a synthesis process that included a 2-day workshop and follow-up work among a core group of participants, we developed a tool for evaluating knowledge integration capacity in multistakeholder governance (EVOLvINC). Its 23 indicators incorporate previously defined criteria and components of transdisciplinary evaluations into a single, comprehensive framework that operationalizes the capacity for integrating systems, target, and transformation knowledge during an initiative’s (a) design and planning processes at the policy formulation stage, (b) organization and working processes at the implementation stage, and (c) sharing and learning processes at the evaluation stage of the policy cycle. EVOLvINC is (i) implemented through a questionnaire, (ii) builds on established indicators where possible, (iii) offers a consistent and transparent semiquantitative scoring and aggregation algorithm, and (iv) uses spider diagrams for visualizing results. The tool builds on experience and expertise from both the northern and southern hemispheres and was empirically validated with seven science–policy initiatives in six African and Asian countries. As a generalized framework, EVOLvINC thus enables a structured reflection on the capacity of multistakeholder governance processes to foster knowledge integration. Its emphasis on dialog and exploration allows adaptation to contextual specificities, highlights relative strengths and weaknesses, and suggests avenues for shaping multistakeholder governance toward mutual learning, capacity building, and strengthened networks. The validation suggests that the adaptive capacity of multistakeholder governance could be best enhanced by considering systems characteristics at the policy formulation stage and fostering adaptive and generic learning at the evaluation stage of the policy cycle.

Description: Sustainable development is a challenging vision for the governance and management of agriculture and food production. On the one hand, it aims to make these systems more just. On the other hand, it is seen as a very vague concept that everyone can somehow agree on, but that means many things to many people. It seems doubtful whether it can even guide governance and management and bring the promised and hoped-for progress towards a fairer future of e.g. agriculture and food production. This paper argues first that the openness of sustainable development is a strength (rather than a weakness) since because of its openness it can guide people’s actions within very different contexts and, second, that the distinction between concepts and conceptions of sustainable development helps to specify guidelines for governance and management. Based on a literature review this paper identifies a conceptual core (concept) of sustainable development. On this basis it indicates how this concept can be translated into coherent practical recommendations (conceptions) for the governance and management of agriculture and food production.

Description: Farmers and their energy saving behaviors make significant sense for long-run sustainability and enacting effective energy policies, particularly in the fragile eco-environment and non-developed rural area. This study investigates the rural household energy-saving behaviors and influencing factors in the loess hilly region of China by taking Qin’an county in Gansu province based on a total of 506 households by adopting the participatory farmer assessment method. Most peasant families pay close attention energy conservation in their daily lives. Most farmer households (88.74%) were conscious of energy saving in their daily lives, and consider energy saving as a self-acting behavior (68.58%) and good habit (87.94%); electricity is the main clean energy for farmers; the price of energy-saving products is the key factor for farmers, and the female and the younger householders have better performance in energy conservation. Farmers’ energy-saving behaviors are negatively correlated with the altitude of their dwellings but positively correlated with the education level of householders, family size, income. We argue that continuous training on energy saving is necessary and should be tailored to local conditions and supported by the government.

Description: South Africa is in the midst of an energy transition, with important social and economic implications, depending on the pathway that is chosen. Economic prosperity, new sources of income for citizens and households, business and employment opportunities as well as health impacts: through its energy pathway, South Africa will define the basis for its future development.

Description: India has experienced a remarkable transition in reducing absolute poverty, improving standards of living and creating livelihood opportunities for the impoverished, and enhancing access to cleaner and affordable energy. Through the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), the Indian Government recognised that India needs a directional shift in its economic growth pathway in order to achieve its developmental objectives while effectively addressing the threat of climate change. At the same time, ambient air pollution has emerged as the second leading health risk factor in India, contribute significantly to India’s burden of cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases and lower respiratory tract infections. Since electricity generation in India is still largely coal-based, the power sector is an important contributor to ambient air pollution. In view of the above, India’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) aims to base 40 % of the total installed power generation capacity on non-fossil fuel resources by 2030 with international support on technology transfer and financing. This includes an ambitious target of achieving 175 GW of renewable energy by the year 2022 and reducing the emissions intensity of GDP by 33 to 35 % from 2005 levels by 2030. In early 2019, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) announced that this objective might be met earlier, by procuring 500 GW of additional RE capacity by 2028. In this context, this study assesses the impact of ambient air pollution on human health in India. This is carried out in the context of the COBENEFITS project with the aim of assessing the range of additional benefits1 resulting from a low-carbon energy transition in India. The report quantifies both the health and economic costs associated with PM2.5/PM10 exposure. The analysis first assesses the impacts of ambient air pollution from all sectors of the Indian economy. It then quantifies the specific impact of the Indian power sector, assessing the health benefits of increased share of renewables in the Indian energy and power sector.

