Periodic Reporting for period 2 - ACTION (Assessing Climate TransItion OptioNs: policy vs impacts)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2022-02-01 al 2023-01-31
ACTION - Assessing Climate TransItion OptioNs: policy vs impacts addresses the research gaps related to climate change policy transparency, equity and evaluation. Climate change policies are a crucial instrument to fight climate change but they are usually fragmented, difficult to compare and to assess in their impacts on households.
The project is important and timely as it contributes to develop innovative climate policy assessment methods to better inform future climate design and accelerate decision making. From a broader, societal perspective, the project contributes toward increasing awareness of the importance of well-designed climate change policies and low-carbon options that can be effectively implemented to fight climate change. Moreover, project findings offer useful insights into the challenges of a fair and just transition as we as inform the debate toward a feasible, affordable and competitive European low-carbon economy, as envisaged in the EU’s 2050 roadmap.
The overall objective of ACTION is twofold:
Objective 1) enhance transparency and comparability of climate change action at different levels while clarifying factors determining policy ambition;
Objective 2) provide evidence on the equitable transition toward a low-carbon and sustainable development.
The project is important and timely as it contributes to develop innovative climate policy assessment methods to better inform future climate design and accelerate decision making. From a broader, societal perspective, the project contributes toward increasing awareness of the importance of well-designed climate change policies and low-carbon options that can be effectively implemented to fight climate change. Moreover, project findings offer useful insights into the challenges of a fair and just transition as we as inform the debate toward a feasible, affordable and competitive European low-carbon economy, as envisaged in the EU’s 2050 roadmap.
The overall objective of ACTION is twofold:
Objective 1) enhance transparency and comparability of climate change action at different levels while clarifying factors determining policy ambition;
Objective 2) provide evidence on the equitable transition toward a low-carbon and sustainable development.
The work flow was organized in 6 work packages (WPs).
WP1 dealt with the administrative periodic activities necessary to manage the project.
Activities under WP2 allowed the fellow to improve her knowledge on different transfer skills including negotiation, leadership, communication, gender equality and the overall interdisciplinary skills necessary to perform the research outlined in the project. The fellow was involved in a high number of training activities and hands on sessions on new research methods at both Harvard University and Ca' Foscari University. The fellow also had the opportunity to get trained on project proposal writing (e.g ERC projects, Horizon, etc).
Research conducted under WP3 was aimed at reaching the Objective 1 and focused on two major resarch lines: the development of a global database aimed at assessing the ambition levels of climate change policies and the investigaton of equitable aspects connected with the implementation of emission reduction policy measures. A cross country climate change policy database and two research articles have been developed. A selection of databases offering quantitative information have been performed and the data have been used to assess the stringency of climate change policies according to four major dimensions: policy density, carbon pricing, energy efficiency and renewable energy. These information have been used to assess the role of more or less fragmented society. Findings highlight that the impact of inequality on emission reduction policy depends on the level of development of countries. In particular, results emphasize that the presence of a trade-off between inequality and policy adoption affects high-income countries.
Tasks performed under WP4 consisted in addressing research questions toward Objective 2. Research focused on the comparison of the effect of extreme temperatures and energy prices on mortality. This analysis warns about the potential unexpected additional burden that emission reduction policies can have on mortality through the energy price channel. A research article has been developed and other outgrowth outputs have been produced starting from these research activities, including policy commentaries, articles and collaborations.
WP5 and WP6 are dedicated to dissemination and communication activities, respectively. Under this WPs the fellow developed 3 research studies that were presented in various academic conferences and events as well as other publications, including 1 policy brief commentary developed for the G20 in Bali, Indonesia, 3 non-peer reviewed articles, 1 podcast, and outreach events both for adults, schools and polict-makers, including a side-event at the UNFCCC COP27 in Sharm El-Sheik. The fellow also increased her involvement and engagement with the academic community, becoming part of journal regular referee experts, member of an executive board of a climate science association and of a panel on human resources improvement.
Overall, the project has achieved all of its objectives and milestones.
WP1 dealt with the administrative periodic activities necessary to manage the project.
