IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v11y2020i1d10.1038_s41467-020-17679-3.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

An equitable redistribution of unburnable carbon

Author

Listed:
  • Steve Pye

    (University College London, Central House)

  • Siân Bradley

    (The Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House)

  • Nick Hughes

    (University College London, Central House)

  • James Price

    (University College London, Central House)

  • Daniel Welsby

    (University College London, Central House)

  • Paul Ekins

    (University College London, Central House)

Abstract

The rapid phase-out of fossil fuels is critical to achieving a well-below 2 °C world. An emerging body of research explores the implications of this phase-out for fossil fuel producing countries, including the perceived tension between least-cost and most-equitable pathways. Here we present modelling, which re-distributes remaining fossil fuel production towards developing countries. We show that redistribution is challenging due to large economic disincentives required to shift production, and offers limited economic benefit for developing countries given the long timeframe required to effect change, and the wider impact of rising fuel import and energy systems costs. Furthermore, increases in production shares are offset by shrinking markets for fossil fuels, which are part dependent on carbon capture and storage (CCS). We argue that while there is a weak economic case for redistribution, there is a clear role for equity principles in guiding the development of supply side policy and in development assistance.

Suggested Citation

  • Steve Pye & Siân Bradley & Nick Hughes & James Price & Daniel Welsby & Paul Ekins, 2020. "An equitable redistribution of unburnable carbon," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-9, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:11:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-020-17679-3
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17679-3
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-17679-3
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-020-17679-3?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Ediger, Volkan Ş. & Berk, Istemi, 2023. "Future availability of natural gas: Can it support sustainable energy transition?," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(PA).
    2. Dan Welsby & Baltazar Solano Rodriguez & Pye Steve & Adrien Vogt-Schilb, 2022. "High and Dry: Stranded Natural Gas Reserves and Fiscal Revenues in Latin America and the Caribbean," Working Papers halshs-03410049, HAL.
    3. Pellegrini, Lorenzo & Arsel, Murat & Orta-Martínez, Martí & Mena, Carlos F. & Muñoa, Gorka, 2021. "Institutional mechanisms to keep unburnable fossil fuel reserves in the soil," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    4. Draeger, Rebecca & Cunha, Bruno S.L. & Müller-Casseres, Eduardo & Rochedo, Pedro R.R. & Szklo, Alexandre & Schaeffer, Roberto, 2022. "Stranded crude oil resources and just transition: Why do crude oil quality, climate ambitions and land-use emissions matter," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 255(C).
    5. Lorenzo Pellegrini & Murat Arsel & Gorka Muñoa & Guillem Rius-Taberner & Carlos Mena & Martí Orta-Martínez, 2024. "The atlas of unburnable oil for supply-side climate policies," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
    6. Alejandro Huertas Herrera & Mónica D. R. Toro-Manríquez & Cristian Lorenzo & María Vanessa Lencinas & Guillermo Martínez Pastur, 2023. "Perspectives on socio-ecological studies in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-14, December.
    7. Yu Liu & Mingxi Du & Qi Cui & Jintai Lin & Yawen Liu & Qiuyu Liu & Dan Tong & Kuishuang Feng & Klaus Hubacek, 2022. "Contrasting suitability and ambition in regional carbon mitigation," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.
    8. Jan-Philipp Sasse & Evelina Trutnevyte, 2023. "A low-carbon electricity sector in Europe risks sustaining regional inequalities in benefits and vulnerabilities," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-15, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:11:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-020-17679-3. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.