Description: This paper explores potential contributions of narrative ethics to the re-theorization ofthe political in water governance, particularly seeking to rectify concerns regarding when wateris excluded from cultural contexts and issues of power and dominance are ignored. Against thisbackground, this paper argues for a re-theorization of the political in water governance, understoodas the way in which diverse ideas about possible and desirable human-water relationships and justconfigurations for their institutionalization are negotiated in society. Theorization is conceived as theconcretization of reality rather than its abstraction. Narrative ethics deals with the narrative structureof moral action and the significance of narrations for moral action. It occupies a middle groundand mediates between descriptive ethics that describe moral practices, and prescriptive ethics thatsubstantiate binding norms. A distinguishing feature is its focus on people’s experiences and theirpraxis. Narrative water ethics is thus able to recognize the multitude of real and possible human-waterrelationships, to grasp people’s entanglement in their water stories, to examine moral issues in theircultural contexts, and, finally, to develop locally adapted notions of good water governance.

Description: Democracy is in crisis. As neo-Nazis, right-wing populists, and authoritarians, old and new, stake their claims around the world, democracy faces its greatest challenge yet. The only way to save it is to change it. Democracy as we know it is flawed. The three pillars that divide power in liberal democracy - the executive, legislative, and judicial - keep citizens from making decisions about policies that affect them most. For a true democracy to flourish, argue Patrizia Nanz and Claus Leggewie, we need a fourth pillar: the consultative. This short and accessible guide to new kind of political engagement offers a chronicle of the political past and present - including an important analysis of right-wing populism's recent and historic allure - and a robust analysis of the accomplishments of protest movements and citizens' groups. With a rare optimism, which values the wisdom of the masses over the narrow-mindedness of today's tyrants, this guide is a modern call-to-arms for a more democratic future.

Description: Air pollution is one of the most pressing environmental issues in the Kathmandu Valley, where the capital city of Nepal is located. We estimated emissions from two of the major source types in the valley (vehicles and brick kilns) and analyzed the corresponding impacts on regional air quality. First, we estimated the on-road vehicle emissions in the valley using the International Vehicle Emissions (IVE) model with local emissions factors and the latest available data for vehicle registration. We also identified the locations of the brick kilns in the Kathmandu Valley and developed an emissions inventory for these kilns using emissions factors measured during the Nepal Ambient Monitoring and Source Testing Experiment (NAMaSTE) field campaign in April 2015. Our results indicate that the commonly used global emissions inventory, the Hemispheric Transport of Air Pollution (HTAP_v2.2), underestimates particulate matter emissions from vehicles in the Kathmandu Valley by a factor greater than 100. HTAP_v2.2 does not include the brick sector and we found that our sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions estimates from brick kilns are comparable to 70 % of the total SO2 emissions considered in HTAP_v2.2. Next, we simulated air quality using the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) for April 2015 based on three different emissions scenarios: HTAP only, HTAP with updated vehicle emissions, and HTAP with both updated vehicle and brick kilns emissions. Comparisons between simulated results and observations indicate that the model underestimates observed surface elemental carbon (EC) and SO2 concentrations under all emissions scenarios. However, our updated estimates of vehicle emissions significantly reduced model bias for EC, while updated emissions from brick kilns improved model performance in simulating SO2. These results highlight the importance of improving local emissions estimates for air quality modeling. We further find that model overestimation of surface wind leads to underestimated air pollutant concentrations in the Kathmandu Valley. Future work should focus on improving local emissions estimates for other major and underrepresented sources (e.g., crop residue burning and garbage burning) with a high spatial resolution, as well as the model's boundary-layer representation, to capture strong spatial gradients of air pollutant concentrations.

