PNNL

Abstract

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement are the two transformative agendas, which set the benchmarks for nations to address urgent social, economic and environmental challenges. Aside from setting long-term goals, the pathways followed by nations will involve a series of synergies and trade-offs both between and within these agendas. Since it will not be possible to optimise across the 17 SDGs while simultaneously transitioning to low-carbon societies, it will be necessary to implement policies to address the most critical aspects of the agendas and understand the implications for the other dimensions. Here, we rely on a modelling exercise to analyse the implications of a variety of Paris-compliant mitigation strategies suggested in the recent scientific literature on multiple dimensions of the 2030 Agenda. The strategies included rely on technological solutions such as renewable energy deployment or carbon capture and storage, nature-based solutions such as afforestation and lifestyle changes in the demand side. Results suggest that an over-reliance on technological and nature-based solutions alone to reduce greenhouse gas concentration levels would have negative implications on food and water prices and increase pressure on water resources, while promoting changes in the demand side could be beneficial to limit these trade-offs.