NAVIGATE/ENGAGE Expert Workshop 20-22 September 2021

Overview of tradeoffs and synergies between climate policy and SDGs in IAMs
Volker Krey (IIASA, Austria)
Jarmo Kikstra (IIASA, Austria)

Content embargo. No presentation nor recording available. For more information please contact engage.secretariat@iiasa.ac.at

The presented study provided the framing for the workshop, based on previous work in the CD Links Project. Using two scenarios for a warming levels of 1.5C and 2C, the team explored the magnitude of co-benefits and trade-offs from climate mitigation policies with the Sustainable Development Goals. The largest trade-offs were identified for biodiversity loss, risk of hunger, mineral resource use and food prices, whereas synergies were found strongest with pollution, fossil resource use and renewable energy production. For a number of indicators related to health, land use, energy access and pollution, the (small) synergies or co-benefits depended on the particular mitigation strategy chosen. The cost of additional complementary policies to overcome the trade-offs from climate policy on SDGs were found to be significantly lower than greenhouse gas mitigation costs, offering a trajectory towards more holistic SDG compatible outcomes. In summary a 1.5C climate mitigation scenario has significant benefits, especially on health. There is a clear risk for biodiversity, hunger, and mineral extraction tradeoffs but costs for compensatory measures are likely to be limited. However, the exact implementation of policies and the policy coherence across domains make a large difference.  

The study focused on 18 indicators, covering 11 SDG targets, involving 8 global Integrated Assessment models, with additional SDG analysis tools. The regional focus was primarily global, but also on Brazil, China, EU, India, and the USA.  

Volker Krey is the Research Group Leader of the Integrated Assessment and Climate Change (IACC) Research Group as part of the IIASA Energy, Climate, and Environment (ECE) Program. Since May 2018, he also holds the position of an Adjunct Professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) where he teaches and collaborates with colleagues in the industrial ecology and energy transition programs. 

Jarmo Kikstra is a research assistant with the Energy, Climate, and Environment Program (ECE) at IIASA. He is part of both the Integrated Assessment and Climate Change (IACC) and the Transformative Institutional and Social Solutions (TISS) research groups.