Description: This guide for action can be used by policymakers at any level or in any form of government to identify how to redesign governance processes to respond to the Fridays for Future Movement in a way that is meaningful and impactful.

Description: The dissertation studies climate policy discourses in Indiana and Michigan. These two U.S. Rust Belt states are among the country's ten largest greenhouse gas emitters and have shown relatively low climate protection ambitions. The lessons learned from the research matter in particular, as emission-intensive states such as Michigan and Indiana play a crucial role in meeting climate targets agreed upon by many countries in the Paris Climate Agreement. The dissertation understands the politics of climate protection as a discursive struggle in which actors seek to promote certain policy meanings. It reconstructs the meanings of climate policy at the state-level by analyzing how different types of actors frame climate policy and how policy frames manifest in climate policy approaches in Indiana and Michigan. The research strategy followed is a qualitative, interpretive analysis of climate policy discourse in the years from 2000 to 2008 in two venues: Media discourse and discourse in the state governments. The dissertation combines elements of discourse and interpretive policy analyses in its approach to studying policy frames. It relies on a set of materials which includes some 40 stakeholder interviews, articles from state newspapers as well as government documents. Through its frame approach, it first traces the interplay between environmental policy and industrial growth and decline in the Rust Belt over the past decades. This serves as a foundation for an analysis of the interpretive landscape of global warming issues in Indiana and Michigan. The dissertation then reconstructs which climate policy frames exist in each state. Moreover, it assesses how these frames resonate within the respective state contexts and which frames materialize in political discourse of the state executives and legislatures. The results show that the interpretive landscape in media discourse is surprisingly broad in Indiana and Michigan. Actors understand climate policy from moral and economic perspectives. The analysis yields six larger frames: Environmental stewardship, responsibility, economic opportunity, green leadership, energy security and liberty. Some of these frames constitute a re-framing of climate policy which departs from the states' previous approaches to environmental challenges. Not all of these climate policy frames, however, materialize at the political level: In Indiana, hardly any of the media frames manifest in political discourse. In Michigan, particularly economic frames manifest in political discourse. In Indiana, frame sponsors' efforts to frame climate policy as an environmental policy that benefits the economy thus remain mostly unsuccessful during the study period. In Michigan, however, frame sponsors successfully manage to initiate a re-framing of climate policy from a purely environmental or economic issue to one of modernization and technological leadership for the state that resonates with the state context. The dissertation thus makes an empirical contribution to the - so far - narrow knowledge base on climate policy and discourses in the U.S. Rust Belt states. The policy implications, however, surpass the narrow context of the Rust Belt states. They allude to the strategic importance of framing for the successful translation of policy frames into action. Frames can serve to improve the resonance of a policy with a state context by emphasizing particular policy co-benefits and connecting climate discourses to energy and economic discourses. Frame sponsors can thus contribute to this resonance in their communication of policies by tailoring their framing to the political culture and specific economic, environmental or energy system-related challenges of a state. Nevertheless, the dissertation reveals that the innovative ideas and interests which climate policy proponents express through their frames do not translate easily into policy responses.

Description: In Nepal, majority of households still burn solid fuels in inefficient cook stoves inside poorly ventilated kitchens, which results in very high levels of indoor pollutants, including black carbon (BC). Previous studies have not yet reported BC concentrations in typical kitchen configurations in rural Nepal. In this study, fine particulate matter (PM) and BC concentrations were monitored continuously inside two types of kitchens (separated from and attached to the main house) under actual cooking practices. Prior to monitoring of pollutants, a field survey was conducted to gain insight into the types of kitchens, cook stoves and fuels used. Indoor PM and BC concentrations were monitored using biomass fuels in traditional cook stoves (TC) and improved cook stoves (ICS). Clear diurnal variations of the pollutants were observed in both kitchens, with the highest concentrations during cooking times. BC and PM concentrations during cooking and non-cooking periods demonstrated clear reductions in the concentrations during non-cooking periods. It was observed that the concentrations rose steeply during the first half hour of cooking, then decreased slightly and finally leveled off to the non-cooking period concentrations. 24-hour average indoor PM concentrations in both kitchens frequently exceeded Nepal's indoor air quality standards and the WHO PM2.5 guidelines, by a factor of ~8 to ~28. We found that the specific type of ICS used in this study, a commonly used ICS in Nepal and other developing countries might help in PM emission reductions but not necessarily BC emission reduction.

