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Outputs

In addition to peer-reviewed journal articles, the Smith School team publishes working papers, reports and policy briefs to provide timely public access to results emerging from our research, to promote discussion and to inform debate.

Oxford Principles for Net Zero Aligned Carbon Offsetting (revised 2024) (Opens in a new tab)

With a focus on transparency, durability, and innovation, the Oxford Offsetting Principles chart a course for organisations to navigate the evolving landscape of carbon markets and offsetting practices. Key highlights include urgent calls to accelerate emission reductions, close the carbon removal gap, and harness the power of nature-based solutions. 
This document should be interpreted and used in line with its purpose and scope to maintain and promote the highest possible climate ambition. This document does not address legal and other obligations relating to climate action.

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2.3 MB
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February 2024
K, Axelsson, A. Wagner, I. Johnstone, M. Allen, B. Caldecott, N. Eyre, S. Fankhauser, T. Hale, C. Hepburn, C. Hickey, R. Khosla, S. Lezak, E. Mitchell-Larson, Y. Malhi, N. Seddon, A. Smith, S. Smith
Emission and Technology Pathways in the Shipping Sector (Opens in a new tab)

This paper compares four leading emission pathways for shipping and their underlying technology-policy mixes to identify benchmarks for the assessment of the credibility and feasibility of transition plans in the shipping sector.

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1.75 MB
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33
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February 2024
Thomas Eysseric-Cravinho, Adrien Rose, Dr Gireesh Shrimali
Assessing the relative costs of high-CCS and low-CCS pathways to 1.5 degrees (Opens in a new tab)

The costs of reaching net zero CO₂ emissions around 2050 are calculated for pathways involving different amounts of carbon capture and storage (CCS). The analysis finds that from 2021 to 2050, taking a low-CCS pathway to net zero emissions could cost US$30 trillion less than taking a high-CCS route – saving approximately a trillion dollars per year.  

Working paper 23-08
 

Comments
- Note on “Assessing the relative costs of high-CCS and low-CCS pathways to 1.5 degrees”, Bacilieri et al., Myles Allen, Oxford Net Zero.

- Response to 'Note on "Assessing the relative costs of high-CCS and low-CCS pathways to 1.5 degrees”, Myles Allen, Oxford Net Zero' , Andrea Bacilieri, Richard Black, Rupert Way
 

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3MB
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December 2023
Andrea Bacilieri, Richard Black, Rupert Way
Rolling out renewables in the Global South: A developer perspective (Opens in a new tab)

This report is the first in a series, which thematise the practical nuts-and-bolts considerations which current and future clean energy developers in developing countries face, and how this relates to a just and inclusive transition. 

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8MB
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42
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November 2023
Sam Fankhauser, Cameron Hepburn, Stephanie Hirmer, Tonny Kukeera, Dhruv Singh, Ingrid Sundvor, Philipp Trotter and Pu Yang
Cleaning up cleaning: policy and stakeholder interventions to put household formulations on a pathway to net zero (Opens in a new tab)

Working paper developed with Oxford Department of Chemistry, in partnership with Unilever, highlights the ‘hidden’ carbon emissions of cleaning products such as laundry detergents and shampoo. It calls for national strategies for sustainable, bio-carbon feedstocks to open up a pathway to net zero for these products and suggests a portfolio of policy options to ‘clean up cleaning’. [Working Paper No. 23-07]

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2.7 Mb
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September 2023
Katherine. A. Collett, Emily Fry, Sophie Griggs, Cameron Hepburn, Gloria Rosetto, Nadia Schroeder, Anupama Sen, Charlotte Williams
Could Britain’s energy demand be met entirely by wind and solar? (Opens in a new tab)

This paper estimates the practical contributions that wind and solar electricity generation could make to decarbonise the GB domestic electricity system, incorporating recent advances in technology and significant declines in cost. It demonstrates that Great Britain’s practical wind and solar resources are more than sufficient to economically meet total net domestic energy needs. [Working paper 23-02]

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2 MB
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71
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September 2023
Brian O’Callaghan, Emily Hu, Jonathan Israel, Chris Llewellyn Smith, Rupert Way, Cameron Hepburn
Vulnerability to Climate Change: Evidence from a Dynamic Factor Model (Opens in a new tab)

New model used to study how temperature and rainfall are changing in different countries. This model showed how much global temperatures have gone up and how each country's temperatures are changing in relation to the global trend, helping to understand which countries are most affected by global warming.  [Working paper 23-06]

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1.5 MB
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July 2023
Fulvia Marotta, Haroon Mumtaz