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The Role of Abatement, Technology Policies, and Negative Emission Strategies in Achieving Climate Goals

The Role of Abatement, Technology Policies, and Negative Emission Strategies in Achieving Climate Goals

Full Title:   The Role of Abatement, Technology Policies, and Negative Emission Strategies in Achieving Climate Goals
Author(s): Derek M. Lemoine, Sabine Fuss, Jana Szolgayova, Michael Obersteiner, Daniel M. Kammen
Publisher(s): Energy and Resources Group, University of California, Berkeley
Publication Date: February 1, 2010
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):

We model cost-minimizing portfolios of technology and emission policies for achieving year 2100 carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration targets. Technological change depends stochastically on abatement and on public funding of research and development (R&D). An analytic model shows that improving mechanisms for induced technological change has an ambiguous effect on near-term abatement and public R&D. The full numerical model shows that technology policies complement abatement while negative emission technologies can delay abatement. The type of technology targeted by public R&D depends on the level of the CO2 target, and the level of public R&D funding depends on the assumed effectiveness of abatement at inducing technological change. The optimal policy portfolio almost always abates 50-100% of emissions by 2050. Announced 2◦C temperature targets require greater-than-announced abatement by 2030 unless policymakers plan large-scale use of negative emission strategies or accept a substantial chance of exceeding the temperature targets.

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