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Climate change mitigation options

 

Specific challenge:The pace of current developments and uncertainties surrounding likely future trends requires further steps to maintain and strengthen the evidence base to ensure that policy makers, businesses and citizens in the EU can continue to draw on a sound understanding of the state of the climate and the wider environment, the possible response options and their consequences in social, economic and environmental terms.

Better integration and coordination of on-going and future climate change research and innovation initiatives within the EU and beyond is needed, accompanied by timely and open exchange of information and research results to enhance the impact of research and ensure a more efficient use of resources and scientific developments.

Scope:Creation of EU climate change networks to facilitate dialogue among the relevant scientific communities, funding bodies and user communities in the EU throughout the duration of Horizon 2020 and enhance effective communication and dissemination activities targeting different stakeholders, to maximise the impacts of the research and innovation initiatives and increase public awareness about climate science and research results. Proposals should cover activities such as clustering, co-ordinating and creating synergies between international, EU and nationally funded climate change research and innovation actions, developing joint programmes and projects, creating links with related international programmes, forward looking analysis to establish emerging needs, and effective mechanisms to strengthen science-policy interface. This requires genuinely cross-disciplinary, integrated and systemic approach - including the socio-economic dimension-, as well as the engagement and collaboration between the climate science and the broader stakeholder communities.

Proposals shall address the following issues:

Climate change mitigation options[1]: establishment of a comprehensive mapping and assessment of climate change mitigation options, policies and related technologies in the EU Member States and Associated Countries, taking into account their costs and opportunities. It should include analyses of the potential for international cooperation/co-development with emerging economies and developing countries, with the aim of ensuring synergies amongst research projects, foster collaboration with national and international research programmes and maximise impacts and outreach of EU-funded activities, also in view of accelerating technology transfer. Furthermore, the risks, benefits and socio-economic aspects of negative emission technologies (including geo-engineering) should also be addressed, together with new approaches for linking research on impacts and adaptation with those on mitigation options and economic costs. In line with the EU's strategy for international cooperation in research and innovation[2] international cooperation is encouraged, in particular with emerging economies and developing countries.

Expected impact: Evidence-based policy and appropriate, cost-effective management, planning and adaptation decisions by the public sector, businesses, industry and society through the provision and effective communication of trustworthy and timely science-based information. Enhanced impact of research and innovation activities through better identification of climate change R&I priorities, improved coordination of EU, Member States' research and innovation programmes and funded activities, and synergies with international research and innovation programmes and actions.

In addition, the following specific impacts are expected:

Better coordination of relevant research and innovation in the EU, including cooperation with the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). Enhanced implementation of the EU 2050 Roadmap[3] and relevant initiatives through improved dissemination of key research findings.

Type of action: Coordination and support actions

[1]     COM (2011)112

[2]     This activity directly aimed at supporting the development and implementation of evidence base for R&I policies and supporting various groups of stakeholders is excluded from the delegation to EASME and will be implemented by the Commission services.

[3]     COM(2012)497