title: Enhancing engagement between the population, environment, and climate research communities: the shared socio-economic pathway process.
abstract: Demographers have much to contribute to climate change science. This paper describes a new framework being developed by the climate research community that holds potential as an organizing tool for population-climate scholarship, as well as being useful for identifying demographic research gaps within the climate change field. The shared socio-economic pathways (SSPs) represent plausible alternative trends in the evolution of social and natural systems over the twenty-first century at the scale of the world and large regions. The SSPs can help identify population-environment research gaps by illuminating areas of intersection that will shape climate futures but require deeper scientific understanding-the association between urbanization and energy consumption is an example. Also, to vastly enhance the policy relevance of local case studies, the parameters outlined within the SSPs can offer a basic level of harmonization to facilitate generalization. In this way, the SSP framework can increase the relevance and accessibility of population research and, therefore, offer a mechanism through which demographic science can truly offer policy impact.
authors.affiliation: Boulder, CO USA.
authors.forename: Lori M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Hunter
authors.affiliation: Boulder, CO USA.
authors.forename: Brian C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: O'Neill
keywords: Climate change; Demography; IUSSP; Population; SSPs; Scenarios; Shared socio-economic pathways