Description: This paper explores potential contributions of narrative ethics to the re-theorization of the political in water governance, particularly seeking to rectify concerns regarding when water is excluded from cultural contexts and issues of power and dominance are ignored. Against this background, this paper argues for a re-theorization of the political in water governance, understood as the way in which diverse ideas about possible and desirable human-water relationships and just configurations for their institutionalization are negotiated in society. Theorization is conceived as the concretization of reality rather than its abstraction. Narrative ethics deals with the narrative structure of moral action and the significance of narrations for moral action. It occupies a middle ground and mediates between descriptive ethics that describe moral practices, and prescriptive ethics that substantiate binding norms. A distinguishing feature is its focus on people’s experiences and their praxis. Narrative water ethics is thus able to recognize the multitude of real and possible human-water relationships, to grasp people’s entanglement in their water stories, to examine moral issues in their cultural contexts, and, finally, to develop locally adapted notions of good water governance.

Description: Negotiations for a new international legally binding instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ) have commenced. For the new agreement to be fair and effective, it is vital that all States are able to participate in the long-term sustainable use and conservation of the ocean beyond national jurisdiction. This includes participation in marine scientific research and the utilization of marine genetic resources (MGR) through subsequent innovation processes. Open access to MGR, such as data, coupled with capacity building, can promote the equitable sharing of benefits associated with MGR. In this paper, it is hypothesized that an ‘inclusive innovation’ approach may facilitate participation and promote enhanced engagement in the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction. A number of existing genetic resource initiatives provide examples of efforts to foster inclusivity in the innovation process, including BioBricks, Open Source Drug Discovery, GenBank and the Global Genome Biodiversity Network. An analysis of these examples enables clear identification of common elements that are adopted by such initiatives, whereby inclusive innovation either develops naturally or is promoted actively through measures for open access, capacity building, and collaboration. By empowering more States and stakeholders to participate in research and innovation processes, global potential in terms of enhanced scientific knowledge and opportunities associated with biodiversity of ABNJ can be promoted and the overall objective of the conservation and sustainable use can be best pursued.

Description: Individual perceptions of climate-related environmental changes are essential to understand behavioural responses to such changes. Despite several studies on change-perception in single Pacific Small Island States (PSIS), the variance in these perceptions within and between different PSIS has so far largely been neglected. We, therefore, explored perceptions of climate-related environmental changes and attributed causes in Tuvalu, Samoa, and Tonga. Our survey (N=180) shows that perceptions of environmental changes vary considerably between the three island states and also within each country. A certain fraction of this variance can be explained by (i) geographical and climatic differences between the island states and (ii) selected socio-demographic variables. The socio-demographic factors that proved most relevant include (i) the size of the settlement in which respondents live, (ii) their distance to the sea, (iii) their interaction with nature, and (iv) their self-assessment of their own religiosity. Moreover, we found that people attribute reported changes to manifold irresponsible and unsustainable human behaviours, and to a lesser extent to natural processes and divine acts. By illustrating the variance of perceptions and also the awareness of anthropogenic causes, the study helps to communicate the diversity of local voices and offers ways for finding a basis for discussing and implementing more sustainable behaviour alternatives.

