These twelve research papers were written by a variety of authors drawn from The Energy and Resource Institute (TERI), new economics foundation (NEF) and Action for a Global Climate Community (AGCC), together with one paper from EcoEquity and the Stockholm Environment Institute. Some of the papers (e.g.5&6) are written with a focus on actions and behaviours needed in relation to climate change and sustainable development, irrespective of any particular governance.  Some have been written in the explicit context of the post 2012 negotiations (e.g. papers 1,2,3,4,7 & 8).  Others (such as 9,10,11,12) address more directly the concept of an India – European Union partnership.  In any event, all these papers were intended to provide a context for the Potsdam seminar.

Paper 1: Moving GHG target, adjusting the scales

This first paper addresses the science of climate change and how a global target in terms of degrees Centrigrade of temperature increase above preindustrial levels, or parts per million of CO2 or CO2 equivalent, should be set. It also touches on equity issues and some of the major tools that could be employed to help deliver the goal.

Paper 2: Optimal scenarios for sustainable

development under an equity based approach

Paper 3: Fairness in a post-carbon society

Paper 2 and paper 3 analyse the fundamentals of fairness and equity in this context. Fairness is taken to be the product of justice (the realization of rights) and equity (per capita share of burdens and resources). Concepts explored include ecological debt, the balancing of divergent interests and the notion that if there is a danger associated with increases in greenhouse gases above the natural baseline, the right to add to that stock should be allocated uniformly among all those in the world.

Paper 4: A fair sharing of efforts in meeting the climate challenge

This third equity paper reviews a number of different proposals as to how best to interpret equity and then elaborates on one specific proposal, Greenhouse Development Rights that takes as its central principle the right to development rather than a right to emissions. Whilst apparently prescriptive, this is intended by the authors to be used more as a reference framework.

Paper 5: Post-carbon development: an analysis of commercial and residential, transport, agriculture and rural sectors in India

Paper 6: Transition to a post-carbon society

Paper 5 and paper 6 focus on what a post-carbon world might look like and how we might transition towrds it.

Paper 7: Advancing development and adaptation - the state of resources

This paper focuses on adaptation and associated resource issues, exploring the adaptation and development nexus.

Paper 8: Energy, industries and commerce

This paper reviews the energy sector in India along with a number energy intensive industrial sectors and reviews additional resource requirements in terms of financial support, market mechanisms, technologies etc.

Paper 9: Is the EU-ETS a successful model? Can it form the basis for a wider market?

This paper is from the European perspective: it assesses the European Union Emissions Trading System and explores its potential for providing the basis for a broader North South market, and a potential Global Climate Community.

Paper 10: Engineering a transition to benefit human development

This paper provides an overview of the different elements in a climate change negotiation and how they might be brought together.

Paper 11: Europe and India can lead the world to prevent disastrous climate change

This paper provides a political assessment of the potential for an Indo-European partnership.

 Paper 12: Negotiations and the way forward - the role of India and Europe in pioneering an eventual global deal

This final paper draws upon some of the main issues emerging from the other papers, and sets out a proposal as to how progress could be made - a possible way forward.