Mobilising the Multiple Opportunities of Renewable Energies

Project website cobenefits.info

The global transition to renewable sources of energy is in full swing. Complementing climate action, the social and economic opportunities presented by this transformation have spurred the growth of renewable energy generation in many countries. The positive effects include local economic value creation and jobs, clean air, access to cheap energy, and rural development. Yet in spite of this, discussions of climate protection measures all too often focus on the economic burdens they impose and overlook the social and economic co-benefits of renewables as a key climate protection strategy.

Together with many of Germany's partner countries in the area of energy and climate policy, the project consortium led by the IASS is carrying out country-specific analyses of the social and economic potentials of an ambitious climate protection programme based on renewable energies. To exploit these potentials, policy instruments are being developed with partners from policy institutions, academia, business and civil society. This collaborative approach to setting project goals and developing solutions will also lay the foundations for new and strong alliances for ambitious efforts to protect the global climate.

Highlighting the advantages of an ambitious climate protection programme

The starting point for the project is climate protection strategies and measures in the different partner countries. Working closely with local researchers, we will identify the specific advantages of renewables in each country as well as the barriers to their mobilisation. At the same time, the project aims to encourage dialogue between policymakers, researchers and multipliers at international level to advance the global framework for climate protection. In this way, it will also contribute to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Spreading the word about the benefits of renewables at local and international level

As part of the project, we will develop materials for use in workshops and outreach activities to convey the benefits of renewable energies to the wider public. Discussion forums with experts from academia and policy institutes, online courses, face-to-face seminars, and workshops with project participants will serve to raise awareness of these benefits. Beyond that, the project researchers are formulating ideas for a common research design at international level. In addition to several country reports, studies and policy briefs, a closing conference is planned for summer 2019.

The COBENEFITS project is part of the International Climate Initiative (IKI). The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB) supports this initiative on the basis of a decision adopted by the German Bundestag.

• COBENEFITS Project Fact Sheet
• Mobilizing the co-benefits of climate change mitigation: Connecting opportunities with interests in the new energy world of renewables
• Generating socio-economic values from renewable energies: An overview of questions and assessment methods
• Creating the Environment for Societal Ownership - Lessons learned from Germany's Energiewende