Europe stands at a pivotal moment. The findings of the SPES project make clear that that the coming decade will determine whether the EU can steer a transformation that both respects planetary boundaries and delivers sustainable and inclusive wellbeing for all. Sustainable Human Development offers a unifying paradigm capable of...
Scenarios are a fundamental tool in planning sustainability and energy transitions. They help policymakers explore future possibilities and define roadmaps for reducing emissions and achieving long-term goals. However, most current energy transitions scenarios are developed through integrated assessment models that focus primarily on technical, economic, and environmental variables. While these...
The transition towards climate neutrality represents a profound societal transformation that affects different segments of society in unequal ways and imply the adoption of just transition policies. While the urgency of achieving net zero emissions is clear, the pathway to decarbonisation produces varied impacts across regions, communities, and social groups....
The SPES project suggests that a deeper shift is needed towards a just and green transition — one that redefines the very meaning of productivity, innovation, and competitiveness and how they must support sustainability and equity objectives. SPES does not treat these as separate or even competing dimensions, but as...
The impacts of climate change have far-reaching consequences in many domains, posing a range of interconnected risks. While some of these risks stem directly from climatic phenomena, many are shaped or amplified by existing socio-economic conditions. In Working Paper D6.2 “Vulnerabilities in Europe During Times of Transition” SPES Partners from...
Despite the benefits of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) within the EU economy, the impact it will have on EU global trade partners remains unclear. SPES partners from PEP – Partnership for Economic Policy in their SPES Focus “A GVAR analysis of the macroeconomic effects of the Carbon Border...
The European Union has made significant progress in reducing CO2 emissions in recent decades, partly due to the implementation of the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). However, the decline in emissions has not been matched by an equally substantial reduction in the continent's carbon footprint. To remedy this problem,...
While decent living is necessary - and crucial for the political acceptability of ecological transition strategies, the energy and material cost of needs satisfaction cannot be overlooked in the 21st century. In this context, favouring the harmony between human and natural systems may call for yet untried post-growth strategies. Likewise,...
Transition to net-zero carbon is not merely technical but a complex socio-political endeavour with significant trade-offs involving inequality, well-being, sustainability, and political acceptability. While significant progress has been made in understanding the biophysical dimensions of climate change, the socio-political aspects remain largely underexplored by assessment models. The Working Paper “Transitioning...
Building a consensus on broader frameworks, metrics and accounts goes beyond simply agreeing on measurement issues: it calls for envisioning the new world we aspire to. Overcoming the addiction to GDP requires a collective commitment to broader well-being and sustainability. As argued in SPES Working Paper 3.3 by researchers from...
