Topics in Integrated Assessment of Climate Change - Einzelansicht

• Riahi, K., R. Schaeffer, et al.: Mitigation pathways compatible with long-term goals. In IPCC, 2022: Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change. Contribution of Working Group III to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

• Guivarch, C., E. Kriegler, J. Portugal-Pereira, et al.: Annex III: Scenario and Modeling Methods. Sections I.1.9, II.1, II.2. In IPCC, 2022: Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change. Contribution of Working Group III to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

• SENSES scenario toolkit: https://climatescenarios.org/toolkit/

Portfolioprüfung (6 LP): Students will (1) give a presentation on a selected topic based on the assigned reading for the topic, (2) hand in a written report on the selected topic, and (3) engage actively in the discussions. All three components are part of the Portfolioprüfung with the largest weight on the written report and the second largest weight on the presentation.  

In this seminar, we explore key studies in integrated assessment of climate change mitigation. Mitigation is the summary term for actions to reduce GHG emissions in order to mitigate climate change. Integrated assessment uses computer modelling of the coupled energy-land-economy-climate system to develop scenarios and pathways of climate change mitigation for the 21st century. The learning goal is to develop a sound understanding of main concepts of integrated assessment modelling, the associated analysis of climate change mitigation pathways, and how it is used to inform climate policy making.

In a series of introductory sessions spanning two days (16.10.+24.10.2025) we will provide (i) a brief summary of anthropogenic climate change, climate change impacts, climate change mitigation measures and climate policy, (ii) a primer on integrated assessment models (IAMs) and associated economic concepts, (iii) an overview of their application for climate policy analysis, and (iv) an overview of the topics to be covered during the seminar.

In the second part of the seminar (13.+14.01.2026), we will go through a selection of key topics in the integrated assessment of climate change mitigation pathways, with a focus on the economics of reaching long-term climate targets.Topics include:

• The emissions gap, and the challenge of delayed climate action for keeping long-term targets within reach
• The international dimension: efficiency, equity, sovereignity and burden sharing
• The global energy transition in climate change mitigation pathways
• Land use transitions in climate change mitigation pathways
• Carbon dioxide removal in climate change mitigation pathways
• Overshoot pathways that temporarily exceed and then return to 1.5°C warming levels 
• Feasibility assessment of climate change mitigation pathways towards achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement
• Sustainable development pathways embedding climate change mitigation into a broader set of sustainable development goals

Students will select their preferred topic and present it based on the reading assigned to the topic, followed by a discussion. 

The final day of the seminar (21.01.2026) will be dedicated to exploring an interactive IAM scenario toolkit (see here to get a taste: https://climatescenarios.org/toolkit/) and a concluding discussion on the integrated assessment of climate change mitigation pathways. 

The seminar is designed to allow participants to acquire an own understanding of the key concepts, applications and insights in the field. Besides knowledge about the integrated assessment of climate change mitigation strategies, the course promotes a series of important soft skills: public speaking, presenting and reflecting on scientific content, and navigating self-directed learning in the field of integrated assessment.