The JRC brings together leading scientists to provide strong science for EU policy. Reliable, trustworthy, and up-to-date research is essential for leaders to be able to tackle global challenges. Climate change is a prime example. Negotiators at the UN COP summits depend on reliable figures to know how much countries must cut emissions to slow and even halt global temperature rises.
It is essential to understand the impacts of climate change as ecosystems are damaged, agricultural production is reduced, and weather events become more extreme. JRC research helps EU governments and negotiators agree policies to mitigate and adapt to these climate effects based on quality data.
Becoming a climate-neutral continent by 2050 needs technological innovation and social change in every aspect of our lives. Good scientific advice provided by the JRC enables us to make these changes efficiently and cost-effectively so that no one is left behind.
Calculating how much we need to cut our emissions to slow climate warming
The JRC’s annual Global Energy and Climate Outlook (GECO) gives a picture of energy markets as they transform, based on the interaction between economic development, technological innovation and climate policies. These reports are vital for policymakers and climate negotiators, showing the past, present and future of greenhouse gas emissions and their likely impact on global temperatures. These data, broken down by country, allow for a realistic discussion about where progress is being made, and where emissions cuts need to accelerate. This is key to updating the nationally determined contributions (NDCs) that countries have agreed under the Paris climate agreement.
Over the past 10 years the GECO reports have charted significant progress. The first in 2015 projected global average temperatures increasing by 3.2°C by the end of the century. However, with strong international commitments, the 2023 report showed this reducing to 3.0°C and there is an expectation this will drop further in the 2024 report. These figures are still well above the international agreement to keep the global temperature rise to 1.5°C, and the reports show that more action is needed.
Being able to trust the data is also crucial. Giacomo Grassi, a leading JRC scientist at the EU Forest Observatory is supporting the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) with analysis of the inconsistencies between emissions reported by national governments, and estimates based on models used in IPCC assessments. Identifying these gaps is essential to make sure that countries honour their international commitments and are on track to meet their targets under the Paris climate agreement.
Understanding how our food fuels climate change and what we can do about it
The EDGAR-FOOD database estimates global emissions from the food system using international statistics and a consistent IPCC methodology. It is the first database consistently covering each stage of the food chain for all countries for the period 1990-2018. The global food system is complex and involves all sectors of the economy. From farm-to-fork, the food system consumes a lot of energy and results in significant greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions - EDGAR-FOOD research shows that a third of global greenhouse gas emissions are related to food.
Each year, the JRC publishes independent estimates of emissions, based on robust and consistent data. The Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) report and the EDGAR visualisation tool allow scientists and policymakers to examine the trends and levels of emissions by sector for each country in the world.
EDGAR data are used by EU policymakers in international climate negotiations, in the annual EU Climate Action Progress report, and by international organisations like the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in their assessments of climate change. Accurate emissions estimates are essential for effective climate actions, enabling countries to make informed decisions and work towards a more sustainable future.
Watch: EDGAR FOOD - the first global food emission inventory
Assessing the risks, costs and benefits of powering our lives with batteries and hydrogen
The JRC is researching two important enablers of the European energy transition: hydrogen and batteries. This work helps assess the performance of these technologies in terms of efficiency, emissions, reliability and safety through three state-of-the-art experimental facilities:
During the COP29 summit, the JRC is presenting two key reports on the potential environmental impacts of low-carbon hydrogen deployment. One report, from a workshop co-organised by the EU Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking and the US Department of Energy, examines the potential impact on global warming of hydrogen emissions if we transition to a hydrogen-based economy. The other report compares the environmental impact of different methods for delivering hydrogen, and how best to mitigate them if hydrogen replaces fossil fuels in transport and carbon intensive industry.
Batteries are also crucial to decarbonisation of many sectors of the economy to help achieve our climate ambitions. The JRC is working to ensure the batteries we use are safe and sustainable by developing common methods for testing their performance and safety.
Fighting climate change street-by-street: support to the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy
The JRC will be represented in events taking place at COP29 to present the preliminary results of our analysis on financing climate action in cities and the overall impact of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy. This initiative empowers and supports local authorities to address the climate challenge. This involves all aspects of climate change: cutting emissions to mitigate climate warming, adapting to the effects of a changing climate and helping fight energy poverty by improving access to clean and affordable energy.
The JRC provides scientific and methodological support through guidebooks, studies and analysis of data provided by cities, scientific assessments and capacity building activities. Our most recent work includes studies focusing on European and the southern partnership countries, highlighting how municipalities inside and outside the EU can contribute to European and global climate objectives.
The Sevilla Process: building consensus for the green transition with data and dialogue
The transformation of industry to become more sustainable and competitive is essential for cutting emissions and mitigating climate change. The JRC plays an important role in shaping this transition through the European Bureau for Research on Industrial Transformation and Emissions (EU-BRITE).
EU-BRITE is the driving force behind the ‘Sevilla Process’, which aims at co-creating environmental norms for more sustainable and competitive industry. This brings together all stakeholders including national governments, industry, NGOs and the European Commission to put science at the heart of the green transition. This co-creation approach establishes trust and ownership in the process to reach consensus between stakeholders based on data and science. Using this approach, the EU has been setting environmental norms on industrial emissions for more than 20 years through its Best Available Techniques Reference Documents (BREFs), cutting emissions and protecting human health.
The Sevilla process will be showcased during COP29 with discussions aimed at setting up an international platform to control industrial pollution. The fight against climate change and the transformation of our economy hinges on building trust and consensus between industry and civil society. Through the Sevilla Process, the JRC has helped build this trust with transparent dialogue and reliable scientific data.
Watch: The Sevilla Process: scientific and technical basis for EU industrial emissions legislation
Details
- Publication date
- 13 November 2024
- Author
- Joint Research Centre
