Page - 5 - in options, Volume summer 2016

research news 5summer 2016 + optionswww.iiasa.ac.at iiasa research Delaying climate policy could jeopardize  SDGs The longer the world delays implementing ambitious climate policy, and the fewer  technologies it is willing or able to use, the less chance there is of achieving the other UN Sustainable Development Goals, according to a new study published in the journal Environmental Research Letters. “The UN Sustainable Development Goals form a complex structure. Anyone seeking to interfere in any which way should be aware of the complicated mechanism,” said  study leader Christoph von Stechow, a researcher at the Mercator Research Institute on Global  Commons and Climate Change. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals were adopted in 2015 by all 193 countries of the UN and are intended to be reached by 2030. The new study examined how climate change mitigation efforts would influence other sustainable development objectives, such as access to affordable and clean energy, reducing ocean acidification, and lowering air pollution. Based on existing scenarios that keep global mean temperature  rise below 2°C, the scientists calculated the impacts on various sustainability risks across  different  models. “Within the climate negotiations process, there has been increasing emphasis on national priorities and how climate policies interact with other sustainable development goals,” said IIASA researcher Jessica Jewell, who also worked on the study. “Our study looks at the trade‑offs between some of these key sustainable energy goals and climate policies.” “For example, a climate change mitigation strategy that relies less on bioenergy would likely be good for global food security; this we knew. What is perhaps more surprising is that, according to the models, a ‘limited‑bioenergy strategy’ would further boost air quality improvement efforts worldwide, since the shift away from dirty coal power would need to take place more quickly, as would the expansion of clean solar, wind, and other non‑biomass renewables,” said IIASA researcher David McCollum. “The risk of such a strategy, however, is that energy could become less affordable.” KL Further info von  Stechow  C, Minx  JC, Riahi  K, Jewell  J, McCollum  DL, Callaghan  MW, Bertram  C, Luderer  G, Baiocchi  G (2016). 2°C  and SDGs: United  they stand, divided they fall? Environmental Research Letters 11(3):034022 [doi:10.1088/1748-9326/11/3/034022]. Jessica Jewell jewell@iiasa.ac.at § David McCollum mccollum@iiasa.ac.at § Keywan  Riahi riahi@iiasa.ac.at Dissecting disaster When a natural disaster strikes, it can damage property, injure or kill people, and  lead to widespread economic damage. In the aftermath it is often unclear what factors led to the worst damage, but like a  crime scene, floods, landslides and other disasters leave many clues in their wake. At  the European Geophysical Union meeting in April, IIASA researchers presented new tools that policymakers and researchers can  use to help assess disaster events and avoid  them in the future. www.iiasa.ac.at/news/egumedia-16 Off‑grid systems bring uneven  energy access Small off‑grid electricity systems are growing rapidly in South Asia. A new study shows that small‑scale electricity systems provide uneven benefits and limited service options. It also showed that solar powered systems led to the greatest benefits. The  study, a collaboration with the World  Resources Institute, is the first assessment of how these systems are impacting communities in the region. www.iiasa.ac.at/news/offgrid-16 Clean energy to stress water  resources Efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in  the energy sector could lead to greater pressure on water resources, increasing water use, and thermal water pollution. A new study shows that dedicated adaptation measures will be needed in order to avoid potential trade‑offs between the water and climate change impacts of the energy system. www.iiasa.ac.at/news/erlenergy-16 How education affects mothers’  employment Women with higher levels of education are  more likely to continue working even when they have children, according to a new  study from IIASA population researchers. The  study, based on an international survey of five European countries, shows that while this “education effect” is apparent in all of the countries surveyed, it differs between countries and depends on the age of the youngest child. Researchers had thought that education effects would be smallest in  societies that are most supportive of women’s employment, but they found this to be true only for later childrearing phases. pure.iiasa.ac.at/11699