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In October, IIASA welcomed a high-level delegation from the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences (CRAES) for an in-depth exchange on advancing systems analysis and environmental solutions. The visit marked an important step toward strengthening collaboration between IIASA and CRAES on global and regional sustainability challenges.

Rising seas are irreversible on human time scales and among the most severe consequences of climate change. Emissions released in the coming decades will determine how much coastlines are reshaped for centuries to come. New research shows that near-term mitigation could spare future generations around 0.6 meters of sea-level rise that would be caused by emissions between 2020 and 2090 following current policies, making today’s decisions critical not only for limiting warming but also for coastal impacts.

IIASA Deputy Director General, Karen Lips, represented the Institute at the 2025 European Regional Meeting of the Global Research Council (GRC), convened by Science Europe earlier this week. The meeting provided an important forum for engagement with global research-policy networks to advance themes of open science, artificial intelligence, fairness, and sustainable research systems.

IIASA Distinguished Emeritus Research Scholar and Sherpa for Asia, Wolfgang Lutz, has been awarded the Austrian Decoration for Science and Art (Österreichisches Ehrenzeichen für Wissenschaft und Kunst).

As co-organizer of the symposium hosted by the Commission on the De-Fossilization and Carbon Neutrality of the European Energy Systems (DEE) at the Austrian Academy of Sciences, IIASA's Dr. Thomas Schinko will open the event by highlighting the importance of a systemic and interdisciplinary view for a successful transformation of energy systems. Moreover, he will emphasize the necessity to foster justice, equity, and collaboration in shaping Europe’s path toward a carbon-neutral future.

Martin Lees, Chair of the OECD-IIASA Strategic Partnership on Systems Approaches, returned to IIASA earlier this month to deliver a thought-provoking lecture, revisiting the origins and future of systems thinking in international policymaking and reflecting on decades of collaboration between IIASA and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Climate change research has been dominated by narratives of vulnerability and risk often overlooking the significant efforts made by human systems to build and sustain resilience.

From 15 to 19 September 2025, IIASA hosted a Symposium on Human Capital for Sustainable Development – A Focus on Africa. Supported by the Yidan Prize project funds, the event brought together researchers, postdoctoral fellows, and PhD students from Africa and Europe to advance collaboration on education, demography, and sustainable development.

IIASA and the College of Population Studies at Chulalongkorn University will hold an intensive training program in Bangkok that combines demographic methods, data analysis, and innovative tools for understanding population aging, education, and health.

MUT Magazin features IIASA Director-General Hans Joachim (John) Schellnhuber in an in-depth interview on climate-resilient cities and the urgent need to transform the built environment. He outlines how natural materials and sustainable design can help repair the atmosphere and protect future generations.

IIASA Director General Hans Joachim (John) Schellnhuber will be the keynote speaker at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations' fifth webinar in a dynamic series focused on developing a resilient and sustainable forest-based bioeconomy. This session will explore how sustainable wood construction can serve as a nature-based solution to address multiple challenges - from the global housing crisis to climate change mitigation.

Wolfgang Lutz will join leading researchers at the Second General Meeting of the Age-It Program — Italy’s national research network on ageing — to discuss how education, ageing, and human capital shape Europe’s demographic future.

A new international study co-led by IIASA researchers and Japanese partners aims to democratize the way global climate scenarios are developed. The authors propose a transparent, inclusive research platform that invites participation from scientists worldwide – especially from emerging and developing regions – to ensure that the foundations of climate policy analysis are globally representative and equitable.

As a leading expert on population and sustainable development, Wolfgang Lutz will join a high-level expert conference bringing together decision-makers from academia, politics, civil society, and the private sector to discuss Europe’s demographic future.

Last week, IIASA welcomed H.E. Maimounata Ouattara, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative of Burkina Faso to the United Nations, for a visit that reinforced a shared commitment to advancing systems analysis for sustainable development across Sub-Saharan Africa.

IIASA Capacity Development and Academic Training Dean, Fabian Wagner, recounts a moment of convergence at the recent first author meeting of the upcoming Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Spatial Planning and Connectivity Assessment, that speaks to the enduring reach of the IIASA Young Scientists Summer Program (YSSP).

Senior Research Scholar Dilek Fraisl from the Novel Data Ecosystems for Sustainability Research Group will attend the Expert Group Meeting (EGM) and Workshops on Citizen Data in Bangkok, Thailand.

IIASA recently welcomed His Excellency Vito Cecere, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Austria, for an official visit aimed at reinforcing the strong and enduring partnership between Germany and IIASA.

The annual meeting of the LAMASUS project will take place at IIASA in October 2025. Principal Research Scholar Linda See (and LAMASUS work package leader) will discuss updates to the LAMASUS geodatabase on land use management with the consortium and the science and policy advisory board in light of new and updated geospatial data sets that have been produced.