Description: Access to clean, reliable and affordable energy is one of the key challenges for many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. This is particularly the case in rural and remote areas which are often not connected to the national main grid. Mini-grids are expected to play an important role in providing access to sustainable and reliable energy in these areas. On the other hand, this report argues that mini-grids also need to meet a set of key requirements to become future-proof and contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Mini-grids should foster the integration of renewable energies. They should provide for equitable and affordable electricity costs and reliable electricity supply. They should be sensitive to the specific local context and foster the development of productive uses. Moreover, they should be flexible and adaptable to changing conditions, such as new technologies, increasing demand and the arrival of the main grid, and account for transparency and consumer protection. Finally, mini-grids should be designed in a way which reduces their ecological footprint as far as possible. Over the past years, the mini-grid sector has seen an increase in the use of digital technologies while at the same time digital innovations transform the socioeconomic landscape in Sub-Saharan Africa. In light of these developments, the report explores how digital technologies could be applied to mini-grids to help meet the requirements mentioned above. The study identifies two levels of application for digital technologies in mini-grids: 1) the level of technical functionalities and system balancing which includes generation and storage, distribution and control as well as demand side management; and 2) the level of the mini-grid value chain, which includes finance, planning and design, operation and maintenance, customer management and the productive use of electricity. Across these application areas, digital technologies have the potential to provide solutions that enable more efficient and time-saving processes, reduce costs as well as improve services for the consumer. However, the use of digital technologies in mini-grids in rural Sub-Saharan Africa also poses new challenges and risks, in particular with regards to privacy and data security, and requires a high level of awareness for the creation of user-centric technologies. If the potentials are exploited and risks mitigated, digital technologies could contribute to achieving future-proof mini-grids that serve sustainable development in rural Sub-Saharan Africa. However, many of the potentials that could unfold through the integrated use of digital technologies in mini-grids have not yet been tapped into. Technical issues, even internet access, do not appear to be limiting factors for the application of digital technologies in mini-grids. Regulatory, economic and socio-cultural framework conditions play a much more decisive role. Against this backdrop, policy-makers, donor organisations and technology developers should collaborate to create favourable framework conditions and new impetus for a purposeful use of digital technologies in mini-grids. Amongst others, policy makers should provide long-term plans for grid extension so that mini-grid developers are able to evaluate the extent to which it makes sense to incorporate digital technologies. Policy-makers should further provide incentives and subsidies for projects serving the testing of digital solutions, develop suitable regulatory frameworks and support the development of technical standards and quality criteria. They also should develop legal frameworks for data security and consumer protection. Donor organisations could contribute to the meaningful use of digital technologies in mini-grids by including technical requirements for appropriate digital features in mini-grid tenders and incentivizing or even requiring that data from the mini-grids they fund is shared. They should further foster the collaboration between communities, innovators and local researchers, and support the creation of knowledge about the effects of digital technologies in mini-grids, for instance on costs, long-term sustainability, consumer satisfaction and the creation of productive uses. Lastly, companies and technology developers should always put consumer needs at the centre of technology development and consider the specific local contexts. They should engage in jointly developing standards that benefit the whole sector, embrace using open-source software and share their data and experiences from successes and failures.

Description: In this contribution the vision, contents, process and structure for a collaborative research repository of indicator-based sustainability assessment tools is outlined. As the result of a wide literature review on the concepts of sustainable manufacturing and applicable sustainable assessment tools, four selection criteria for the repositories contents are presented and several indicator-sets are proposed for further in-depth analysis. The research also exposed organizational levels of traditional manufacturing organizations as a possible terminology to integrate a variety of sustainability assessment tools.

