WP1: Global mitigation pathways for limiting global temperature increase below 2°C
The main questions that the WP addresses are:
- How do different interpretations of the 2°C target (not to exceed during the 21st century or overshoot and obtain at the end of the 21st century? Reaching it with which probability?) translate into a range of carbon budgets for the global economy, and what does this imply for the feasibility and costs of reaching the 2oC target?
- What are the key factors for reaching the 2°C target (under the range of carbon budgets it implies) in terms of (i) availability of mitigation options, (ii) degree of global cooperation and (iii) sectoral and species coverage of a greenhouse gas reduction regime. What are the limiting technologies, regions, sectors and greenhouse gas species?
- How will burden sharing regimes and compensation mechanisms affect the regional distribution of mitigation efforts and costs?
- How can a useful set of global 2°C scenarios be derived, taking into account the need to establish a large degree of what, where and when flexibility of emissions reductions early in the 21st century (requiring compensation and technology mechanisms)?