Activities under WP2 allowed the fellow to improve her knowledge on different transfer skills including negotiation, leadership, communication, gender equality and the overall interdisciplinary skills necessary to perform the research outlined in the project. The fellow was involved in a high number of training activities and hands on sessions on new research methods at both Harvard University and Ca' Foscari University. The fellow also had the opportunity to get trained on project proposal writing (e.g ERC projects, Horizon, etc).
Research conducted under WP3 was aimed at reaching the Objective 1 and focused on two major resarch lines: the development of a global database aimed at assessing the ambition levels of climate change policies and the investigaton of equitable aspects connected with the implementation of emission reduction policy measures. A cross country climate change policy database and two research articles have been developed. A selection of databases offering quantitative information have been performed and the data have been used to assess the stringency of climate change policies according to four major dimensions: policy density, carbon pricing, energy efficiency and renewable energy. These information have been used to assess the role of more or less fragmented society. Findings highlight that the impact of inequality on emission reduction policy depends on the level of development of countries. In particular, results emphasize that the presence of a trade-off between inequality and policy adoption affects high-income countries.
Tasks performed under WP4 consisted in addressing research questions toward Objective 2. Research focused on the comparison of the effect of extreme temperatures and energy prices on mortality. This analysis warns about the potential unexpected additional burden that emission reduction policies can have on mortality through the energy price channel. A research article has been developed and other outgrowth outputs have been produced starting from these research activities, including policy commentaries, articles and collaborations.
WP5 and WP6 are dedicated to dissemination and communication activities, respectively. Under this WPs the fellow developed 3 research studies that were presented in various academic conferences and events as well as other publications, including 1 policy brief commentary developed for the G20 in Bali, Indonesia, 3 non-peer reviewed articles, 1 podcast, and outreach events both for adults, schools and polict-makers, including a side-event at the UNFCCC COP27 in Sharm El-Sheik. The fellow also increased her involvement and engagement with the academic community, becoming part of journal regular referee experts, member of an executive board of a climate science association and of a panel on human resources improvement.
Overall, the project has achieved all of its objectives and milestones.
The project conducted research on three topics emerging at the forefront of the international agenda, namely the transparency and accountability of national climate change policy measures, the equitable aspects of climate change strategies and the potential socioeconomic impacts of energy prices, contributing to fill key research gaps. The multidisciplinary nature of the research pushed the research ambition beyond the current state of the art. In particular, the idea of comparing the joint impact of climate change indicators, such as extreme temperatures, and emission reduction measures (indirectly affecting energy prices) resulted particularly innovative as the two issues have been so far analysed separately. In addition the development of a global database on climate policy measures gathering currently available but fragmentes sources provides a useful tool for the research community to implement further research on the issue.
The research findings will therefore contribute to address key societal challenges of our time and build better knowledge of the interactions of climate change and policy tools as well as intervention areas. Impacts anticipated from the MSCA are even more relevant in the current post-covid era.
The communication activities conducted by the fellow, including participation to public at large initiatives, meeting with students and using popular tools, such as podcasts, are helping attract interest on the importance of climate change policies of both adults and younger citizens.
The strong policy-oriented environment at the Harvard Kennedy School helped the fellow to familiarize with new governmental and institutional research processes aimed at informing governments and international meetings (e.g. produce policy briefs for the G20 debate). These channels and skills will therefore support the achievement of European Union climate and economic objectives, especially in the light of the post-covid recovery measures and the new targets within the “Fit for 55” package.
The research findings will therefore contribute to address key societal challenges of our time and build better knowledge of the interactions of climate change and policy tools as well as intervention areas. Impacts anticipated from the MSCA are even more relevant in the current post-covid era.
The communication activities conducted by the fellow, including participation to public at large initiatives, meeting with students and using popular tools, such as podcasts, are helping attract interest on the importance of climate change policies of both adults and younger citizens.
The strong policy-oriented environment at the Harvard Kennedy School helped the fellow to familiarize with new governmental and institutional research processes aimed at informing governments and international meetings (e.g. produce policy briefs for the G20 debate). These channels and skills will therefore support the achievement of European Union climate and economic objectives, especially in the light of the post-covid recovery measures and the new targets within the “Fit for 55” package.