WP 4 - Climate and inequality

WP 4 focuses on the interdependencies of climate mitigation, poverty and inequality, the subjects of UN Sustainability Goals 1, 2, 6, 7, 10, and 11. We investigate the implications for energy demand and related climate mitigation strategies of providing everyone with a decent living standard. This includes, among others, shelter and thermal comfort in homes, food, access to clean water and sanitation, energy and mobility. The WP will focus on three main topics:

Firstly, direct and embodied energy for decent living standards in all regions of the world will be estimated, taking into account climate conditions, culture (e.g. diets) and contextual conditions (e.g. urban versus rural, building stock conditions). The WP will project future scenarios of a decent living standard in the context of future income growth and inequality, greenhouse gas mitigation and climate change. Key drivers of decent living standard energy needs will be derived and projected into the future for all countries.

Second, the vulnerability of those in poverty to price shocks, such as for food and energy, and other shock, such as heat stress, induced by climate change impacts, and/or by climate mitigation policies.

Third, WP 4 explores broader trends related to growing intra-country inequality. We will use scenarios of inequality to explore the potential impacts of shifts in income distribution and resulting patterns of consumption on resource use.

Flooding (Photo: Jordan Opel / Unsplash)