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Improving climate change mitigation analysis: a framework for examining feasibility

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

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Type

Article

Change log

Authors

Stern, PC 
Dietz, T 
Gilligan, JM 
van Vuuren, DP 

Abstract

Limiting global warming to 2°C or less compared with pre-industrial temperatures will require unprecedented rates of decarbonization globally. The scale and scope of transformational change required across sectors and actors in society raises critical questions of feasibility. Much of the literature on mitigation pathways addresses technological and economic aspects of feasibility, but overlooks the behavioral, cultural, and social factors that affect theoretical and practical mitigation pathways. We present a tripartite framework that “unpacks” the concept of mitigation pathways by distinguishing three factors that together determine actual mitigation: technical potential, initiative feasibility, and behavioral plasticity. The framework aims to integrate and streamline heterogeneous disciplinary research traditions toward a more comprehensive and transparent approach that will facilitate learning across disciplines and enable mitigation pathways to more fully reflect available knowledge. We offer three suggestions for integrating the tripartite framework into current research on climate change mitigation.

Description

Keywords

4101 Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation, 41 Environmental Sciences, 13 Climate Action

Journal Title

One Earth

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

2590-3330
2590-3322

Volume Title

3

Publisher

Cell Press

Rights

All rights reserved
Sponsorship
International Network Programme (INP) by the Danish Agency for Science and Higher Education (705900078B)