Researchers have mapped the blind spots for achieving a low-carbon transition

A network of over 60 international researchers has collaborated intensely over 18 months to identify knowledge gaps and opportunities needed to achieve a low-carbon transition in the Global South. They have developed an actionable research agenda to guide funders and scholars to where they should direct their efforts. Their work is now available and open access.

The review identifies several potential high impacts areas for future research across sectors and themes, for instance.

• Examining how gender is connected with other social aspects and how low-carbon policies will affect different groups in society.
• Understanding how emission pricing policies can get social and political acceptance by linking public preference for climate policy with acceptance studies.
• Highlight the geographical differences.

In Paris 2015 the world agreed on a low-carbon transition, that is, to phase out fossil fuels. Such a transition means both reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to a warming climate and is highly knowledge-intensive in process. One of the greatest challenges with a low-carbon transition is the widening of existing inequities, including gender inequality. Research is needed to make it efficient and equitable, especially in the Global South.

The Canadian International Development Research Centre, IDRC, commissioned Environment for Development, EfD, a global research organization coordinated from the University of Gothenburg, to develop a comprehensive research agenda. This project, with a budget of 1,2 million Canadian dollars, is unusual in its scope and ambition.

“This has been a very exciting project for the EfD network to work on,” says Gunnar Köhlin, Director of EfD.

“The result is not only valuable to the donors such as IDRC but also to researchers. The research agenda enables us to focus on the most impactful research to support a low-carbon transition that is both inclusive and efficient,” notes Gunnar Köhlin.

Read more
The whole set of reports is now available on the EfD website and outlines prioritized research areas relevant to a low-carbon transition in the Global South.

About IDRC
The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) is a part of Canada’s foreign affairs and development efforts. They invest in high-quality research in developing countries, share knowledge with researchers and policymakers, and mobilize global alliances to build a more sustainable and inclusive world. The head office is located in Ottawa, Canada. The budget for the high-level research agenda for a low-carbon transition in the Global South is 1,2 million Canadian dollars.

About Environment for Development (EfD)
Environment for Development (EfD) is a global network of research centers established in 2007 with the purpose of increasing the use of environmental economics to reduce poverty and increase sustainability in the Global South. The network consists of 230 researchers working at EfD’s centers based in leading academic institutions in Central Amerika, Chile, China, Colombia, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Vietnam. A large part of the research is conducted through cross-border teamwork and in cooperation with researchers from Europe and North America. The network is coordinated by the EfD Global Hub, located at the School of Business, Economics, and Law, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

Contact
Gunnar Köhlin, Director, EfD, Associate Professor in economics
Phone: +46 31-786 44 26, +46 705-35 05 08, email: gunnar.kohlin@efd.gu.se

Maria Norrström
Director of Communications
School of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Gothenburg
Phone: +46 46 31 786 1247, +46 709 226 689
E-mail: maria.norrstrom@handels.gu.se

School of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Gothenburg
With about 8000 students, 465 employees, more than 155 international partner universities and the main subjects business administration, economics and law, the School has a unique broadness. The School is also characterized by its close relation between research and education, internationalization, overall embeddedness of sustainability and its close engagement with business and society. In 2023, the School celebrates its centennial. The School is accredited by EQUIS, AACSB and AMBA - "Triple Crown".