Plausible energy demand patterns in a growing global economy with climate policy

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Main author: Semieniuk, Gregor
Other authors: Taylor, Lance
Rezai, Armon
Foley, Duncan K.
Format: Journal Article           
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id eprints-34661
recordtype eprints
institution SOAS, University of London
collection SOAS Research Online
language English
language_search English
description Reducing the energy demand has become a key mechanism for limiting climate change, but there are practical limitations associated with large energy savings in a growing global economy and, importantly, its lower-income parts. Using new data on energy and GDP, we show that adopting the same near-term low-energy growth trajectory in all regions in IPCC scenarios limiting global warming to 1.5 °C presents an unresolved policy challenge. We discuss this challenge of combining energy demand reductions with robust income growth for the 6.4 billion people in middle- and low-income countries in light of the reliance of economic development on industrialization. Our results highlight the importance of addressing limits to energy demand reduction in integrated assessment modelling when regional economic development is powered by industrialization and of instead exploring faster energy supply decarbonization. Insights from development economics and other disciplines could help generate plausible assumptions given the financial, investment and stability issues involved.
format Journal Article
author Semieniuk, Gregor
author_facet Semieniuk, Gregor
Taylor, Lance
Rezai, Armon
Foley, Duncan K.
authorStr Semieniuk, Gregor
author_letter Semieniuk, Gregor
author2 Taylor, Lance
Rezai, Armon
Foley, Duncan K.
author2Str Taylor, Lance
Rezai, Armon
Foley, Duncan K.
title Plausible energy demand patterns in a growing global economy with climate policy
publisher Springer Nature
publishDate 2021
url https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/34661/

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