Energy System Transformation Pathways

Identifying and leveraging synergies between the energy transition and other systems can accelerate change by achieving multiple policy goals and improving cost-effectiveness (very well established). The costs of inaction are higher than the costs of mitigation for pathways that limit global warming to 2°C over pre-industrial levels by the end of the century. While the current Nationally Determined Contributions fall short of meeting the Paris Agreement temperature target, aligning climate action with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can provide substantial co-benefits. For example, climate mitigation policies that also reduce air pollution could limit global warming levels by 0.5°C and save 2.4 million lives annually {16.2.3; 16.3; 16.5}.