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Title: Global Energy System Transitions

Journal Article · · Review of Environmental Economics and Policy
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/728206 · OSTI ID:2525928
ORCiD logo [1];  [2]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [1]
  1. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
  2. Kyoto Univ. (Japan)
  3. Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States)
  4. Utrecht University (Netherlands); Univ. of Lisbon (Portugal)
  5. Utrecht University (Netherlands); PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, The Hague (Netherlands)

Energy systems power the world’s economies. They are pivotal to providing sustained economic prosperity that provides the goods and services that humans desire. Climate change is intimately linked with energy systems, because CO2 from fossil fuel use is the most important anthropogenic greenhouse gas emitted to the atmosphere, and cumulative anthropogenic emissions determine Earth’s concentration of CO2. Limiting climate change therefore means that global energy systems must reduce net CO2 emissions to zero and stabilize emissions of other GHGs. We compare energy system pathways as they are currently evolving with alternatives that have the potential to limit climate change over the 21st century. The differences are profound. Here we also discuss some frontier research issues that can provide a better understanding of potential pathways and their implications for decisions makers.

Research Organization:
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
2525928
Report Number(s):
PNNL-ACT-SA--10828
Journal Information:
Review of Environmental Economics and Policy, Journal Name: Review of Environmental Economics and Policy Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 18; ISSN 1750-6816
Publisher:
University of Chicago PressCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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