CONCLUSIONS

As an overall conclusion, this report shows that:

a) Energy modeling needs to take into account the growing importance of rapidly
developing countries. This can be done by adapting energy modeling approaches to
suit the energy systems of developing countries and by using a specific tailor-made
approach for each specific developing region, like done in this paper;
b) Renewable and clean energy could be viable options of climate change mitigation for
rapidly developing countries like China and India;
c) These sustainable energy transitions to a low-carbon economy could also have other
positive impacts on the environment and society. Therefore, sustainable energy
transitions are likely to have positive effects in rapidly developing countries. To
ensure proper planning of these energy transitions, adequate energy modeling is
needed which is suited for developing countries.
In order to mitigate and adapt to global climate change, several measures should be
implemented besides the introduction of sustainable energy, namely energy saving and energy
efficiency improvements. To achieve low-carbon transitions, rapidly developing countries should
implement strict policies and may require the support from industrialized countries. Development
assistance and technology transfer may be suitable support options, although more research is
needed in this area. More research is also needed to assess the possibilities of developing countries’
increased participation in international climate policy and the implications of having binding targets
for developing countries. The main research recommendation is to adapt more energy models for the
use in developing countries.
Since climate change is a global issue, both developing and industrialized countries have a
responsibility to cooperate to achieve a sustainable energy future. Such cooperation is crucial to the
success of international climate policy negotiations. Energy models that adapt to the needs of
developing countries may increase the success of international climate policy negotiations because
they can be useful tools to support energy and emission planning of developing countries.