emIAM v1.0: an emulator for Integrated Assessment Models using marginal abatement cost curves

Abstract

We developed an emulator for Integrated Assessment Models (emIAM) based on a marginal abatement cost (MAC) curve approach. Using the output of IAMs in the ENGAGE Scenario Explorer and the GET model, we derived a large set of MAC curves: ten IAMs; global and eleven regions; three gases CO2, CH4, and N2O; eight portfolios of available mitigation technologies; and two emission sources. We tested the performance of emIAM by coupling it with a simple climate model ACC2. We found that the optimizing climate-economy model emIAM-ACC2 adequately reproduced a majority of original IAM emission outcomes under similar conditions, allowing systematic explorations of IAMs with small computational resources. emIAM can expand the capability of simple climate models as a tool to calculate cost-effective pathways linked directly to a temperature target.