A co-benefits approach involves simultaneously factoring global climate and local environmental concerns into policy decisions. The approach has gained a growing amount of attention from researchers and international organizations over the past decade. This is partially due to studies demonstrating that accounting for co-benefits can be more cost-effective than dealing with one issue at time. It is also attributable to development projects illustrating the on-the-ground merits of these study’s findings. There nonetheless remains a way to go before policymakers routinely base decisions on both their climate and developmental benefits. This workshop is designed to engage researchers and policymakers in a dialogue that can strengthen the integration of co-benefits into decision making processes.

Collaboration among relevant research institutions, as well as an exchange of views and findings between research and policymakers is critical to strengthening the integration of co-benefits into policy decisions. The need for greater collaboration was underlined during a September 2011 seminar between the International Institute for Advanced Systems Analysis (IIASA)-and the Japan Committee for IIASA. This workshop is meant to build upon that September 2011 seminar, enhancing collaboration with not only IIASA but other institutions and policymakers working on co-benefits.

The International Workshop on Co-Benefit Approach: Dialogue between Policy Makers and Researchers (tentative title), is meant to convene leading experts in Japan and the international community to: (i) Review and share the latest trends in co-benefits policy and research; (ii) Discuss ways to further promote co-benefits policy and research; and (iii) Strengthen cooperation among relevant stakeholders on international and national co-benefits activities.