TRANSrisk studied the risks and uncertainties within low carbon transition pathways, and how transitions can be implemented in ways that are technically, economically and sociably feasible.
Quantitative tools, such as models exploring the future climate evolution and its impacts, as well as the costs and benefits associated with different mitigation pathways face a high degree of uncertainty. At the same time, critical issues such as public acceptance (or lack thereof) of low-carbon (technology) options are difficult to quantify. On the other hand, qualitative methods can enhance uncertainty analysis and robust decision making process, through the quantification of risks and interrelations of climate change mitigation pathways as well as political opinion and public acceptability. Thus, TRANSrisk's unique approach combined economic computer models with input from people working in the area of study (’stakeholders’) to address this issue.
In the above context, TRANSrisk published the Open Access Book "Understanding risks and uncertainties in energy and climate policy: Multidisciplinary methods and tools towards a low carbon society". The book presents innovative methodologies and tools that help devise energy and climate policies that incorporate the key ingredients of robustness. In particular, it reflects multi-stakeholder engagement, since collective intelligence helps overcome quantitative models’ limitations, flexibility to evolve over time as new insights are gained, and identification of ways to trigger policy adjustment.
The book is freely available for download from here.
