GCAM v5.1: representing the linkages between energy, water, land, climate, and economic systems

TLDR

GCAM is a global market‑equilibrium model that simulates the energy, water, land, climate, and economic systems from 1990 to 2100 in five‑year steps. The paper presents GCAM v5.1, an open‑source model that links energy, water, land, climate, and economic systems, detailing its assumptions, inputs, and outputs. GCAM v5.1 uses a market‑equilibrium framework to assess how changes in population, income, technology cost, or regional energy demand affect crop production, energy demand, and water withdrawals across regions, illustrated with 11 socioeconomic and climate policy scenarios and compared to historical data and earlier GCAM versions. The scenarios demonstrate a wide range of potential future energy, water, and land uses, and comparisons with historical data and earlier GCAM versions validate the model. Abstract.

Abstract

Abstract. This paper describes GCAM v5.1, an open source model that represents the linkages between energy, water, land, climate, and economic systems. GCAM is a market equilibrium model, is global in scope, and operates from 1990 to 2100 in 5-year time steps. It can be used to examine, for example, how changes in population, income, or technology cost might alter crop production, energy demand, or water withdrawals, or how changes in one region's demand for energy affect energy, water, and land in other regions. This paper describes the model, including its assumptions, inputs, and outputs. We then use 11 scenarios, varying the socioeconomic and climate policy assumptions, to illustrate the results from the model. The resulting scenarios demonstrate a wide range of potential future energy, water, and land uses. We compare the results from GCAM v5.1 to historical data and to future scenario simulations from earlier versions of GCAM and from other models. Finally, we provide information on how to obtain the model.