Library

By: John Barrett, Diana Ivanova, Dominik Wiedenhofer, Biljana Macura, Max W. Callaghan, Felix Creutzig

Around two-thirds of global GHG emissions are directly and indirectly linked to household consumption, with a global average of about 6 tCO2eq/cap. Changes in consumption patterns to low-carbon alternatives therefore present a great and urgently required potential for emission reductions. In this paper, we synthesize emission mitigation potentials across the consumption domains of food, hou...

By: Sam Butler-Sloss, Marc Beckmann, Lea Trogrlic, Maria João Pimenta

In this new report, the authors try to get a grip on what it takes for the economics profession to treat the climate crisis like the crisis it is. For that, we interviewed nine leading economists - all coming from different geographies and exposing different levels of optimism about the changes that are possible. They include Jayati Ghosh (Jawaharlal Nehru University), Yanis Varoufakis (Helleni...

By: Iñigo Capellán-Pérez, Margarita Mediavilla, Ignacio de Blas, Carmen Duce

Achieving ambitious reductions in greenhouse gases (GHG) is particularly challenging for transportation due to the technical limitations of replacing oil-based fuels. We apply the integrated assessment model MEDEAS-World to study four global transportation decarbonization strategies for 2050. The results show that a massive replacement of oil-fueled individual vehicles to electric ones alone ...

By: Alexandre Milovanoff, Daniel I. Posen, Heather L. MacLean

Climate change mitigation strategies are often technology-oriented, and electric vehicles (EVs) are a good example of something believed to be a silver bullet. Here we show that current US policies are insufficient to remain within a sectoral CO2 emission budget for light-duty vehicles, consistent with preventing more than 2 °C global warming, creating a mitigation gap of up to 19 GtCO2 (28...

By: Zoe W. Brent, Mads Barbesgaard, Castren Pedersen

This article explores the politics behind the promise of ‘blue growth’. Reframing it as a ‘blue fix’, we argue that the blue growth discourse facilitates new opportunities for capital accumulation, while claiming that this accumulation is compatible with social and ecological aims as well. The blue fix is made up of three underlying sub-fixes. First of all, the conservation fix quenches the...

By: Borja Nogué-Algueró

Shipping carries virtually all internationally traded goods. Major commercial ports are fully integrated into transnational production and distribution systems, enabling the circulation of massive flows of energy and materials in the global economy. Port activity and development are usually associated with positive socio-economic effects, such as increased GDP and employment, but the indust...

By: Max Koch, Martin Fritz

Abstract: The emerging concept of sustainable welfare attempts to integrate environmental sustainability and social welfare research. Oriented at a mid-term re-embedding of Western production and consumption norms into planetary limits, it suggests the development of “eco-social” policies in the rich countries. In this theoretical context, this article empirically investigates the relationship...

By: Max Koch, Martin Fritz

The emerging concept of sustainable welfare attempts to integrate environmental sustainability and social welfare research. Oriented at a mid-term re-embedding of Western production and consumption norms into planetary limits, it suggests the development of “eco-social” policies in the rich countries. In this theoretical context, this article empirically investigates the relationships between a...

By: Tim Jackson

This briefing paper addresses the question of when the UK should aim for zero (or net zero) carbon emissions. Starting from the global carbon budget which would allow the world an estimated 66% chance of limiting climate warming to 1.5oC, the paper derives a carbon budget for the UK of 2.5 GtCO2. The briefing then analyses a variety of emission pathways and target dates in terms of their adequa...

By: Cle-Anne Gabriel

Cle-Anne Gabriel is a Lecturer at the University of Queensland, and the Business School’s Director for the United Nations Principles for Responsible Management Education. Her research focuses on the areas of sustainable development and postgrowth futures. During our conversation, Cle-Anne Gabriel questions the compatibility between environmental sustainability and economic growth. Is a de-pr...

By: Adrian Haßler, Chandni Dwarkasing, Elli Reckmann, Filka Sekulova, Francois Schneider, Irene Iniesta-Arandia, Larry Edwards, Laura Machler, Matthias Schmelzer, Manuel Grebenjak, Magdalena Heuwieser, Nuria Blázquez Sánchez, Rose Bridger, Sara Mingorría

In July 2019, the Stay Grounded Network met in Barcelona to discuss how to counter the massive growth in the aviation sector. A new movement for degrowing aviation and fostering climate justice was born. The results of the conference and further discussions fed into this report, outlining numerous measures to reduce air travel in a just way. (Excerpt)

By: Barry Gils, Jamie Morgan

This Special Editorial on the Climate Emergency makes the case that although we are living in the time of Global Climate Emergency we are not yet acting as if we are in an imminent crisis. The authors review key aspects of the institutional response and climate science over the past several decades and the role of the economic system in perpetuating inertia on reduction of greenhouse gas emissi...

