Demographers have much to contribute to climate change science. This paper describes a new framework being developed by the climate research community that holds potential as an organizing tool for population-climate scholarship, as well as being useful for identifying demographic research gaps within the climate change field. The shared socio-economic pathways (SSPs) represent plausible alternative trends in the evolution of social and natural systems over the twenty-first century at the scale of the world and large regions. The SSPs can help identify population-environment research gaps by illuminating areas of intersection that will shape climate futures but require deeper scientific understanding-the association between urbanization and energy consumption is an example. Also, to vastly enhance the policy relevance of local case studies, the parameters outlined within the SSPs can offer a basic level of harmonization to facilitate generalization. In this way, the SSP framework can increase the relevance and accessibility of population research and, therefore, offer a mechanism through which demographic science can truly offer policy impact. © 2014 The Author(s).
CITATION STYLE
Hunter, L. M., & O’Neill, B. C. (2014). Enhancing engagement between the population, environment, and climate research communities: The shared socio-economic pathway process. Population and Environment, 35(3), 231–242. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11111-014-0202-7
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