 The research of 4CMR is concerned with the mitigation of climate change, in particular the assessment of climate change policies aimed at reducing emissions of greenhouse gases from the global economy. To do this work, we use advanced econometric modelling to understand how energy, environment and/or economic policies affect emissions and sustainable development. To learn more about any of these Projects, or to discuss opportunities for undertaking joint research on similar topics, please Contact Us.
 ADAM: ADaptation And Mitigation strategies ADAM was an integrated project designed to assess the trade-offs and conflicts that exist between mitigation (reducing climate change) and adaptation (responding to any climate change that still takes place) policies. ADAM has supported EU policy decisions towards the next stage of the development of the Kyoto Protocol and will inform the emergence of new adaptation strategies for Europe. The ADAM programme was structured around four overarching domains: Scenarios (of sustainable development), Policy Appraisal, Mitigation and Adaptation. The Mitigation work evaluated the costs and effectiveness of different mitigation options at the EU level and estimated their corresponding contribution to emissions reduction at the global level. These evaluations addressed the main interactions between the EU and other world regions: international trade, development aid, technology transfer, and trade of products and investment goods. 4CMR were involved in the analysis of mitigation policy options at the European level (the model was called M1) and globally (the model was called M2). 4CMR’s contribution to both M1 and M2 was macro economic modelling including modelling of adaptation, ancillary benefits, and impacts on employment, competitiveness and foreign trade.
 4CMR is a member of the Tyndall Centre. The second phase of the Tyndall Research Strategy (2006-09) was launched in May 2006 and comprised seven research programmes designed to carry forward the work from phase one. 4CMR was the lead partner in research programme seven - Integrated Assessment Modelling. The project involved the development and implementation of the Community Integrated Assessment System (CIAS). The system links (i) a climate and carbon-cycle model, (ii) a global energy-environment-economy model, (iii) an impacts tool and (iv) a down-scaling module. It has been applied to analyse specific scientific and policy issues, including costs of stabilising atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations, and post-2012 international climate policy options. This included analysis of instruments designed to induce and diffuse technological change.
 The aim of this project was to develop a city-scale assessment capacity able to simulate the evolution of climate impacts and emissions over the 21st century. This city-scale assessment tool was developed for urban policy-makers, planners, engineers and other stakeholders to compare alternative adaptation and mitigation strategies and to consider how cities grow whilst reducing emissions and vulnerability to climate change. 4CMR’s overall objective was to provide scenarios of economic activity at a city scale. This was modelled by adapting the existing E3MG and MDM global and UK models of economic activity that were developed in part during the first phase of the Tyndall Centre. In keeping with the overall integrated assessment framework at 4CMR and the Tyndall Centre, the economics model is driven by global scenarios of climate and socio-economic change. Of particular interest to urban planners and policy makers were the potential gains or losses from cities or nations using their own powers to explore city-scale mitigation strategies. The different scenarios of economic activity were used to drive the land use model and provide inputs to the emissions accounting models.
 The over-arching objective of the UK Green Fiscal Commission was to establish an evidence base to support the large-scale introduction of green taxes in order to respond effectively to global environmental challenges (especially climate change) and produce cost-effective environmental improvements able to promote innovation in business and assist the creation of new industries. Green taxes are defined broadly as any revenue-raising market-based environmental economic instrument, including for example, auctioned emissions allowances. The role of 4CMR was the development of transport and household sub-models of the larger models, and the review of effects of green taxes on transport and household policies using Cambridge Econometrics’ Energy-Environment-Economy model of the UK MDM-E3, provided to the Centre for academic research. |
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