Overline: Energy Transition Dialogue
Headline: Co-Benefits of Renewables: Reviewing the Toolbox of Assessment Methods

On invitation only

IASS - GIZ Expert Round Table with insights from the China Renewable Energy Outlook and the international COBENEFITS project: in the context of the 2018 Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue, this round table brings together experts from research, ministries and the science-policy interface to mobilise the social and economic opportunities of renewable energy by opening and elaborating the toolbox of co-benefit assessments and improving their policy relevance.

 

The global transition to renewable sources of energy is in full swing, with Germany and China among the leaders in the emerging new energy world. 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 discussions of climate measures all too often focus on economic burdens and overlook the social and economic co-benefits of renewables.

 

Scientific methods of assessing socio-economic and health-related co-benefits are key to mobilising social and economic opportunities of renewable energy for ambitious climate action and accelerating renewable energy deployment.

 

Flagship assessments, like the China Renewable Energy Outlook (CREO, supported by the German Energy Transition Expertise for China project), and multi-lateral assessment studies, such as the international COBENEFITS project, offer important opportunities for mutual learning both in terms of improving our toolbox of assessment methods and making results relevant and usable for policymakers.

 

In light of the promising results of the 2017 GIZ-IASS Beijing Co-Benefits round table, this April the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) and the German Agency for International Development (GIZ) will invite experts from China, Germany, and the USA to Potsdam, Germany, to further develop and elaborate on assessment methods, theories and the results of last year’s event.

 

Round Table Agenda

Time

Contents

Contributors

13:00 – 13:30

Welcome Tee / Coffee

 

13:30 – 14:15

Opening: Mobilizing the Co-Benefits of Renewable Energy

 

 

Objectives and expectations for the workshop - recalling results of the 2017 GIZ-IASS Co-Benefits Round Table

Sebastian Helgenberger (IASS) & Anders Hove (GIZ)

 

Participants’ Introduction Round (Expertise / Interests / Expectations)

all

 

The COBENEFITS project approach

Sebastian Helgenberger (IASS)

14:15 – 15:30

Socio-Economic Co-Benefits Toolbox

 

 

Assessment of socio-economic impacts of developing renewable energy in China towards 2050

Dai Hancheng (CNREC)

 

Q&A

all

 

Discussion impulse: Socio-assessment of renewable energy in global perspective

Rainer Quitzow (IASS)

 

Round Table Discussion: Improving our socio-economic co-benefits toolbox (incl. real-world lessons learned from COBENEFITS)

all

 

Reviewing the toolbox of socio-economic assessment methods

Sylvia Borbonus (IASS)

15:30 – 15:50

Coffee Break

 

15:50 – 16:50

Air pollution & Health Co-Benefits Toolbox

 

 

The health benefits of developing renewable energy in China towards 2050

Dai Hancheng (CNREC)

 

Q&A

all

 

Co-presentation: Modelling Air Quality: The need for good emission scenarios

Tim Butler (IASS)

 

Round Table Discussion: Connecting air quality analyses with socio-economic assessments (incl. real-world lessons learned from COBENEFITS)

all

 

Air quality: Lessons learned from a lifecycle analysis of wind power in China

Xue Bing (CAS / IASS)

16:50 – 17:10

Coffee Break

 

17:10 – 17:45

Making Co-Benefits Policy-Relevant

 

 

Socio-economic assessments: making them policy-relevant

Jürgen Keinhorst (BMU)

 

Response: COBENEFITS: Impact Strategy

IASS (Helgenberger)

 

Outlook and closing

Sebastian Helgenberger (IASS) & Anders Hove (GIZ)

17:45

Evening Reception