Mobilization of additional benefits of climate protection by advising political institutions (co-benefits)

The promotion of renewable energies is essential for sustainable development. It is also an important part of national plans for climate protection and adaptation (Nationally Determined Contributions – NDCs), which the parties to the UNFCCC committed to implementing when they ratified the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015. However, a “yes” to wind and solar energy does not only benefit the climate: prioritizing renewables is usually accompanied by a series of positive additional effects, known as co-benefits. These include, for example, better air quality, the protection of natural resources, the promotion of technological development, greater energy security, better access to electricity and the creation of future-proof jobs. Countries with rapidly increasing energy requirements such as Turkey, India, Kenya, South Africa and Vietnam will be faced with energy and climate policy decisions in the coming years that will influence their energy policy future for decades to come. In the national discussions on future energy policies in these partner countries, co-benefits are important arguments for the decision in favor of more renewable energies. They can therefore make a positive contribution to pursuing a sustainable and climate-friendly development path. However, it is very important that the co-benefits do not remain abstract and general, but that they are individually tailored to the political and social needs in the respective countries. This is where the COBENEFITS project came in by providing ministries, authorities and non-governmental organizations in the project countries with “tailor-made” advice on co-benefits selected by local decision-makers. Together with national knowledge partners, the project quantified country-specific co-benefits of climate policies, with a focus on opportunities through sustainable energy in the electricity sector. After completing the studies, UfU worked with stakeholders in the partner countries to develop proposals for measures – known as enabling policies – that support the best possible and fairest use of the co-benefits. In addition, the capacities of political decision-makers, knowledge partners and multipliers were strengthened through political dialog rounds, training materials, online courses, classroom training and networking. As a result, they are increasingly in a position to successfully exploit the positive social and economic side effects of climate protection measures.

UfU and IASS publish Enabling Policies Report

The COBENEFITS Enabling Policies Report is the official final report of the project. It provides an overview of policy measures that have a high potential to fairly exploit the co-benefits of renewable energy in the electricity sector. The report summarizes findings and recommendations from five COBENEFITS project years and more than 15 studies from more than 7 countries. It is thus a practical tool for policy makers, researchers and policy advisors to think climate protection and socio-economic development together in practice.

To the complete message: https://www.ufu.de/ufu-und-iass-veroeffentlichen-enabling-policies-report/

Publications in the project:
  • UfU/IASS 2022 Maximizing co-benefits of the energy transition: Enabling policies in countries worldwide
    COBENEFITS Impulse Authors: Sarah Kovac, Franziska Sperfeld – UfU Editors: Laura Nagel, Sebastian Helgenberger – IASS Potsdam Potsdam, September, www.cobenefits.info Download PDF: Enabling Policies worldwide (PDF)

 

 

  • IASS/IPC/UfU/IET 2022
    Increasing industria
    l competitiveness and hedging against fossil price volatility with renewables in Turkey. Assessing the co-benefits of decarbonizing the power sector
    IET, IPC, UfU, and IASSCOBENEFITS Executive Report: Executive Summary Update Editors: David Jacobs, Dursun Ba, Ümit Şahin, Franziska Sperfeld, Laura Nagel, Sebastian Helgenberger Potsdam/Istanbul, www.cobenefits.info Download PDF: Industrial competitiveness through renewables in Turkey (PDF)

 

 

  • IET/IASS/EPRA/METU/OZU/UfU/IPC 2021
    Making the Paris Agreement a success for the planet and people of Turkey: COP26 Briefing: Reducing electricity prices and increasing economic competitiveness with renewable energy
    Technical Implementation:: Osman Bülent Tör, Saeed Teimourzadeh, Ebru Voyvoda, Göktürk Poyrazoğlu – EPRA/METU/OZU Editors: David Jacobs, Laura Nagel, Sebastian Helgenberger, Franziska Sperfeld, Dursun Bas, Ümit Şahin – IET/IASS/UfU/IPC

    www.cobenefits.info
    Download PDF: Reducing electricity prices & increasing economic competitiveness – Turkey (PDF)

 

  • IASS/UfU/IET/CSIR 2020
    Making the Paris Agreement a success for the planet and the people of South Africa. Unlocking the co-benefits of decarbonizing South Africa’s power sector
    COBENEFITS Policy Report Editors: Franziska Sperfeld, David Jacobs, Sebastian Helgenberger, Laura Nagel, Ruan Fourie Potsdam/Pretoria, www.cobenefits.info Download PDF: Unlocking cobenefits in South Africa (PDF)

 

 

  • IASS/UfU/TERI 2020
    Making the Paris Agreement a success for the planet and the people of India. Unlocking the co-benefits of decarbonizing India’s power sector
    COBENEFITS Policy Report Editors: Sebastian Helgenberger, Ankush Kumar, Franziska Sperfeld, Sarah Kovac, Laura Nagel, and Neha Pahuja Potsdam/New Delhi, www.cobenefits.info Download PDF: Unlocking cobenefits in India (PDF)

 

 

 

  • IASS/Green ID/UfU 2019
    Future skills and job creation through renewable energy in Vietnam. Assessing the co-benefits of decarbonizing the power sector , English/Vietnamese Editors:Ayodeji Okunlola, Laura Nagel, Sebastian Helgenberger, Nguy Thi Khanh, Nguyen Thi Mai Dung and Sarah Kovac Potsdam/Hanoi, www.cobenefits.info Download PDF: Job creation in Vietnam – english(PDF)