AMARA – Adequacy of Mitigation and Adaptation Options for a Case Study Region in Austria. The Example of Biomass as Climate Change Response Strategy

The project analyses the inter-relationship between adaptation and mitigation strategies for a study region in southern Austria. In a first step, we estimate the socio-economic impacts of fostering a shift in agricultural output from food to bioenergy production. In a second step, we analyse how future climatic conditions (around 2050) will affect the biomass production capacity. The analysis is, i.a., carried out using a regional computable general equilibrium model. It shows options for mitigation and adaptation strategies. It turns out that they have to be combined given the specific regional setting in order to minimise the overall economic costs of climate change. Fostering the use of biomass to substitute fossil energy resources is a viable mitigation strategy. Adaptation to altered future conditions therefore is a central element of an overall strategy to cope with climate change.