Deep Decarbonization Pathways for national development consistent with carbon neutrality

The global carbon neutrality goal set by the Paris Climate Agreement requires socially, economically and politically actionable strategies to reach net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at national levels. These strategies must be informed by robust, iteratively updated evidence capturing the specifics of diverse national circumstances and developed with all key stakeholders in a consultative fashion. The Deep Decarbonization Pathways (DDP) methodology provides an open but structured means to elaborate, communicate and debate such country-driven scenarios of long-term transitions. This special issue presents advancements in the DDP methodology to integrate key features required to investigate carbon neutrality. This includes the detailed representation of the Agriculture, Forest and Other Land Uses (AFOLU) sector as a key source of negative emissions; a detailed sectoral approach across transport, industry, land-use and power generation that considers a broad range of mitigation options; and the explicit investigation of the compatibility with socio-economic development priorities as defined by each country. The scenario analysis conducted in Argentina, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico and South Africa highlights the necessity for wide-ranging sector-focused policy packages supported by adequate international cooperation, in order to simultaneously address multiple objectives in a consistent policy framework. The detailed policy insights gathered in this Special Issue provide concrete benchmarks against which progress of countries towards carbon neutrality can be assessed.