Description: Forests as global commons provide ecosystem services crucial for local forest users as well as the survival of humanity. At the same time, agricultural frontiers are steadily expanding into natural forests, particularly in the rural tropics still covered by large forest areas. Deforestation and forest degradation provoke enormous social, environmental and economic costs at the local, national and global level. Against this backdrop, a myriad of initiatives at all levels have been directed into improving forest governance to protect the remaining natural forests, to restore degraded forest land, and to properly manage the old and new forests for the benefit of the next generations. This study reviews the main elements of International Forest Governance (IFG), including the role of Germany, to promote the sustainable management and protection of natural forests, and analyses their impacts on tackling deforestation, forest degradation, biodiversity loss, climate change, and illegal activities. Based on international relations and global governance literatures, six basic types are derived that the IFG elements are clustered into: (1) multilateral intergovernmental treaties (CBD, ITAA, UNFCCC, failed forest convention), (2) non-legally binding multilateral agreements (IAF), (3) transnational hybrid governance regimes (FLEGT/timber legality regime), (4) public-private-partnerships (e.g., REDD+ initiatives), (5) non-state market driven governance (FSC/PEFC forest certification), and (6) private sector partnerships (deforestation free initiatives). These processes are reviewed in terms of their effectiveness and analysed with regard to the involved state and non-state actors including their positions, mind-sets and coalitions, as well as their specific policy aims, tools, management concepts, monitoring and control mechanisms, and main pathways of influence. This allowed to identify important challenges in the design and implementation as well as in the coordination, integration and coherence of all these governance elements, including the consideration of forest adverse governance arrangements outside the forest sector (e.g., agriculture, bioenergy, mining). Based on this analysis, this study critically reflects about the need and possibilities for transformative changes to secure the global commons function of forests. We conclude that the following possibilities have a realistic potential to at least strengthen global forest governance: (1) alignment of the International Forest Governance Regime, (2) promotion of the private sector within a strong regulatory framework; (3) intensification of bilateral action on the ground, and (4) an honest reflection on the own ambivalent role, on assumptions and expectations.

Description: This report contains a summary of the international deep sea mining expert workshop „A benefit sharing mechanism appropriate for the Common Heritage of Mankind”. The overall objective was to stimulate debate on the Common Heritage of Mankind and its benefit sharing element by discussing first ideas how the benefit sharing required by Article 140 paragraph 2 UNCLOS could be appropriately conceptualized in order to meet with the spirit and the requirements of the Common Heritage of Mankind principle. The participants discussed the legal framework of the common heritage of mankind, in particular its benefit sharing provision and the option of a full economic assessment of deep seabed mining operations.

Description: Der vorliegende Bericht reflektiert die Präsentationen und Diskussionen der Teilnehmer des internationalen Experten-Workshops „A benefit sharing mechanism appropriate for the Common Heritage of Mankind“. Das Umweltbundesamt in Kooperation mit dem Institut for Advanced Sustainability Studies führte den Workshop vom 26. bis 29. November 2018 in Potsdam durch. Übergeordnetes Ziel des Workshops war es, die Debatte darüber anzuregen wie das Gemeinsame Erbe und der im Seerechtsübereinkommen Artikel 140 Absatz 2 angelegte gerechte Vorteilsausgleich („benefit sharing“) angemessen konzeptioniert und umgesetzt werden kann.

Description: Code to reproduce results of Tröndle et al (2019) --- "Home-made or imported: on the possibility for renewable electricity autarky on all scales in Europe". This repository contains the entire research project, including code and report. The philosophy behind this repository is that no intermediary results are included, but all results are computed from raw data and code.

Description: The open ocean hosts an inconceivable wealth of marine life. Most of it remains unseen and unknown. Actually, the international community has agreed to develop a new legally binding agreement for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity by 2020. It aims to respond to the global ocean crisis caused by overfishing, pollution with plastics, ocean acidification, climate change, and other stressors from human activities. At the same time, States are also working on the legal framework for deep seabed mining – a considerable contradiction. As too little is known about the wealth that could be lost due to harmful impacts from mining activities, humankind should take its time to reflect, develop robust governance systems, and develop the knowledge needed to take informed decisions. The present study, authored by scientists from different backgrounds, makes the eloquent case for such a reflection, pause, and reassessment. The publication is recommended to any reader concerned about our oceans' future.

Description: A multi-scale modelling system was developed to provide hourly NOx concentrations field at building resolving scale in the urban area of Modena. The WRF-Chem model was employed with aim of reproducing local background concentrations taking into account meteorological and chemical transformation at regional scale, conversely the PMSS modelling system was applied to simulate 3D air pollutant dispersion with a very high-resolution (4 m) on a 6 km x 6 km domain. Modelled NOx concentrations reproduced by this modelling system show a good agreement with observation at both traffic and background urban stations.

