Challenges and Solutions for Climate Change

verfasst von: Wytze van der Gaast, Katherine Begg

Verlag: Springer London

Buchreihe : Green Energy and Technology

Enthalten in: Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" , Springer Professional "Technik" , Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

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Über dieses Buch

The latest scientific knowledge on climate change indicates that higher greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere through unchecked emissions will provoke severe climate change and ocean acidification. Both impacts can fundamentally alter environmental structures on which humanity relies and have serious consequences for the food chain among others. Climate change therefore poses major socio-economic, technical and environmental challenges which will have serious impacts on countries’ pathways towards sustainable development.

As a result, climate change and sustainable development have increasingly become interlinked. A changing climate makes achieving Millennium Development Goals more difficult and expensive, so there is every reason to achieve development goals with low greenhouse gas emissions. This leads to the following five challenges discussed by Challenges and Solutions for Climate Change:

1. To place climate negotiations in the wider context of sustainability, equity and social change so that development benefits can be maximised at the same time as decreasing greenhouse gas emissions.

2. To select technologies or measures for climate change mitigation and adaptation based on countries’ sustainable development and climate goals.

3. To create low greenhouse gas emission and climate resilient strategies and action plans in order to accelerate innovation needed for achieving sustainable development and climate goals on the scale and timescale required within countries.

4. To rationalize the current directions in international climate policy making in order to provide coherent and efficient support to developing countries in devising and implementing strategies and action plans for low emission technology transfers to deliver climate and sustainable development goals.

5. To facilitate development of an international framework for financial resources in order to support technology development and transfer, improve enabling environments for innovation, address equity issues such as poor people’s energy access, and make implementation of activities possible at the desired scale within the country.

The solutions presented in Challenges and Solutions for Climate Change show how ambitious measures can be undertaken which are fully in line with domestic interests, both in developing and in developed countries, and how these measures can be supported through the international mechanisms.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Frontmatter

Chapter 1. Challenge 1: Placing Climate Actions in a Wider Sustainable Development Context

Abstract

Recent studies have shown an increasing urgency to address climate change and its impacts on ecosystems with the scale of action requiring no less than ‘a green revolution.’ A review of the climate negotiations and recent developments within the Cancun Agreements identifies five main challenges to progress. In this first chapter, the need for increased engagement of developing countries in global climate coalitions for action is discussed. It has become clear that climate policy making and sustainable development policies are increasingly becoming interlinked, especially in developing countries, where climatic changes affect achieving development goals and where climate action could improve energy access with low greenhouse gas emitting technologies for poverty alleviation. The challenge is to place the climate negotiations in this wider context of sustainability, equity and social change.

Wytze van der Gaast, Katherine Begg

Chapter 2. Challenge 2: Integrating Sustainable Development and Technology Transfer Needs

Abstract

This chapter addresses the challenge of how sustainable development and climate goals could be aligned through technology transfers. It explains how this is an opportunity for maximising the benefits from investments at a time of constrained resources but large-scale low-emission technology transfers for mitigation and adaptation. This could facilitate developing countries’ efforts to achieve Millennium Development Goals. The chapter reviews the development of technology transfer under the UNFCCC and the updated Technology Needs Assessment (TNA) process. How technologies and measures can be identified for achieving both climate and development goals using the new TNA process involving developing country stakeholders is described as a first stage in developing strategies and action plans for large-scale sector transformations.

Wytze van der Gaast, Katherine Begg

Chapter 3. Challenge 3: Creating Low-Emission and Climate‐Resilient Strategies to Accelerate Innovation for Sustainable Development

Abstract

In this chapter, the complexity of the technology transfer and innovation process is discussed with the need to not only deliver technologies but also facilitate successful adoption through supportive activities to overcome barriers in the system. The next challenge, therefore, is to create the low greenhouse gas emission and climate-resilient strategies and action plans to accelerate innovation for sustainable development on the scale and timescale required for achieving climate and development goals. This chapter describes the TNA process that enables identification of the system blockages or market barriers based on characterising the existing system or market. Stakeholders can then generate the activities for overcoming these weaknesses to form a strategy for innovation of a technology. When taken together with other priority technologies in a sector, the identified innovation activities can form a sector strategy, or when scaling up further, form a national strategy. Action plans for implementation provide the basis for the costs, timing, responsibilities and monitoring, verification and reporting as a basis for funding allocation and management.

Wytze van der Gaast, Katherine Begg

Chapter 4. Challenge 4: Realising the Promise—Rationalising the Current Directions in International Climate Policy Making

Abstract

Recent developments in the negotiations have shown an increasing focus on developing strategies for meeting climate goals in the context of countries’ sustainable development. Provisions included for that in the Copenhagen Accords and Cancun Agreements are low-emission development strategies (LEDS), nationally appropriate mitigation actions (NAMAs) and national adaptation plans (NAPs). In addition, the updated TNA process supports formulation of strategies with action plans. This chapter discusses possible interlinkages between these provisions as well as with the several climate policy pillars under the Convention, such as Technology Mechanism, Cancun Adaptation Framework, Capacity-Building Framework and Financial Mechanism. The chapter addresses the challenge of how to rationalise these current directions in climate policy making. It provides recommendations for the efficient operation of these pillars by suggesting areas where activities can be integrated so that duplication and wastage of resources can be avoided.

Wytze van der Gaast, Katherine Begg

Chapter 5. Challenge 5: Financing Technologies and Actions for Climate and Development

Abstract

This chapter discusses the challenge of how to finance the various activities for a pathway for meeting climate and development goals in the timescale and at the necessary scale. This challenge is addressed by providing an overview of the overall finance needs estimates for climate change mitigation and adaptation as well as existing finance initiatives and pledged funding under the Cancun Agreements. The chapter then discusses experience with financing activities for realising development benefits, such as energy access for poor people. This is followed by an analysis of how finance initiatives for the purchase and modification of technologies being transferred for climate and development benefits can be scaled up, as well as how to scale up finance initiatives for technology acceleration actions as part of a strategy, such as policies, enforcement instruments, network building, training, supply chain development, etc. Finally, the chapter explores how, with the large number of private and public players identified, a finance strategy can be generated and integrated with the TNA & LEDS innovation strategies to maximise successful transfers.

Wytze van der Gaast, Katherine Begg

Chapter 6. Summary of the Challenges and Solutions

Abstract

The important challenges are listed below and have formed the subject of each of the chapters in the book. This chapter summarises the key insights gained from the earlier chapters and indicates some possible ways forward. There are no simple solutions and real progress will involve the political will commitment to change, many stakeholders and networks working flexibly together as well as sustained effort and long term finance.

Wytze van der Gaast, Katherine Begg

Backmatter

Titel: Challenges and Solutions for Climate Change
verfasst von: Wytze van der Gaast
Katherine Begg
Verlag: Springer London
Electronic ISBN: 978-1-84996-399-2
Print ISBN: 978-1-84996-398-5
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84996-399-2