En-ROADS Structure🔗

A simple way to think about the structure of En-ROADS is by considering the drivers of climate impacts. In the simulator, the concentration of greenhouse gases drives up global temperature, which leads to various impacts (e.g., sea level rise and ocean acidification).

The concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is driven by four main sources:

1. Energy CO₂ Emissions from burning coal, oil, gas, and biomass. CO₂ emissions from energy currently comprise about 67% of greenhouse gas emissions.
2. Land Use CO₂ Emissions such as forestry and land use change. CO₂ emissions from land use currently comprise about 5% of greenhouse gas emissions.
3. Carbon Dioxide Removal approaches that pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and store it in plants, soils, or underground, leading to a decrease in CO₂ concentrations.
4. Other Greenhouse Gas Emissions such as methane, N₂O, and F-gases. Non-CO₂ emissions currently comprise about 28% of total greenhouse gas emissions.

Going further, CO₂ emissions from energy are driven by four factors, which is known as the "Kaya Identity." Population, consumption (GDP/capita), energy intensity (energy use per dollar of GDP), and carbon intensity (CO₂ emissions per unit of energy) are all multiplied together and the result is overall energy CO₂ emissions. In this way, at a high level, reducing CO₂ emissions is about four things: fewer people, less consumption, more efficiency, and less high-carbon energy supplies.

This is the simplest way to understand the structure of En-ROADS. For a more in-depth explanation of the structure, view the videos below from our free En-ROADS training course or explore the technical Reference Guide.

Videos🔗

• En-ROADS Model Structure (with Professor John Sterman, MIT)
• How we use research and data in En-ROADS
• Comparison to data and others’ scenarios (Part 1)
• Comparison to data and others’ scenarios (Part 2)
• Transparency, model updates, & extreme conditions testing
• Relevance to policymakers
• Our top critiques of En-ROADS (with Professor John Sterman, MIT)
• En-ROADS software mechanics

FAQs🔗

• What sort of model is En-ROADS?
• What is the background and meaning of the En-ROADS Baseline scenario?