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Publication Detailed Description
Journal Title
Climate Policy
Year (definitive publication)
N/A
Language
English
Country
United Kingdom
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Abstract
As global temperatures approach critical thresholds and emissions continue to rise, the urgency for strategic, accelerated decarbonization grows. The climate mitigation literature is vast, but evidence on how mitigation options cluster into overarching decarbonization pathways remains fragmented. Here, we use artificial intelligence–enabled text and citation analysis on an initial corpus of over one million scientific papers (2011–2021) to derive a data-driven typology of six recurrent decarbonization pathways: Technology Breakthrough, Electrification of Uses, Integrated Policy, Decarbonization of Electricity, Demand Reduction & Co-Benefits, and Land Use & Circularity. Rather than proposing new mitigation options, this typology organizes existing work into a small set of archetypal strategies and maps their prevalence across regions, disciplines, and policy orientations. For example, Electrification of Uses is most prominent in the EU27, while Technology Breakthrough dominates in China, the United States, and Japan. The analysis highlights synergies and complementarities between pathways, the scientific competencies that typically underpin them, and persistent gaps – particularly in Land Use & Circularity. We illustrate the policy relevance of the typology by comparing pathway profiles with stated climate policy directions, identifying areas where research and policy emphases are misaligned. This framework can support policymakers and researchers by benchmarking policy portfolios against the typology and highlighting research needs associated with national decarbonization goals.
Acknowledgements
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Keywords
Climate policy,Decarbonization pathways,Low-carbon innovation,Machine learning,Regional mitigation strategies
Fields of Science and Technology Classification
- Computer and Information Sciences - Natural Sciences
- Economics and Business - Social Sciences
- Social and Economic Geography - Social Sciences
Funding Records
| Funding Reference | Funding Entity |
|---|---|
| PTDC/GES-AMB/0934/2020 | Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia |
Related Projects
This publication is an output of the following project(s):
Contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations
With the objective to increase the research activity directed towards the achievement of the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, the possibility of associating scientific publications with the Sustainable Development Goals is now available in Ciência_Iscte. These are the Sustainable Development Goals identified by the author(s) for this publication. For more detailed information on the Sustainable Development Goals, click here.
