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 four 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.
Current ECE Research Themes
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
Energy Demand changes Induced by Technological and Social innovations (EDITS)
Response of the Earth System to overshoot, Climate neUtrality and negative Emissions (RESCUE)
Staff
Adriano Vinca
Research Scholar (IACC, TISS)
Aneeque Javaid
Research Scholar (IACC, S3)
Adriana Gomez Sanabria
Research Scholar (PM)
Olivia Coldrey
Guest Research Scholar (S3, TISS)
News
13 September 2023
IIASA Flagship Report: Illuminating the path to sustainable wellbeing
IIASA is proud to announce the launch of its Flagship Report, "Systems Analysis for Sustainable Wellbeing. 50 Years of IIASA Research, 40 Years After the Brundtland Commission, Contributing to the Post-2030 Global Agenda” on Wednesday, 13 September 2023 at an official UN event in the framework of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly and the Sustainable Development Goals mid-term review.
30 August 2023
Performing artists and scientists take the stage at Vienna’s MuTh theatre
An Austrian choreographer, an American playwright, and a Dutch composer have collaborated with scientists to shed light on various dimensions of the ecological crisis in artistic ways. On 6 October 2023 at 20:00 CET, they will present some of their work in an engaging program titled “What We Want” at the MuTh, one of Vienna’s well-known concert halls.
23 August 2023
Solar powered irrigation: a game-changer for small-scale farms in sub-Saharan Africa
A new study finds that standalone solar photovoltaic irrigation systems have the potential to meet more than a third of the water needs for crops in small-scale farms across sub-Saharan Africa.
Events
21 August 2023 Rotterdam, the Netherlands
IIASA at the 21st ISQOLS Annual Conference 2023
09 August 2023 Virtual event
IIASA Voices #9 - Getting to net-zero: Latest findings from the IPCC Synthesis Report
19 July 2023 Online
IPCC Workshop Outcomes
Focus
08 September 2023
Climate change will affect hydropower – African countries must be prepared
Africa has great potential for the implementation of hydropower, but there are political and environmental concerns that planners must consider if they want to ensure a more reliable power supply for their citizens. IIASA researcher Giacomo Falchetta delved into this issue in an article recently published on The Conversation.
31 July 2023
Extreme heat is particularly hard on older adults – an aging population and climate change put ever more people at risk
Scorching temperatures have put millions of Americans in danger this summer, with heat extremes stretching from coast to coast in the Southern US. IIASA researcher Giacomo Falcetta and colleagues from Boston University looked into this issue in an article recently published on The Conversation.
28 June 2023
Promoting sustainable rural development in sub-Saharan Africa
Options Magazine, Summer 2023: IIASA has joined the LEAP-RE initiative to promote sustainable rural development in sub-Saharan Africa through the RE4AFAGRI project, which focuses on climate-water-energy-land-food-environment nexus modeling and renewable energy adoption.
Publications
Hunt, J. , Nascimento, A., Tong, W., Zakeri, B., Jurasz, J., Patro, E., Ðurin, B., de Jesus Pacheco, D.A., de Freitas, M.A.V., Filho, W.L., & Wada, Y. (2023). Perpetual motion electric truck, transporting cargo with zero fuel costs. Journal of Energy Storage 72 e108671. 10.1016/j.est.2023.108671. Rychła, A., Amon, B., Hassouna, M., van der Weerden, T.J., & Winiwarter, W. (2023). Costs and effects of measures to reduce ammonia emissions from dairy cattle and pig production: A comparison of country-specific estimations and model calculations. Journal of Environmental Management 344 e118678. 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118678. Poblete Cazenave, M. & Rao, N. (2023). Social and contextual determinants of heat pump adoption in the US: Implications for subsidy policy design. Energy Research & Social Science 104 e103255. 10.1016/j.erss.2023.103255. Achakulwisut, P., Erickson, P., Guivarch, C., Schaeffer, R., Brutschin, E. , & Pye, S. (2023). Global fossil fuel reduction pathways under different climate mitigation strategies and ambitions. Nature Communications 14 e5425. 10.1038/s41467-023-41105-z. Lutz, W. & Pachauri, S. (2023). Systems Analysis for Sustainable Wellbeing. 50 years of IIASA research, 40 years after the Brundtland Commission, contributing to the post-2030 Global Agenda. IIASA Report. Laxenburg, Austria: International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) 10.5281/zenodo.8214208.