Description: There is wide agreement that a nexus or integrated approach to managing and governing natural resources such as land, water, and energy can improve environmental, climate, human, and political security. However, few if any countries in the MENA region have made progress in implementing such an approach. There appear to be several constraints inhibiting the development and adoption of nexus approaches. These constraints include strong sectoral silos, insufficient incentives for integrated planning and policy making at all levels, and limited vision, knowledge, and practical experience to guide successful implementation. In turn, the limited implementation and hence lack of empirical evidence of a nexus approach, which could demonstrate its benefits, does little to strengthen political will for the development of adequate incentives, structures, and procedures. Against this backdrop, this paper presents five case studies which take an integrated approach, in three MENA countries, namely Jordan, Lebanon, and Morocco. Based on an analytical framework developed here, the paper analyses and compares the success factors for nexus implementation, and also for transfer and upscaling. The analysis emphasizes the need for appropriate framework conditions, targeted investments and pioneering actors, to make integrated approaches across sectors and levels work. With the evidence presented, the paper aims to set in motion a positive or virtuous cycle of generating more nexus evidence, improved framework conditions, further nexus implementation on the ground, and from that even more nexus evidence. Finally, the paper contributes to overcoming the repeated requests for better definition and conceptualization of the nexus, which often has slowed down adoption of the concept.

Description: Systemic risks originate in tightly coupled systems. They are characterised by complexity, transboundary cascading effects, non-linear stochastic developments, tipping points, and lag in perception and regulation. Disasters need to be analysed in the context of vulnerabilities of infrastructure, industrial activities, structural developments and behavioural patterns which amplify or attenuate the impact of hazards. In particular, disasters are triggered by chains of events that often amplify and also multiply damages. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Description: The shale gas debate has taken center stage over the past decade in many European countries due to its purported climate advantages over coal and the implications for domestic energy security. Nevertheless, shale gas production generates greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions including carbon dioxide, methane, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter and volatile organic compounds. In this study we develop three shale gas drilling projections in Germany and the United Kingdom based on estimated reservoir productivities and local capacity. For each projection, we define a set of emission scenarios in which gas losses are assigned to each stage of upstream gas production to quantify total emissions. The “realistic” (REm) and “optimistic” (OEm) scenarios investigated in this study describe, respectively, the potential emission range generated by business-as-usual activities, and the lowest emissions technically possible according to our settings. The latter scenario is based on the application of specific technologies and full compliance with a stringent regulatory framework described herein. Based on the median drilling projection, total annual methane emissions range between 150–294 Kt in REm and 28–42 Kt in OEm, while carbon dioxide emissions span from 5.55–7.21 Mt in REm to 3.11–3.96 Mt in OEm. Taking all drilling projections into consideration, methane leakage rates in REm range between 0.45 and 1.36% in Germany, and between 0.35 and 0.71% in the United Kingdom. The leakage rates are discussed in both the European (conventional gas) and international (shale gas) contexts. Further, the emission intensity of a potential European shale gas industry is estimated and compared to national inventories. Results from our science-based prospective scenarios can facilitate an informed discussion among the public and policy makers on the climate impact of a potential shale gas development in Europe, and on the appropriate role of natural gas in the worldwide energy transition.

Description: Climate change and air pollution are two of the most critical health and sustainability challenges facing society today. An integrated approach to policy development can help to maximise synergies, minimise trade-offs, and increase efficiency.

Description: India has made significant progress in utilising its abundant renewable energy (RE) resources. The country has emerged as one of the leaders of the global energy transition, with a cumulative renewable energy installed capacity of 74 gigawatts (GW) at the end of 2018, and has ambitions to meet a target of 175 GW by the year 2022. Further, as recently announced by India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), the government seeks to procure approximately 500 GW of additional RE capacity by the year 2028, resulting to a 40 percent share of installed capacity of non-fossil fuel sources in the power sector by 2030. Notwithstanding these targets, the employment effects of the resulting changes in the power sector still need to be properly understood. This study analyses the employment effects of different plans for expanding power generation in India; this was carried out in the context of the COBENEFITS project with the aim of assessing the co-benefits of a low-carbon energy transition in the country. Four different scenarios are analysed for future development of the power sector in India with varying shares of renewable energy: Business-as-usual (BAU) scenario, which represents India’s climate policy until 2016; Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) scenario, which maps the strategies required to achieve India’s NDCs targets; NDC PLUS (NDC PLUS) scenario, which is a deeper decarbonisation plan above the NDC scenario; and the International Renewable Energy Association (IRENA) REmap (REmap) scenario, which provides a power sector decarbonisation pathway for India to contribute towards limiting global temperature rise to well below 2° Celsius by 2100. The study presents a value-chain-based approach by developing employment coefficients (full-time-equivalent jobs/MW/year) to analyse the workforce involved at various stages of the entire life cycle of different power generation technologies. The study also provides an initial assessment of the skill requirements, attainment levels and technical training required for India’s present power sector plans and future low-carbon power sector ambitions. The four scenarios assessed considered a consistent timeline between 2020 and 2050.

