Time: Monday, June 24, 15:00-17:00

　　Location: 6F, Main Building

　　Speaker: Professor Priyadarshi R. Shukla, Co-Chair of the Working Group of the University of Ahmedabad, India (IPCC)

　　Introduction:

　　IPCC, in response to the invitation by the UNFCCC, prepared a ‘Special Report on the impacts of the global warming of 1.5oC (SR15)’ . The framing of the report included a comparison between global warming of 1.5oC and 2oC above pre-industrial levels. The report’s findings for the comparative warming levels show that global emissions of current nationally stated mitigation ambitions would lead to 52–58 GtCO2eq yr−1 of global GHG emissions in 2030. The pathways reflecting these ambitions would not limit global warming to 1.5°C, even if supplemented by very challenging increases in the scale and ambition of emissions reductions after 2030. Under warming to 1.5°C and 2°C, CO2 emissions should fall by about 45% and 20% respectively by 2030. In 1.5°C compared to 2°C world, there will be less extreme weather where people live and comparatively lower impact on biodiversity behavioural changes 

　　

　　Limiting warming to 1.5°C would require changes on an unprecedented scale requiring deep emissions cuts in all sectors, use of a range of technologies (e.g. Renewables) and increased investment in low carbon options. The systems transitions consistent with 1.5°C warming would encompass alterations in technologies, behaviour, infrastructure, land-use and related urban planning responses. A notable feature of 1.5°C energy systems is the deployment of Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) technologies under limited or no overshoot pathways. A silverline to the system transformation story is its close links to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). There are a mix of measures to adapt to climate change and mitigate emissions which can have benefits for SDGs. Institutional arrangements for delivering SDGs of national and sub-national authorities, civil society, the private sector, indigenous peoples and local communities can support ambitious mitigation action. The congruence of the solution space for systems transitions towards 1.5°C global warming and achieving SDGs have opened up opportunities for accelerating the transition to a sustainable low carbon transition. The presentation will open up the discussion on the mitigation challenges and opportunities in the context of preparing IPCC WGIII AR6.  

　　Speaker profile:

　　Priyadarshi R. Shukla is a Distinguished Professor at Ahmedabad University. He is currently a co-chair of the Working Group III (Mitigation) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). He has been a professor at Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad for over three decades. Prof. Shukla has been a member of several prestigious national and international committees in the areas of energy, environment and development. He has led several global energy, environment and development modeling teams. He has co-authored/co-edited fifteen books and numerous publications in the reputed international journals. Prof. Shukla has been a member of the editorial board of several international journals in the areas of energy, environment, climate change and development policies and modeling. He is a consultant to numerous national and international organizations. Prof. Shukla holds Ph.D. from Stanford University. 

　　(Hosted by: Energy and Environmental Policy Research Center, Research and Academic Exchange Center)