Development Co-benefits Research Articles

A place in the sun: Farmers' co-benefits from solar irrigation in Bangladesh

Solar irrigation pumps (SIPs) are gradually replacing diesel pumps in relatively water-intensive agricultural production systems and geographies to reduce carbon emissions from food systems. However, beyond its climate change mitigation potential and fulfillment of Nationally Determined Contributions commitments, the adoption of solar irrigation also has direct co-benefits for farmers. Taking the case of Bangladesh and anchored on primary data collected among solar and diesel pump users, this article analyses the role access to solar irrigation has on household and farm-level outcomes. The propensity score matching and inverse probability matching approaches identify a positive effect of SIP access on food security and profitability from dry-season paddy for adopters. Different transmission channels are explored to explain these co-benefits. Lower costs of irrigation and labor are identified as the strongest pathways. This analysis strengthens the case for investments toward the solarization of agriculture in developing countries where it delivers significant development co-benefits in addition to climate change mitigation benefits. The valuation of the farmers' co-benefits, along with global climate mitigation impacts, also highlights the potential role of such programs toward climate justice.

Hydroelectricity, Environmental Governance and Anti-Reflexivity: Lessons from Muskrat Falls

Hydroelectric projects are often pursued on the promise of economic development and environmental co-benefits as a source of low-carbon energy. We analyse the case of the Muskrat Falls hydropower mega-project (located in Labrador, Canada) to understand why this project failed to live up to its promised benefits, but instead delivered a double disaster of economic cost and environmental risk. The key concepts of anti-reflexivity and deep stories help us understand why the project assumed an aura of inevitability in political and public discourse until it was too late to change course. Drawing on publicly available data and secondary sources, we identify the constellation of social forces that maintained political anti-reflexivity about the economic and environmental risks of the project and led to a double economic and environmental disaster. Our analysis identifies vital lessons for countering anti-reflexivity and improving environmental governance related to energy mega-projects.

Co-benefits of renewable energy development: A brighter sky brings greater renewable power

Air pollution reduction is one of the most straightforward co-benefits of PV development, but its mechanism is complex. In a recent <i>One Earth</i> paper, Chen et al. analyzed the respective effects of different factors on solar power performance and show that the co-benefits of air pollution control policies for PV over the past decade would be grossly underestimated.

Wind power projects in Brazil: challenges and opportunities increasing co-benefits and implications for climate and energy policies

The purpose of this article is to analyze the challenges to, and opportunities for, increasing sustainable development (SD) co-benefits delivered by clean development mechanism (CDM) wind power projects in northeastern Brazil and the resulting implications for climate and energy policies. Five methodological phases were met: First, a documentary research was conducted in the main CDM database; second was a literature review, creating the analytical framework and a survey questionnaire needed to assess the SD co-benefits from the projects; third, documentary research was used to enable ex-ante analysis of the SD co-benefits proposed in the CDM Project Design Documents (PDDs); fourth, survey allowed for the analysis of SD co-benefits perceived by project entrepreneurs (ex-post analysis); and finally, a comparison between the ex-ante and ex-post analyses was completed. The results show the importance of carrying out SD co-benefit studies after the implementation of CDM projects in order to learn lessons for new mechanisms of climate governance. The lowest SD co-benefits were water management improvement in the project influence area, soil pollution prevention, health and safety improvements and technology transfer. The greatest opportunities for increasing SD co-benefits come from the environmental licensing process and the strengthening of Corporate Social Responsibility. The greatest challenges are new technology development, stakeholders’ engagement and SD co-benefit audits. We conclude that the improvement of multi-level climate and energy governance plays a key role in increasing SD co-benefits.

Evidence of adaptation, mitigation, and development co-benefits of solar mini-grids in rural Ghana

The deployment of renewable energy can potentially offer co-benefits for rural populations in sub-Saharan Africa. However, empirical studies identifying the linkages between adaptation, mitigation, and development co-benefits of renewable energy in the region are scarce in the academic literature. This article provides evidence of adaptation, mitigation, and development co-benefits of solar mini-grids to rural Ghanaian islands. Drawing on climate compatible development framework, the study applied surveys to identify solar mini-grids' benefits. The results show that solar minigrids have delivered co-benefits to the rural islanders. The co-benefits include mediated impacts of heatwaves through use of fans, reduced harmful gases from excessive burning of wood, and reduced social vices at night. We conclude that a full recognition of broad array of co-benefits of solar mini-grids can stimulate interests in their deployment and accelerate the transition to clean energy in the region. We thus argue for continuous research in the region to identify the full range of solar mini-grid co-benefits, which may provide a new landscape for addressing climate change and development concurrently in sub-Saharan Africa.

