de Gouvello, ChristopheVogt-Schilb, AdrienHallegatte, Stephane2014-03-182014-03-182014-03https://hdl.handle.net/10986/17284Decision makers facing abatement targets need to decide which abatement measures to implement, and in which order. This paper investigates the ability of marginal abatement cost (MAC) curves to inform this decision, reanalysing a MAC curve developed by the World Bank on Brazil. Misinterpreting MAC curves and focusing on short-term targets (e.g., for 2020) would lead to under-invest in expensive, long-to-implement and large-potential options, such as clean transportation infrastructure. Meeting short-term targets with marginal energy-efficiency improvements would lead to carbon-intensive lock-ins that make longer-term targets (e.g., for 2030 and beyond) impossible or too expensive to reach. Improvements to existing MAC curves are proposed, based on (1) enhanced data collection and reporting; (2) a simple optimization tool that accounts for constraints on implementation speeds; and (3) new graphical representations of MAC curves. Designing climate mitigation policies can be done through a pragmatic combination of two approaches. The synergy approach is based on MAC curves to identify the cheapest mitigation options and maximize co-benefits. The urgency approach considers the long-term objective (e.g., halving emissions by 2050) and works backward to identify actions that need to be implemented early, such as public support to clean infrastructure and zero-carbon technologies.en-USCC BY 3.0 IGOABATEMENT COSTSABATEMENT MEASURESABATEMENT POTENTIALAIRALLOWABLE CARBON EMISSIONSAMOUNT OF EMISSIONSAPPROACHAVAILABILITYBIOMASSCARBONCARBON BUDGETCARBON ECONOMYCARBON INTENSITYCARBON NEUTRALCARBON PRICECARBON TAXCARBON TECHNOLOGIESCLIMATECLIMATE CHANGECLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTSCLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATIONCLIMATE POLICYCLIMATE PROBLEMCLIMATIC CHANGECOCO2COMBUSTIONCOST OF ABATEMENTCUMULATIVE EMISSIONSDEMAND FOR ELECTRICITYDIESELDIFFUSIONDISCOUNT RATEECOLOGICAL ECONOMICSECONOMIC GROWTHEFFICIENCY GAINSEFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTSELECTRIC VEHICLESELECTRICITYELECTRICITY DEMANDELECTRICITY DEMAND GROWTHELECTRICITY PRODUCTIONEMISSIONEMISSION ABATEMENTEMISSION BASELINEEMISSION REDUCTIONEMISSION REDUCTION MEASURESEMISSION SCENARIOEMISSION SCENARIOSEMISSION TARGETEMISSION-REDUCTIONEMISSIONSEMISSIONS ABATEMENTEMISSIONS FROM DEFORESTATIONENERGY ECONOMICSENERGY EFFICIENCYENERGY EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTSENERGY POLICYENERGY SAVINGSENERGY TECHNOLOGIESENVIRONMENTAL QUALITYENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCHETHANOLFINANCIAL SUPPORTFORESTFOREST MANAGEMENTFOSSILFOSSIL FUELFOSSIL FUELSFUEL TYPEGASOLINEGASOLINE USEGHGGLOBAL GREENHOUSEGLOBAL GREENHOUSE GASGLOBAL WARMINGGREENHOUSEGREENHOUSE GASGREENHOUSE GAS ABATEMENTGREENHOUSE GAS ABATEMENT COSTGREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONSGREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS REDUCTIONHEATHEAT RECOVERYHYDRO POWERIMPORTSLIGHTNINGLOW-CARBONLOW-COST EMISSION REDUCTIONSMARGINAL ABATEMENTMARGINAL ABATEMENT COSTMARGINAL COSTMARGINAL ENERGYMAXIMUM PENETRATIONMAXIMUM PENETRATION RATENATURAL GASNATURAL RESOURCESNUCLEAR POWEROILOIL IMPORTSPASTURE LANDPEAK POWERPHOTOVOLTAIC POWERPOLICY IMPLICATIONSPOLICY MAKERSPOWER GENERATIONPOWER SECTORPPPRICE SIGNALRECOVERY FURNACEREFINERIESRENEWABLE POWERRESIDENTIAL BUILDINGRESIDENTIAL BUILDINGSRESOURCE ECONOMICSSANDSUPPLY CURVESUPPLY CURVESSUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENTTAX REVENUEUNCERTAINTIESWASTEWASTE RECYCLINGWASTE REDUCTIONWINDWIND POWERZERO EMISSIONS10.1596/1813-9450-6808