Framework for Assessment of Climate Change Mitigation Policies Impact on Just Transition Towards Low Carbon Future

Abstract

The problems of energy vulnerability, energy poverty, and energy justice are being currently widely discussed among scholars. Especially in terms of moving towards carbon free economy up to 2050 set by EU policy documents, low carbon transition justice and energy poverty are the key research topics now. This chapter of the book aims to address this topic by proposing indicators framework for assessment of climate change mitigation policies impact on just transition towards low carbon future. In the EU, some Member States are experiencing energy poverty problem, especially due to the recent austerity policies. The current COVID-19 pandemic across the world will have even more severe impact on vulnerability of people and problems of just low carbon transition will become even more challenging. The proposed framework for climate change mitigation policies is based on Energy Indicators for Sustainable Development Framework (EISD) and includes relevant indicators for analysis of the main drivers of GHG emission reduction and the outcomes of these policies like energy affordability, energy poverty, and vulnerability. The assessment of policies impacts towards just transition to low carbon economy should be performed by applying the following criteria: GHG emission reduction, energy efficiency improvement, increase the renewables in final energy consumption, as well as their impact on increase of energy affordability and energy poverty reduction. The chapter presents comprehensive literature review on just low carbon transition, energy poverty, and climate change mitigation policies assessment and develops a framework for climate change mitigation policies assessment based on analysis of climate change policy and energy priorities and requirements of energy justice. The policy recommendations will be developed based on analysis conducted. In this chapter, the progress of the EU member states towards low carbon just energy transition was assessed using data for 2005 and 2018, and the identified indicators are evaluated using the TOPSIS method. Four scenarios, holistic, economic, environmental, and social scenarios, are developed to investigate the countries’ progress in low-carbon just energy. The results indicated that, in 2005, Austria had the first position in holistic, economic, and social scenarios, while the same figure in the environmental scenario belonged to Sweden. In 2018, the first position in the holistic and social scenarios belonged to Austria, while the same position in the environmental and economic scenarios belonged to Sweden and Luxembourg, respectively.