Supporting climate policy with effective energy modelling: A perspective on the varying technical capacity of South Africa, China, Germany and the United States

Cognizant of the nexus between energy and climate change, reliable climate policies need to be informed by a thorough understanding of the future evolution of energy systems by using 'energy models.' Consequently, for effective policy response, individual states need to have domestic energy modelling capacities. In this perspective, we provide a bird's eye view on the varying energy modelling capacities of four case study countries South Africa, China, Germany and the United States of America. We employed a simple but logical approach to compare energy modelling capacities across these four high-carbon states. We argue that, although the case study countries fare relatively well in their energy modelling capacities, there remains room for further improvements. The study suggests that for a successful climate policy informed by energy models, there is a need to establish strong and well-funded institutions to sustain energy modelling expertise. It also evinces the necessity of a good communication platform between the research institutions and policymakers. Another potent insight is the desirability of international engagements to ensure best practices in energy modelling in support of climate policies.