Decomposition analysis of per capita emissions: a tool for assessing consumption changes and technology changes within scenarios

Recent studies show that behaviour changes can provide an essential contribution to achieving the Paris climate targets. Existing climate change mitigation scenarios primarily focus on technological change and underrepresent the possible contribution of behaviour change. This paper presents and applies a methodology to decompose the factors contributing to changes in per capita emissions in scenarios. 

With this approach, we determine the relative contribution to total emissions from changes in activity, the way activities are carried out, the intensity of activities, as well as fuel choice. The decomposition tool breaks down per capita emissions loosely following the Kaya Identity, allowing a comparison between the contributions of technology and consumption changes among regions and between various scenarios. We illustrate the use of the tool by applying it to three previously-published scenarios; a baseline scenario, a scenario with a selection of behaviour changes, and a 2 °C scenario with the same selection of behaviour changes.

Within these scenarios, we explore the contribution of technology and consumption changes to total emission changes in the transport and residential sector, for a selection of both developed and developing regions. In doing so, the tool helps identify where specifically (i.e. via consumption or technology factors) different measures play a role in mitigating emissions and expose opportunities for improved representation of behaviour changes in integrated assessment models. 

This research shows the value of the decomposition tool and how the approach could be flexibly replicated for different global models based on available variables and aims. The application of the tool to previously-published scenarios shows substantial differences in consumption and technology changes from CO2 price and behaviour changes, in transport and residential per capita emissions and between developing and developed regions. Furthermore, the tool's application can highlight opportunities for future scenario development of a more nuanced and heterogeneous representation of behaviour and lifestyle changes in global models.

Authors

PBL Authors
Andries Hof Kaj-Ivar van der Wijst Vassilis Daioglou Oreane Edelenbosch Mariësse van Sluisveld Detlef van Vuuren
Other authors
Nicole van den Berg
Lewis Akenji
Vanessa J Timmer

Specifications

Publication title
Decomposition analysis of per capita emissions: a tool for assessing consumption changes and technology changes within scenarios
Publication date
17 February 2021
Publication type
Article
Publication language
English
Magazine
Environmental Research Communications
Issue
Volume 3, Number 1
Product number
4658