By: Shaun Sellers

"A climate policy must change the way that the global economy works if it is to be successful, but if a policy is effective enough to disrupt global trade, it will violate global trade rules."

By: Tim Jackson, Peter A. Victor

This working paper presents a stock-flow consistent (SFC) simulation model of a national economy, calibrated on the basis of Canadian data. LowGrow SFC describes the evolution of the Canadian economy in terms of six financial sectors whose behaviour is based on ‘stylised facts’ in the Post-Keynesian tradition. A key feature of the model is its ability to provide a systematic account, not only o...

By: Gareth Dale

Radical action on climate change is at last on the agenda. The emphasis is on urgency and action and - for XR notably - ‘truth.’ Questions of long-term strategy are less clear, but strategy platforms have been advanced. Foremost among them are the Green New Deal (GND) and degrowth. This article provides a comparison and sketches lines of convergence  

By: Nina Treu, Peter Altmaier, Robert Habeck, Carolin Roth, Mario Gutmann, Karl Haeusgen

Deutschlands Wirtschaft rutscht ab. Die Industrie leidet unter US-Handelskriegen, Brexit-Angst und schwächerer Weltwirtschaft. Stehen wir vor einer der üblichen Konjunkturkrisen oder vor einem epochalen Umbruch? Klimaschutz und Digitalisierung zwingen die Unternehmen zu Abbau und Umbau der alten Arbeitsplätze, zum „Neu-Erfinden“ ganzer Produktionszweige. Wen erreicht die Krise zuerst? Für...

By: Lukas Hardt, Karen Turner, Paul Brockway, Grant Allan, John Barrett, Peter McGregor, Andrew Ross, Kim Swales, Marco Sakai

This study investigates how an increase in exports (a key pillar in the UK Industrial Strategy) could impact energy and industrial policy by comparing two types of energy-economy models. Achieving the targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions set out in the UK Climate Change Act will require a significant transformation in the UK's energy system. At the same time, the government is pursuing...

By: George Martine, Jose Eustaquio Alves

Scientists warn that human activity in the Anthropocene is causing the transgression of several planetary boundaries. The population/environment/development equation has become insoluble. This paper reviews the trajectory of climate change and discusses the shortcomings of ongoing efforts to address it. It analyzes the current crisis in global governance, fostered by widespread disenchantment w...

By: Teresa Anderson, Stefania Barca, Grace Blakeley, Friedrich Bohn, Sam Bright, Giacomo D'Alisa, Nick Dearden, Nicoletta Dentico, Laura C. Zanetti-Domingues, Dirk Ehnts, Skender Fani, Julia Fish, Charlotte Hanson, Jason Hickel, Nick Jacobs, Giorgos Kallis, Tessa Khan, Mat Lawrence, Laurie Laybourn-Langton, Emanuele Leonardi, Ruth London, Riccardo Mastini, Bill McKibben, Julian Brave NoiseCat, David Powell, Jérémy Rodrigues, Jakob Schäfer, Christoph Schneider, Giovanna Sissa, Isaac Stanley, Will Stronge, Sean Sweeney

Europe today confronts two crises. The first is an economic crisis, with rising levels of poverty, insecurity, and homelessness across the continent. The second is a climate and environmental crisis, with severe consequences for Europe’s front-line communities and even more perilous ones on the horizon. Both crises are the products of Europe’s political decisions, and they are closely bound t...

By: ecapio

Was bedeutet Klimagerechtigkeit? In diesem Film erklären wir den Begriff „Klimagerechtigkeit“ in Leichter Sprache. Leichte Sprache richtet sich an Menschen, die Standardsprache nicht oder nur mit Mühe verstehen. Im Film werden die Begriffe Klimawandel, Globaler Norden, Globaler Süden und Klimagerechtigkeit leicht verständlich erklärt. Dabei skizzieren wir die Zusammenhänge zwischen Industri...