This section summarizes the main findings of the work presented in this report regarding needs and priority areas for further research, for the cases of Bio-Energy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) and Solar Photovoltaic (Solar PV). BECCS technology is highly controversial. On the one hand, it demonstrates a growing number of supporters and is considered by many climate scientists, as one of the most promising negative emissions technologies, with considerable potential to achieve climate goals (e.g. the 1.5oC goal), especially in light of the recent “neutral emissions” debate. At the same time, a potential sizeable reliance on BECCS has raised concerns amongst researchers and policy makers, mainly with regard to sustainability issues (e.g. vast areas of land for the cultivation of biomass, land competing uses, food security, etc.). In contrast, Solar PV is a competitive technology, which has been proven capable to create value and provide services to many stakeholders. However, to continue its exponential growth and remain at the centre of the energy transition, it has to provide solutions to different challenges that have emerged due to its increased deployment.
Our work aims to provide insights on research gaps and areas in priority that can be taken up by academic institutions and researchers, as well as associated insights, for policy decision makers to enhance the development and deployment of these two-key climate change mitigation options. To do so, our approach is focused on combining stakeholders’ perspectives and concerns with regard to future research needs and priorities, with scientific literature to conclude with specific directions for further research and applications. In particular, we used association representatives’ knowledge and position papers as a starting point for the identification of key research challenges and needs and complemented the latter by relevant and updated scientific literature in the field. Interesting findings, summarized below, arose from both stakeholder feedback and literature review.