Home > Areas of expertise > Energy and climate change strategies > Energy and climate change policies

Additional policies for climate change mitigation include reducing non-energy-related CO2 emissions and non-CO2 greenhouse gases and carbon capture and storage, both biologically (e.g. through forestry) and geologically (through underground storage).

Wider issues include policies for adaptation to current climate change impacts and developing long-term targets, either locally or as part of international agreements (e.g. for post-2012 climate change regimes). National and international policies are also partly mirrored in corporate strategies.

Estimating the impact of policy is crucial to understanding whether it is effective. This can involve either predicting the effects of a policy prior to implementation (ex-ante evaluation, using energy or emission scenarios) or quantifying its effects after implementation (ex-post, monitoring actual achievements). Comparisons of different policy instruments offer insight into their relative effectiveness, while comparing policies in different countries makes it possible to learn from each other’s experiences.

Our expertise

At Ecofys we combine the many disciplines that are needed for a thorough understanding of energy and climate change trends and the potential impacts of related policies. We are leading experts in analysing the effectiveness of energy and climate policy instruments and in developing new, smart policy programmes. We have extensive experience in analysing and developing policy-driven scenarios as well as in the practical implementation of policies and strategies. Our experience includes all aspects – and interlinkages – of sustainable energy and climate change and covers all economic sectors.

Our services

• Identifying issues related to energy demand, energy supply and the environment
• Designing smart policies (i.e. those that are effective, cost-efficient, transparent and politically feasible)
• Identifying best practice policies, including applying them in other countries
• Developing policy evaluation methodologies and criteria
• Ex-ante and ex-post evaluation of energy and climate change policies and strategies
• Assessing the potential contribution of particular policies and technological measures on energy consumption and emissions
• Developing and analyzing policy-driven scenarios for energy demand, energy supply and/or climate change
• Supporting the implementation of policies and strategies, both by government and by companies

References

• Mid-term review of the EU Emissions Trading System for the European Commission and the LIFE programme
• Developing renewable energy policy scenarios in the EU in light of its renewable energy targets for 2010 and 2020 for the European Commission
• Designing policy instruments and assessing the cost of capital for renewable energy projects for the IEA RETD Implementing Agreement
• Evaluating renewable electricity policies in the EU in terms of power system interactions; recommendations for aligning power market and support scheme regulations for the German Ministry for Environment and Federal Environment Agency
• In-depth ex-post analysis of the impact and efficiency of energy efficiency instruments in different sectors and European countries for the European Commission.
• Energy efficiency and lifestyles – in the EU and Japan – and the status of technologies and policies  for the EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation
• Evaluating the effectiveness of climate changes policies in EU Member States – the gap between the current situation and the Kyoto targets – e.g. for the Dutch and Italian governments
• Evaluating the Projects to Reduce Emissions (PRE) scheme for the New Zealand Ministry of Environment and Water.
• Developing GHG emission reductions scenarios for 2050 – Factor 4 in buildings and transport emissions - for the French Ministry of Transport, Housing & Infrastructure
• Contributing to the EU Green Paper on adaptation for the European Commission
• Supporting the development of strategies for post-2012 climate change negotiations for the governments of Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Korea and the UK.