Applying the ICAT Sustainable Development Methodology to Assess the Impacts of Promoting a Greater Sustainability of the Charcoal Value Chain in Mozambique

This study assesses greenhouse gas emission (GHG) reductions and sustainable development impacts connected to the nationally appropriate mitigation action (NAMA) on sustainable charcoal production in Mozambique. The analysis covers the results of the ex-ante assessment of the NAMA potential contribution to the achievement of Mozambique’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) target. The expected impacts show that the proposed actions tied to NAMA (e.g., introducing improved kilns, sustainable forest management, briquetting of charcoal waste and torrefaction) can cumulatively lead to emission reductions amounting to 314,521 ± 45,138 t CO2-eq (119% reduction) by 2025, and 442,706 ± 26,766 t CO2-eq (113% reduction) by 2030 at the national level, compared to a business as usual scenario. This shifting represents a transformation of the charcoal sector from a net source of emissions to net carbon sequestrating. The analysis also identifies a wide range of sustainable development cobenefits, including increased income, improved gender equity, job creation (23% increase by 2025, and 15% decrease by 2030), and increased revenue (USD 825,000 by 2025, and USD 1.6 million by 2030). The assessment process concluded that unless robust data collection, processing, and sharing is put in place, a full assessment of all direct and indirect environmental, social, and economic impacts cannot be comprehensively reported. Finally, we highlight the lessons learned and specific barriers for a robust monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) of the given policy under the current MRV set up and available capacities.

Potential Possibilities and Practical Steps for Renewable Energy Development in Russia

The paper discusses the support mechanisms of renewable energy sources (RES) and the progress made in leading countries as well as identifies the primary eco­nomic and social goals of the given process. It is shown that RES development co-benefits with national long-term goals on CO2 emissions in the energy sector and contributes significantly to their achievement. An analysis of Russian activi­ties leads to the conclusion that the country has been undertaking considerable efforts in keeping up in line with the global trend but it has fallen well behind better performing economies in the scale of RES support and manufacturing. A number of disadvantages of the current national system of RES support by 2024 have been identified and followed by proposals of further improvement aimed at ensuring competitiveness of Russian equipment on the domestic market, and later global market. The system of support should be focused on effectiveness of power generation; include support for export contracts; and prioritize large production volumes, thus reducing prices and facilitating localization. Long-term develop­ment prospects of the Russian solar and wind generation have been estimated for the period up to 2040–2045. The RU-TIMES model has been used to calculate the effects for two versions of government support: introduction of a fixed extra charge to the market price of generation (feed-in premium), and subsidies for investments in construction. According to the model estimates, an extra charge of 1.0 ruble/kWh would allow an increase of the total installed capacity of solar and wind power plants by 40 GW within 5–10 years. Their share in electricity genera­tion could be brought up to 20%, and up to 35% by 2040–2045. The same result could be achieved by subsidizing investments at the rate of about 300 USD/kW (considering government spending of less than USD 15 billion, covering 20–25% of capital investments). Each of the support options reduces the total CO2 emis­sions from all types of fossil fuel combustion by 100–150 MtСО2/year.

Financial Profitability of Carbon Offset Monoculture Plantation Forestry on Smallholder Farms in Trans Mara Sub-County, Kenya

There is growing interest in the development of smallholder carbon offset forestry projects in Africa as a means of mitigating climate change while providing co-benefits of development and environm...

