Institute of Development Studies

Low Carbon Development

So far economic growth has been mostly powered by high-carbon fossil fuel which contribute significantly to climate change. Now climate change is posing a risk to humans, the environment and the economy, so we need new pathways of development that are low carbon and follow the principles of sustainable development.

This research area aims at exploring alternatives to an unsustainable business-as-usual approach to economic growth and the potential and implications for a sustainable 'green' economy based on climate-friendly low-carbon energy.

We seek to increase the resilience of poor and vulnerable groups to climate change whilst enabling them to develop sustainably through low-carbon pathways. This requires assessing the opportunities and barriers for low-carbon growth pathways in a carbon-restraint world.

Through the Climate Change and Development Centre we work closely with experts from the Science and Policy Research Unit (SPRU) and the University of Sussex. Our research focuses on developing and modelling low-carbon growth pathways for developing countries. We analyse the regulatory, institutional, financial and policy frameworks needed for implementing low-carbon growth. We are also exploring the linkages between climate change mitigation and adaptation through the lens of low-carbon development.

Our research targets development countries of all income ranges: middle income, low income and least income countries.

Low Carbon Growth Projects




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• Assessment of large and small hydropower options - Global climate change requires climate-friendly low carbon energy options. Hydropower is a low carbon energy sources which is globally abundant and has a high potential. Hydropower has been used around the world for centuries. In recent years, both small and large hydropower developments have seen increased use. (Ongoing)
• China as the new 'shaper' of global development - The pace and significance of China's rise has implications for both traditional and emerging powers, as well as for developing countries. This plays a role for energy and climate change and for many other development issues. Rising Powers Network is a new network that will place China as the new 'shaper' of global development under the ESRC's Rising Power's Programme. (Ongoing)
• China Low Carbon Platform - A new knowledge-sharing web platform supporting an international network for low carbon energy and low carbon development in China. (Ongoing)
• 'Enabling Environments' for low carbon economies: implications for low-income countries - Technology transfer and its financing are building blocks of the Bali Action Plan under the United Nations’ Framework Convention on Climate Change. This research will contribute to a greater understanding of the best options. (Ongoing)
• European Development Co-operation on climate change to 2020 - The aim of this project is to synthesize and understand the evidence base on CC and EU development policy in key areas of CC and development programming and to map out possible future influences on these policy area (Ongoing)



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Low Carbon Growth Publications




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• Urban, F. and Wang, Y. (2009) 'Energy, climate change and low carbon development in China', InFocus Policy Briefing 9.4 9.4
• Urban, F. (2009) 'Climate change mitigation revisited: Low-carbon energy transitions for China and India', Development Policy Review Journal Vol 27 (6) :693-715
• Urban, F. and Sumner, A. (2009) 'After 2015: Pro-Poor Low Carbon Development', IDS In Focus Policy Briefings 9.4, Brighton: IDS
• Griffith-Jones, S., Hedger, M. and Stokes, L. (2009) 'The role of private investment in increasing climate friendly technologies in developing countries'
• Urban F., Benders R.M.J., Moll H.C. (2009) 'Renewable and low-carbon energy as mitigation options of climate change for China', Climatic Change 1-2.94:169-188, Springer, Netherlands



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