Climate policy is often based on complex energy models. A new paper in Nature Energy proposes ‘model fingerprints’ as a new method to better compare the behaviour of these models. These snapshots of model behaviour allow researchers and policymakers to better interpret...
Without further implementation net zero targets will not deliver their intended climate mitigation. Many countries have promised to cut their greenhouse gas emissions to almost zero around mid-century, while compensating the remaining emissions: net zero. However many net...
Achieving the stringent global climate target of the Paris agreement, limiting global temperature change to well-below 2 or even 1.5 degrees, requires unprecedented emission reductions of CO2, as well as non-CO2 greenhouse gases, such as methane, nitrous oxide and fluorinated...
The river basins of the European Rhine and the Chinese Yangtze feature similar challenges: environmental pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity, urbanisation and climate adaptation. The approaches to these in the river basins can therefore be compared and the...
A circular bioeconomy can dramatically rein in the fast-growing plastic sector’s climate, pollution, and resource consumption impacts. Under current policies, global plastic production will likely triple by the year 2100. Today, the plastic sector is responsible for almost 5%...
Since the Glasgow climate summit (COP26) governments have made little progress in terms of strengthening short term policies, a new UN Environment Programme (UNEP) finds. Last year all countries promised to strengthen their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) but NDCs...
The 27th UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) will be held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, from 6 to 18 November 2022. It will bring parties together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. PBL Netherlands...
The land use sector can play a major role in achieving the binding EU target of climate neutrality by 2050. It has more potential for carbon sequestration than any other sector and is in fact already removing 7% of all EU emissions. To better assess the impact of future...
Many countries have made a commitment to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by or around 2050. If some sectors have residual emissions, these must be compensated for by removing CO2 from the air and storing it. This can be done, for example, through large-scale...
In 2015, UN member states agreed on 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to pursue global sustainable development. They include combating poverty and hunger and promoting responsible consumption and production. Although a variety of scenarios have been developed to achieve...
