Uncertainties in global-scale reconstructions of historical land use: an illustration using the HYDE data set
Land use and land-use change play an important role in global integrated assessments. However, there are still many uncertainties in the role of current and historical land use in the global carbon…
If climate action becomes urgent: the importance of response times for various climate strategies
Most deliberations on climate policy are based on a mitigation response that assumes a gradually increasing reduction over time. However, situations may occur where a more urgent response is needed. A…
Deep greenhouse gas emission reductions in Europe: Exploring different options
Most modelling studies that explore emission mitigation scenarios only look into least-cost emission pathways, induced by a carbon tax. This means that European policies targeting specific – sometimes…
Influence of travel behavior on global CO2 emissions
Travel demand is rising steeply and its contribution to global CO 2 emissions is increasing. Different studies have shown possible mitigation through technological options, but so far few studies have…
Human use of land has transformed ecosystem pattern and process across most of the terrestrial biosphere, a global change often described as historically recent and potentially catastrophic for both…
The effects of adaptation and mitigation on coastal flood impacts during the 21st century
This paper studies the effects of mitigation and adaptation on coastal flood impacts. We focus on a scenario that stabilizes concentrations at 450 parts per million CO 2 -equivalent leading to 42 cm…
Reduction targets and abatement costs of developing countries resulting from global and developed countries’ reduction targets by 2050
The European Union (EU) has advocated an emission reduction target for developed countries of 80% to 95% below the 1990 level by 2050, and a global reduction target of 50%. Developing countries have…
The effects of Climate Change in the Netherlands: 2012
Although climate change is expected to continue, its negative impacts for the Netherlands appear manageable. Here, most climatic changes will take place more gradual than in many other regions, thus…
Analysing the greenhouse gas emission reductions of the mitigation action plans by non-Annex I countries by 2020
As part of the Cancún Agreements, 45 non-Annex I countries (non-industrialised) have pledged mitigation action plans, of which 16 countries, including the seven major emitting countries, have…
Comments on the EC proposal for amendment of the Renewable Energy and Fuel Quality Directives
At the end of 2012, the European Commission presented a proposal to deal with emissions from indirect land-use change (ILUC) in the sustainability criteria for biofuels. According to PBL Netherlands…