Climate policy options and the transformation of the energy system

Research Unit Sustainability & Global Change, Departments of Geosciences and Macroeconomics, University of Hamburg-KlimaCampus Grindelberg 5, 20144 Hamburg, Germany

^a e-mail: Hermann.Held@zmaw.de

Abstract

The key lines of argument to estimate a meaningful degree of efforts to mitigate global warming are outlined. Potential implementations of a policy that strives to limit global warming to 2°C compared to pre-industrial values are discussed. A recent model intercomparison study on mitigation costs is summarized. Conceptual difficulties when internalizing uncertainty in these types of analyses are highlighted and first attempts to overcome them are outlined. For the mitigation technology “carbon capture and storage” it is illustrated that mitigation technologies also require a proper treatment of their side-effects rather than just focusing on their cost-reduction potential in the context of mitigation. Finally, the prospects of climate policy are sketched.