Year: 2018
Type: article
Abstract: Projections of UK greenhouse gas emissions estimate a shortfall in existing and planned climate policies meeting UK climate targets: the UK's mitigation gap. Material and product demand is driving industrial greenhouse gas emissions at a rate greater than carbon intensity improvements in the economy. Evidence shows that products can be produced with fewer carbon intensive inputs and demand for new products can be reduced. The economy-wide contribution of material productivity and lifestyle changes to bridging the UK's mitigation gap is understudied. We integrate an input-output framework with econometric analysis and case study evidence to analyse the potential of material productivity to help the UK bridge its anticipated emissions deficits, and the additional effort required to achieve transformative change aligned with 2 and 1.5°C temperature targets. We estimate that the emissions savings from material productivity measures are comparable to those from the Government's planned climate policy package. These additional measures could reduce the UK's anticipated emissions deficit up to 73%. The results demonstrate that material productivity deserves greater consideration in climate policy. Supplementary Information: The online version of this article (doi:10.1111/jiec.12831) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Source: Journal of Industrial Ecology
DOI: 10.1111/jiec.12831
Institutions: University of Leeds, University of Manchester
Language: English
Subfield: Economics and Econometrics
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,750
Awards: G2044751416, Energy Demographics: the role of demographic data in understanding UK's demand for energy, A Climate Compatible Industrial Strategy, End Use Energy Demand Centre titled "Centre for Industrial Energy, Materials, Energy and Products (CIE-MAP), UK Centre for Research on Energy Demand, A Climate Compatible Industrial Strategy
OpenAlex ID: W2901815052