EU-CHINA BRIDGE: Building a sustainable future together

© IIASA

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Summary

The EU and China play a vital role in achieving global climate neutrality due to their large greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, economic power, influence on international trade, and strong competitive position in low-carbon technology industries. Yet, both regions face tremendous challenges in how to achieve their climate targets. Although technological breakthrough solutions and deployment strategies are on the rise, large emitters such as energy-intensive industries (EII) like steel and chemicals, are often still considered hard to abate and simultaneously, critical economic growth engines. While various technology options exist for decarbonising EIIs, they are usually under-represented in the integrated assessment models (IAMs) used to explore decarbonisation pathways. Additionally, datasets of previous emissions often contain considerable inconsistencies and uncertainties, creating obstacles to designing effective mitigation policies.

Given this complexity, relying on a single model or discipline to design emission mitigation pathways would be insufficient and potentially biased. An integrated modeling framework is a comprehensive approach that combines various models from different disciplines to simulate and analyze the interactions between environmental, economic, and social systems. These models often incorporate aspects of climate science, economics, energy systems, land use, and policy analysis, enabling a multi-dimensional view of potential emission mitigation strategies. By integrating these diverse perspectives, the framework can provide a more accurate and nuanced understanding of the potential impacts of different policy measures, technological innovations, and behavioral changes. Moreover, integrated modeling frameworks can help to bridge the gap between scientific research and policy development. By translating complex scientific data into practical actions, these frameworks can contribute to designing policies that are both grounded in evidence and aligned with climate change mitigation goals.