COMPARABLE ASSESSMENT OF NATIONAL GHG ABATEMENT COSTS

This paper discusses the UNEP Greenhouse Gas Abatement Costing Project with particular emphasis on the national assessments of CO2 abatement cost for developing countries. A methodological framework was develop ed and country studies were conducted for 10 countries. National margi nal abatement cost curves for the short-term (25% reduction from basel ine by 2005 to 2010) and long-term (50% reduction from baseline by 202 0 to 2030) targets are presented and discussed. The cost curves for th e selected countries exhibit a number of similarities. The paper exami nes critically how the main scenario assumptions about energy/GDP inte nsity and energy-efficiency improvement influence the assessed abateme nt potential and costs. The treatment of 'no regrets' options in the b aseline and abatement cases is discussed in relation to a developing c ountry planning context. The issue of comparability between assessment s from different countries is addressed. Even with uniform assumptions (discount rates, oil prices etc) for the group of countries as a whol e, comparability within the UNEP project is shown to be a complex conc ept which involves national differences in the projection of economic and energy system development and the use of different modelling appro aches.