Aligning National Interests and Global Climate Justice: The Role of Human Rights in Enhancing the Ambition of Nationally Determined Contributions to Combat Climate Change

The Paris Agreement on climate change revolves around nationally determined contributions (NDC) and acknowledges that the ambition of the global climate response will be determined by Parties’ understanding of their national interests. Initiatives currently envisaged in NDCs are insufficient to avoid disastrous climate change. Debates about the impact of climate action on economic development and national interests have abated the climate ambition of some governments. Conflicting modeling approaches have contributed to these debates. To scale up global climate efforts, it will be essential to convince Parties that the short-term benefits of robust national climate action outweigh its immediate costs. Innovation is driving progress to address climate change and can deliver substantial development co-benefits, particularly by reducing costs of renewable energy technologies and enabling new business models. However, innovation can take many years to reach deployment stage, can create unforeseen problems of its own, and does not benefit all equally. Climate justice links human rights, development and climate regimes. A climate justice perspective provides a normative, analytical and procedural framework to identify barriers to innovation diffusion, optimize development co-benefits of climate action and help build public support for the adoption of more ambitious NDC pledges.

Generating Multiple Resilience Dividends from Managing Unnatural Disasters in Asia: Opportunities for Measurement and Policy

Despite solid evidence regarding the large benefits of reducing disaster risk, it has remained difficult to motivate sustained investment into disaster risk reduction (DRR). Recently, international policy debate has started to emphasize the need for focusing DRR investment toward actions that generate multiple dividends, including reducing loss of lives and livelihoods, unlocking development, and creating development cobenefits. We examine whether available and innovative decision support tools are fit-for-purpose. Focusing on the Asia region, we identify evidence of multiple dividends crafted using expert-based methods, such as cost–benefit analysis for selecting and evaluating “hard-resilience-type” interventions. Given a rising demand for “softer” and systemic DRR investments in projects and programs, participatory decision support tools have become increasingly relevant. As one set of tools, resilience capacity (capital) measurement approaches may be used to support actions and decisions throughout all stages of the project cycle. Measuring capacity for resilience dividends, not outcome, such tools can serve as participatory decision support for organizations working at community and other levels for scoping out how development and disaster risk interact, as well as for supporting the cogeneration of multiple resilience dividend-type solutions with those at risk.

Links between Climate Change Mitigation, Adaptation and Development in Land Policy and Ecosystem Restoration Projects: Lessons from South Africa

Links between climate change adaptation, mitigation and development co-benefits in land policy and ecosystem restoration projects are hampered by limited understanding of how multi-faceted policy, institutions and projects interact. This paper explores perceptions of co-benefits produced by two community-level projects that pursue ecosystem restoration in South Africa. It develops a new analytical framework to assess the enabling and constraining factors in delivering triple wins for adaptation, mitigation and development. The aim is to investigate the potential for integrating community perspectives into policy and project development and implementation. Data collected through mixed-methods (policy analysis, semi-structured interviews, participatory site visits and focus groups) are analysed using thematic analysis. We find that while the projects investigated have potential to deliver triple wins, siloed approaches presently hinder effective implementation. In particular, project focus on job creation hampers the achievement of longer-term mitigation and adaptation benefits. Operational flexibility, long-term goals, multi-sectoral cooperation and enabling frameworks are imperative to the achievement of triple wins. Findings provide valuable lessons that can be applied across sub-Saharan Africa towards achieving triple wins in climate and development policy and practice, especially those developed with job creation and ecological restoration aims.

The effect of clean development mechanism projects on human resource management practices in Brazil

PurposeThe clean development mechanism (CDM) project is a cost-effective instrument to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and to transfer technology and capital from industrialized to developing countries. HRM practices are important sustainable development co-benefits of CDM projects and Brazil is the third largest CDM project developer in the world. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the HRM practices declared by Brazilian CDM projects and how these practices have been, in fact, implemented by the proponents of these projects.Design/methodology/approachA mixed methodology was developed, based especially on qualitative and quantitative methods, in the Brazilian context.FindingsThe authors found that CDM activities are improving recruitment, human resource participation and training practices in Brazilian companies, influencing the integration of environmental management into HRM practices – green HRM. In addition, the study presents hints of interesting avenues to explore in further studies. For example, why is it that some organizations are able to change the routines associated with organizational learning and/or culture while others are not.Originality/valueThe overall results suggested that there is further potential within GHG emissions reduction projects to improve green HRM.

