PARIS REINFORCE - Delivering on the Paris Agreement: A demand-driven, integrated assessment modelling approach

Part of EU Open Research Repository
Published October 27, 2020 | Version 1.0
Journal article Open

Perspective of comprehensive and comprehensible multi-model energy and climate science in Europe

Authors/Creators

  • 1. Energy Policy Unit, School of Electrical & Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Athens, Greece
  • 2. Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
  • 3. Renewable Energy Systems, Institute for Environmental Sciences (ISE), Section of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
  • 4. Department of Planning, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
  • 5. Bruegel, Brussels, Belgium
  • 6. Research Group on Energy, Economy and System Dynamics, University of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
  • 7. CARTIF Foundation, Valladolid, Spain
  • 8. CICERO Centre for International Climate and Environmental Research, Oslo, Norway
  • 9. Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
  • 10. Loughborough University, Leicestershire, United Kingdom
  • 11. Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
  • 12. IREES, Energy and Sustainability Research Institute Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
  • 13. Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3), Leioa, Spain
  • 14. Technoeconomics of Energy Systems Laboratory (TEESlab), Department of Industrial Management & Technology, University of Piraeus (UNIPI), Piraeus, Greece

Description

Europe’s capacity to explore the envisaged pathways that achieve its near- and long-term energy and climate objectives needs to be significantly enhanced. In this perspective, we discuss how this capacity is supported by energy and climate-economy models, and how international modelling teams are organised within structured communication channels and consortia as well as coordinate multi-model analyses to provide robust scientific evidence. Noting the lack of such a dedicated channel for the highly active yet currently fragmented European modelling landscape, we highlight the importance of transparency of modelling capabilities and processes, harmonisation of modelling parameters, disclosure of input and output datasets, interlinkages among models of different geographic granularity, and employment of models that transcend the highly harmonised core of tools used in model inter-comparisons. Finally, drawing from the COVID-19 pandemic, we discuss the need to expand the modelling comfort zone, by exploring extreme scenarios, disruptive innovations, and questions that transcend the energy and climate goals across the sustainability spectrum. A comprehensive and comprehensible multi-model framework offers a real example of “collective” science diplomacy, as an instrument to further support the ambitious goals of the EU Green Deal, in compliance with the EU claim to responsible research.

Notes

This work was supported by the H2020 European Commission Projects "PARIS REINFORCE" under Grant Agreement No. 820846, "LOCOMOTION" under Grant Agreement No. 821105, "SENTINEL" under Grant Agreement No. 837089, and "NAVIGATE" under Grant Agreement No. 821124. The sole responsibility for the content of this paper lies with the authors; the paper does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Commission.

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Funding

European Commission
PARIS REINFORCE - Delivering on the Paris Agreement: A demand-driven, integrated assessment modelling approach 820846