Description: The global energy transition is characterised by a myriad of technology options, organisational forms and infrastructural scales across levels of operation. Energy transitions are generally considered to foster sustainable development. However, technologies deemed sustainable in some dimensions can cause environmental or social problems in other dimensions or scales. In addition, freedom and self-determination are desirable features often associated with cooperative bottom-up initiatives. However, these initiatives may not always result in appropriate processes and strategies that span ecological and socio-technical dimensions. Direct participation or better representation of stakeholders ingrained in cooperative structures do not necessarily coalesce social and environmental benefits. We distinguish between different types of participation options across economic, technical and social levels; in line with the concepts of energy citizenship and sovereignty. We also differentiate technical infrastructure dimensions from those that are more political, economic or socially determined. The main purpose of our justice-oriented assessment approach is to make explicit unintended and undesirable effects of transition processes visible, and to capture the impacts of infrastructural and organisational dimensions of energy systems. The assessment of case studies qualitatively along several dimensions (infrastructural, organisational, impact) revealed which externalities result from prosumer-based electricity systems, conventional energy utilities and other organisational systems.

Description: This study was initiated by the European Commission Directorate-General for Climate Action, and attributed to a team of experts from Ramboll, the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies, Universität Kassel Center for Environmental Systems Research, IOM Law, and CE Delft. The study’s objectives are to build a better understanding of novel CCU technologies with three main sub-objectives: 1. to assess the readiness and map the roll out of different CCU technologies in order to clarify which types of technologies are viable for support, including from the planned Innovation Fund under the EU ETS; 2. to examine the EU regulatory set up related to the technologies concerned and assess whether specific provisions are necessary to reflect the contribution by these innovative technologies to climate mitigation while preserving the environmental integrity of the relevant legislation; and 3. to engage with stakeholders for better understanding of the technologies and the legislative setup. To achieve its objectives, the study team conducted a review of the literature on CCU; a web search on the status of existing technologies; a review of relevant legislation; as well as stakeholder consultations in the form of a survey, interviews, two stakeholder workshops and an open event. The study draws from existing knowledge and research, and represents a state-of-the-art review of the current technological and policy status of CCU in Europe.

Description: This article analyses the narratives of impact-driven transition research in the field of sustainability studies. It reconstructs patterns of narrations at a discourse level. Departing from the understanding that narrating is a fundamental mode of communication and education, this contribution is ultimately driven by the commitment to understand how narrativity can be improved in order to reach more effective rhetoric for sustainability research. The article starts by describing the dilemma sustainability researchers might find themselves in regarding their position vis-à-vis society and politics. This dilemma seems to shape the narratives researchers use for describing their work. After conceptualizing narratives on a structural level, findings from a comprehensive qualitative interview study are presented and discussed. We find that sustainability researchers can be clustered in five different types, depending on their affinity or distance to real-world sustainability processes, their propensity to either incremental reforms or transformative change and the relationship between environmental and social concerns in the context of the sustainability concept. Furthermore, we find that critical-constructive transformative research encounters challenges when narrating about its position vis-à-vis society and policy-making in the process of formulating goals and working towards them. We identified a tension between leaning stronger either towards independent, critical goal formulation or towards an engagement with actual political processes. Maintaining the ability to change roles between the process-involved and the process-observing sustainability researcher might be a promising way out for those dedicated to workings towards sustainability transitions.