ECE’s overarching vision is to provide evidence-based, scientific roadmaps for feasible systems transformations that simultaneously meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and ambitious climate change mitigation targets.
Emphasis is placed specifically on local policy decisions and actions required in the short term to put the world on track to achieve long-term targets while assuring human health, wellbeing, and the reduction of social inequalities in a socially and economically sustainable manner. The program’s systems analytical tools enable it to act as an objective scientific broker in support of sustainable transformational processes. ECE combines the research portfolios of the former Air Quality and Greenhouse Gases, Energy, and Transitions to New Technologies programs.
The ECE program is organized in five Research Groups which encompass different thematic areas of research:
ECE Research Groups
Integrated Assessment and Climate Change (IACC)
The IACC Group leads the development of tools for a new generation of “coupled” global transformation pathways that are able to represent bottom-up local constraints and opportunities at the national and sub-national scale, which is a major focus of the ECE Program.
Pollution Management (PM)
The PM Group focusses on solving immediate and near-term environmental (health and ecosystems impacts from pollution), climate (non-CO2 greenhouse gases), and social (widening inequality gaps) problems in a cost-effective way, providing support to policymaking at local and regional scales.
Sustainable Service Systems (S3)
The S3 Group focuses on demand-side systems as entry points for sustainable transformations. The group analyses demand for energy and materials through the lens of service provision of mobility, shelter, and consumer goods, as well as how lifestyle changes can contribute to consumption reduction.
Transformative Institutional and Social Solutions (TISS)
The TISS Group explores innovative solutions to environmental issues that integrate social, institutional, and governance drivers with technological and economic considerations, with an emphasis on improving conditions for the most deprived and marginalized in society.
Themes
Nutrient cycling
Non-CO2 greenhouse gas sources
ECE Nexus
Just and Feasible Transitions
Scenario Services and Scientific Software
Access to Energy Services
Heterogeneities and Inequalities
Finance
Modeling for National Transformations
Materials
Extreme Weather and Climate Dynamics
Models, tools, datasets
Model for Energy Supply Strategy Alternatives and their General Environmental Impact (MESSAGEix)
The NExus Solutions Tool (NEST)
AR6 Scenario Explorer and Database
Greenhouse Gas and Air Pollution Interactions and Synergies (GAINS)
Projects
Response of the Earth System to overshoot, Climate neUtrality and negative Emissions (RESCUE)
Energy Demand changes Induced by Technological and Social innovations (EDITS)
Staff
Mia Werning
Researcher (IACC, ICI)
Yi Ling Hwong
Research Scholar (IACC, ICI)
Alessio Mastrucci
Research Scholar (S3, TISS)
Tao Cao
Guest Researcher (S3)
News
12 September 2024
Urgent action needed to ensure a safe and just planet for all
IIASA researchers contributed to a new study showing that to sustain even a basic standard of living for everyone, we need to dramatically change our economic systems and technologies. The research highlights the need to fairly manage, use, and share critical resources to ensure both people and the planet can thrive.
16 August 2024
Nitrogen interventions as a key to better health and robust ecosystems
Food and energy production have caused substantial nitrogen pollution, harming air and water quality and posing risks to the climate and ecosystems. A new study shows how nitrogen interventions can reduce pollution, improving health, and supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
14 August 2024
Exploring options for the sustainable management of phosphorus
Focusing on Sweden, a new IIASA study assessed the feasibility of recovering phosphorus from municipal wastewater as an alternative sustainable source of this non-renewable mineral.
Events
CICERO Center for International Climate Research, Oslo
HYway Kick-off meeting
Focus
25 July 2024
Exploring circularity through science and art: CircEUlar project at the Vienna Climate Summit
The first Vienna Climate Biennale took place from April to July. CircEUlar was one of the scientific partners of the Biennale, contributing insights on the potential of circular economy strategies to combat climate change. Project coordinators Marina Jovanovic and Volker Krey reflect on the 100-day festival and the unique collaboration between science and art.
27 June 2024
RESIST
The Resilience of Ecosystem Services provided by Intact and Sustainably managed Terrestrial ecosystems (RESIST) project aims to develop a modeling framework that integrates biophysical feedbacks and socioeconomic drivers affecting the environment.
Publications
Hirata, A., Ohashi, H., Hasegawa, T., Fujimori, S. , Takahashi, K., Tsuchiya, K., & Matsui, T. (2024). The choice of land-based climate change mitigation measures influences future global biodiversity loss. Communications Earth & Environment 5 (1) e259. 10.1038/s43247-024-01433-4. Oshiro, K. & Fujimori, S. (2024). Mid-century net-zero emissions pathways for Japan: Potential roles of global mitigation scenarios in informing national decarbonization strategies. Energy and Climate Change 5 e100128. 10.1016/j.egycc.2024.100128. Roichman, R., Sprecher, B., Blass, V., Meshulam, T., & Makov, T. (2024). The convenience economy: Product flows and GHG emissions of returned apparel in the EU. Resources, Conservation and Recycling 210 e107811. 10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107811. Gupta, J., Bai, X., Liverman, D.M., Rockström, J., Qin, D., Stewart-Koster, B., Rocha, J.C., Jacobson, L., Abrams, J.F., Andersen, L.S., Armstrong McKay, D.I., Bala, G., Bunn, S.E., Ciobanu, D., DeClerck, F., Ebi, K.L., Gifford, L., Gordon, C., Hasan, S., Kanie, N., Lenton, T.M., Loriani, S., Mohamed, A., Nakicenovic, N. , Obura, D., Ospina, D., Prodani, K., Rammelt, C., Sakschewski, B., Scholtens, J., Tharammal, T., van Vuuren, D., Verburg, P.H., Winkelmann, R., Zimm, C. , Bennett, E., Bjørn, A., Bringezu, S., Broadgate, W.J., Bulkeley, H., Crona, B., Green, P.A., Hoff, H., Huang, L., Hurlbert, M., Inoue, C.Y.A., Kılkış, Ş., Lade, S.J., Liu, J., Nadeem, I., Ndehedehe, C., Okereke, C., Otto, I.M., Pedde, S., Pereira, L., Schulte-Uebbing, L., Tàbara, J.D., de Vries, W., Whiteman, G., Xiao, C., Xu, X., Zafra-Calvo, N., Zhang, X., Fezzigna, P., & Gentile, G. (2024). A just world on a safe planet: a Lancet Planetary Health–Earth Commission report on Earth-system boundaries, translations, and transformations. The Lancet Planetary Health 10.1016/S2542-5196(24)00042-1. (In Press) Hunt, J. , Nascimento, A., Romero, O.J., Zakeri, B. , Jurasz, J., Dąbek, P.B., Strzyżewski, T., Đurin, B., Leal Filho, W., Freitas, M.A.V., & Wada, Y. (2024). Hydrogen storage with gravel and pipes in lakes and reservoirs. Nature Communications 15 (1) e7723. 10.1038/s41467-024-52237-1.