This study shows that achieving the climate change mitigation target of staying below 2°C temperature rise is possible technically – thanks to an acceleration of decarbonisation trends, an increased electrification of final demand and large changes in the primary energy mix that include a phase out of coal and a reduction of oil and gas – and is consistent with economic growth. It yields co-benefits via improved air quality – including avoided deaths, reduction of respiratory diseases and agricultural productivity improvement – that largely offset the cost of climate change mitigation. These co-benefits arise without extra investment costs and are additional to the benefits of avoiding global warming and its impact on the economy.

KITOUS Alban Gabriel;  KERAMIDAS Kimon;  VANDYCK Toon;  SAVEYN Bert;  VAN DINGENEN Rita;  SPADARO Joe;  HOLLAND Mike; 

2017-10-26

Publications Office of the European Union

JRC107944

978-92-79-73864-7 (online),    978-92-79-75275-9,   

1831-9424,   

EUR 28798 EN,    OP KJ-NA-28798-EN-N (online),    OP KJ-NA-28798-EN-E,   

https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC107944,   

10.2760/474356 (online),    10.2760/34111,