What is important for achieving 2 °C? UNFCCC and IPCC expert perceptions on obstacles and response options for climate change mitigation

Bibliographic Data

ID15549348
AuthorsUlrike Kornek (0000-0001-6367-6241, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, corresponding author), Christian Flachsland (0000-0001-8632-5794, Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change), Chris Kardish (Hertie School), Sebastian Levi (0000-0003-0824-2218, Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change), Ottmar Edenhofer (0000-0001-6029-5208, Technische Universität Berlin)
Year2019
Volume15
Issue2
Pages024005-024005
Publication date2019-12-18
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueEnvironmental Research Letters (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1748-9326 • E-ISSN: 1748-9326
PublisherIOP Publishing (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1088/1748-9326/ab6394
OpenAlexW2995858844
LanguageEN
Citations received10
References cited6

Global mitigation efforts remain insufficient to limit the global temperature increase to well below 2 °C. While a growing academic literature analyzes this problem, perceptions of which obstacles inhibit goal attainment and which responses might be most effective seem to differ widely. This makes prioritization and agreement on the way forward difficult. To inform prioritization in global climate policy and research agendas, we present quantitative data on how 917 experts from the IPCC and the UNFCCC perceive the importance of different obstacles and response options for achieving 2 °C. On average, respondents consider opposition from special interest groups the most important obstacle and technological R&D the most important response. Our survey also finds that the majority of experts perceives a wide range of issues as important, supporting an agenda that is inclusive in terms of coverage. Average importance ratings differ between experts from the Global North and South, suggesting that balanced representation in global fora and regionally differentiated agendas are important. In particular, opposition from special interest groups is a top priority among experts from North America, Europe and Oceania. Investigating the drivers of individual importance ratings, we find little difference between experts from the IPCC and the UNFCCC, while expert’s perceptions correlate with their academic training and their national scientific, regulatory, and financial contexts

Business · Climate change · Climate science · Economics · Environmental planning · Environmental resource management · Geography · Obstacle · Opposition (politics · Perception · Political science · Prioritization · Process management · Climate Change and Geoengineering · Climate Change Communication and Perception · Psychology · Sustainability and Climate Change Governance · Ecology

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