4th Project Meeting

14 July 2017

On 15-18 May 2017 the fourth CD-LINKS project meeting was hosted at PIK, in Potsdam, Germany.

The main focus of the meeting was the progress and implementation of the project so far and planning for the coming year. Many different results and inputs are currently under preparation, which include synthesis papers on the emissions budgets of different regions consistent with the 1.5°C and 2°C targets specified in the Paris Agreement of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Topics covered by the synthesis papers include a comparison of transformation pathways across different countries (e.g. potential for strengthening and ratcheting up the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions and national carbon budgets considering different burden sharing schemes) and a comparative analysis of the effectiveness of different development, energy and climate policies.

The implications of climate policies on the UN sustainable development goals (SDGs) were also discussed during thematic breakout sessions at the meeting. The themes covered included ‘water for energy’ (SDG 6 clean water and sanitation), ‘food security’ (SDG 2 zero hunger), ‘economic development and investments’ (SDG 1 no poverty and SDG 8 decent work and economic growth) and ‘biodiversity’ (SDG 15 life on land).

National modelling teams are working on scientific papers on their country’s low-carbon development pathways. A number of topical scientific papers have also been pledged, which cover topics such as the impacts of climate change on food security and the impacts and adaptation needed to deal with possible sea-level rising and flooding.

A dedicated strategy meeting was also held during the 4^th CD-LINKS project meeting on the development of a data visualization tool that will be used to present and communicate the results to various audiences, including the public and policymakers.

Capacity building and knowledge sharing within and across partners of CD-LINKS is an important objective of the CD-LINKS project. To that end, a research exchange programme for early to mid-career scientists has been established, with application deadlines to participate in the programme scheduled each quarter throughout the CD-LINKS project. To date, five research exchanges have taken place between COPPE–IIASA, RITE-IIASA, NIES-IIASA and TU-IIASA. The research exchanges have varied in length from 2 to 12 months. Applicants from COPPE and ERI have participated in the latest exchange and are hosted by IIASA and PBL.

In addition, several different products are being developed by the research teams of CD-LINKS in time for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) special report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways, in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable development, and efforts to eradicate poverty.

The agenda of the meeting is available from here.