Newsletter 1 - April 2015
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Content About PATHWAYS |
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About Pathways |
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The EU FP7 project PATHWAYS explores the possibilities for transitions to a low-carbon, sustainable Europe. The essence of PATHWAYS is that it combines the analysis of different scientific approaches: integrated assessment modelling, transition science research, and participative action research. By combining and coordinating information from these different approaches for selected cases, PATHWAYS aims at providing better policy advice for European, Member State and local policy‐maker.
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Momentum of green niche-innovations |
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In understanding transitions, momentum plays an important role. We have analyzed the momentum of green-niche innovations in the domains energy, transport, heat, land use, and agrofood in six European countries. The momentum for the same niche-innovations can differ between countries, due to techno-economic, socio-cognitive, and governance and policy reasons.
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Timing of emission reductions |
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Scenario modeling provides insight into the overall effort and types of transitions required to achieve in the long- term sustainability targets (read more). With regard to achieving the 2°C climate target, we showed that timing of emissions reductions plays a crucial role not only for the costs of achieving such a target, but also for the adaptation costs and residual damage due to climate change. Delaying strong global action until 2030 does not necessarily imply that the 2°C target is out of reach, but it will lead to higher temperature change throughout the century and therefore to higher adaptation costs and residual damage.
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Participative action: transitions in the making |
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In order to understand how transitions unfold insight in stakeholders, their social practices, norms and attitudes provides essential information. Findings from participative action case studies regarding social networks, learning and preferences will be fed into the scenario model work, which will allow to take limitations and opportunities into account that arise from the interaction of actors and institutions. The findings will also be connected to transition science to understand the relations between niche and initiative development.
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