Valuing co-benefits to make low-carbon investments in cities bankable: The case of waste and transportation projects

Urban areas account for 70% of carbon emissions, and are likely to be the locus of attention to reduce future emissions in developing countries. However, only a small share of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects under the Kyoto Protocol and only 30% of public climate finance is invested in urban areas. One of the main reasons is that most urban climate change mitigation projects rather provide development than climate benefits, so the question is whether alternative mechanisms can mobilize urban mitigation projects. In this paper, we analyze a set of three case studies — representative urban waste and transportation projects in Indonesia, Kenya, Sri Lanka — to compare the market and economic value of climate and development co-benefits. For the projects, we monetize the co-benefits accruing to the local community. We find that under current market conditions, climate benefits have little effect on projects’ financial viability, and can be effectively ignored. By contrast, we find, the monetization of development co-benefits significantly improves financial viability, based on calculated net present values and internal rates of return. Our results highlight the importance of local, national and international financing and policies that monetize such development co-benefits.

Novel shapes of South–South collaboration: emerging knowledge networks on co-benefits of climate and development policies

This paper analyses knowledge networks on co-benefits of climate and development. The world’s most sizeable populations live in middle-income countries with emerging economies and growing emissions. This situation requires political intervention to facilitate economic growth, job creation and poverty eradication alongside efforts to control emissions growth. This interdisciplinary study draws on concepts and methods from sociology, political science, science and technology studies and the management literature. The authors combine social network and discourse network analysis in an innovative way. The methodology analyses both the interactions between researchers as well as their actual knowledge contributions. The study argues that there is a substantial network of knowledge holders involved in knowledge creation on climate and development co-benefits. Our analysis shows the type of interactions between two knowledge networks as well as new knowledge emerging from these networks. Research groups and practitioners have produced 17 novel knowledge contributions, ranging from definitions of co-benefits, methodology and implementation. Yet the networks remain loosely connected. Practitioners who have less time to assess academic literature could benefit from closer interactions with more academically oriented experts and vice versa.

Opening up storylines of co-benefits in voluntary carbon markets: An analysis of household energy technology projects in developing countries

This paper analyses how co-benefits have been conceptualized by experts and practitioners in household energy technology carbon offset projects. Offset projects, where emissions in one place are compensated through reducing emissions elsewhere, are justified on the basis of providing local development co-benefits in addition to global emissions reductions. What constitutes a co-benefit, who is entitled to it and what range of issues co-benefits address has received little attention. Three types of household energy technologies that have been popular in voluntary carbon markets are analyzed: improved cookstoves, biogas digesters and ceramic water purifiers. The co-benefits of these technologies are conceptualized by experts and practitioners through three different storylines: achieving health benefits, challenging carbon credit ownership and creating sustainable local markets. While the first and last storylines have been dominant, they also contain a tension over supporting local production of the technologies in developing countries versus importing more efficient technologies. The storyline of carbon credit ownership is more marginal. Opening up the different storylines of co-benefits demonstrates that behind offset projects lie different motivations and interests. How the co-benefits of household energy technologies are conceptualized influences what type of projects are successful in voluntary carbon markets and how voluntary offsets are governed.

Green growth: The economic impacts of large-scale renewable energy development in China

This study assesses the economic impacts and environmental co-benefits of large-scale development of renewable energy (RE) in China toward 2050 using a dynamic computable general equilibrium (CGE) model with distinguished improvements in the power sector. Two scenarios are constructed: a reference scenario assuming conventional development of RE and an REmax scenario assuming large-scale RE development by tapping China’s RE potential. The results show that large-scale RE development would not incur a significant macroeconomic cost. On the contrary, it would have significant green growth effects that benefit the growth of upstream industries, reshape the energy structure, and bring substantial environmental co-benefits. If the share of RE reaches 56% in the total primary energy in 2050, then non-fossil power sectors will become a mainstay industry with value added accounting for 3.4% of the GDP, a share comparable to other sectors such as agriculture (2.5%), iron and steel (3.3%), and construction (2.1%). In RE max scenario, the large scale RE development will stimulate the output worth of $1.18 trillion from other RE related upstream industries and create 4.12 million jobs in 2050. In addition to economic benefits, it could substantially reduce the emissions of CO2 and air pollutants such as NOx, SO2.

Mercado Voluntário de Carbono: Análises de Cobenefícios de Projetos Brasileiros

Este estudo apresenta resultados parciais de uma pesquisa que teve por objetivo identificar e analisar os cobenefícios em prol do desenvolvimento sustentável de projetos do mercado voluntário de carbono no Brasil para além da redução de gases de efeito estufa. Para tanto, foram realizadas pesquisas exploratórias, análise documental e estudos de casos ilustrativos, tendo como base a matriz analítica construída a partir de estudos da United Nations Framework Conventions on Climate Change (UNFCCC) sobre cobenefícios oriundos do mercado regulado de carbono. Os resultados revelaram que dois dos quatro projetos analisados apresentaram maiores avanços na promoção do desenvolvimento sustentável, o que difere dos achados da UNFCCC (2011) e de Boyd et al (2009). O resultado parcial sinaliza maior potencial do mercado voluntário em comparação ao mercado regulado de carbono para contribuição ao desenvolvimento sustentável em âmbito local, dada sua maior flexibilidade e a diversidade de atores, assim como a exigência, por parte de alguns padrões de certificação, da demonstração do alcance dos cobenefícios declarados. Ademais, notou-se que alguns cobenefícios estimulam a ocorrência de outros nas localidades onde se desenvolvem e que os projetos com melhores contribuições estavam registrados em padrões de certificação que exigem o atendimento a indicadores que vão além da redução de emissão de gases de efeito estufa.

How you count carbon matters: implications of differing cookstove carbon credit methodologies for climate and development cobenefits.

The opportunity to apply for carbon credits for cookstove projects creates a source of funding that can be leveraged to promote the "win-win" environmental and development benefits of improved cookstoves. Yet, as in most environment-development efforts, unacknowledged trade-offs exist under the all-encompassing "win-win" claims. This study therefore compares different scenarios for calculating cookstove carbon credits, including comparing different types of stoves using different fuels, different methodologies and theoretical scenarios to account for a range of climate-relevant emissions. The results of the study highlight the following: 1) impacts of different assumptions made within carbon credit methodologies, 2) discussion around potential trade-offs in such projects, and 3) considerations needed to truly promote sustainable development. The Gold Standard methodology was more comprehensive in its accounting and generally calculated more carbon credits per scenario than the Clean Development Mechanism methodology. Including black carbon in calculations would be more reflective of climate-relevant stove emissions and greatly increase the number of credits calculated. As health and other development benefits are not inherently included in carbon credit calculations, to achieve "win-win" outcomes, deliberate decisions about project design need to be made to ensure objectives are met and not simply assumed.

Presenting Triple-Wins? Assessing Projects That Deliver Adaptation, Mitigation and Development Co-benefits in Rural Sub-Saharan Africa

The concept of climate compatible development (CCD) is increasingly employed by donors and policy makers seeking 'triple-wins' for development, adaptation and mitigation. While CCD rhetoric is becoming more widespread, analyses drawing on empirical cases that present triple-wins are sorely lacking. We address this knowledge gap. Drawing on examples in rural sub-Saharan Africa, we provide the first glimpse into how projects that demonstrate triple-win potential are framed and presented within the scientific literature. We identify that development projects are still commonly evaluated in terms of adaptation or mitigation benefits. Few are framed according to their benefits across all three dimensions. Consequently, where triple-wins are occurring, they are likely to be under-reported. This has important implications, which underestimates the co-benefits that projects can deliver. A more robust academic evidence base for the delivery of triple-wins is necessary to encourage continued donor investment in activities offering the potential to deliver CCD.

Financing the Clean Development Mechanism through Debt-for-Efficiency Swaps? Case Study Evidence from a Uruguayan Wind Farm Project

As one of Kyoto’s three flexibility mechanisms, the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) allows the issuance of Certified Emission Reduction credits from offset projects in non-Annex I countries. As little attention has been paid to how CDM projects are financed, this article assesses whether offset schemes with public bodies should utilise debt swaps as a form of funding. Specifically, we examine whether a debt-for-efficiency swap between Uruguay and Spain within a wind power project increased project finance and generated greater development co-benefits. We assess the transaction using a simple evaluative framework: whether it delivered additional resources to the debtor country and/or government budget; whether it delivered more resources for climate change mitigation; whether it had a sizeable effect on overall debt burdens (creating ‘indirect’ benefits); and whether it aligned with government policy and systems (elements of the new aid approach). We find evidence that cautions against using the Spanish–Uruguayan case as a model for future debt-for-efficiency swaps.