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.

IACC’s central goal is the development of response strategies and alternative pathways towards a low-carbon economy, taking into account the many linkages to all aspects of society and the environment. For this purpose, the IACC group develops and maintains methods, including the MESSAGEix model which is at the heart of IIASA's Integrated Assessment Modeling framework.

First, the integration of climate change impacts into the IAM framework to account for the main benefits of mitigation, that is, avoided climate change impacts which, in turn, has implications for a wide set of sustainable development objectives. Better understanding how climate impacts will affect different parts of the population, taking into account the aspects of vulnerability and equity and the degree to which affected population segments are able to adapt, will therefore be a key research focus leading to a quantification of the benefits of mitigation beyond simple economic considerations based on monetized impacts.

Second, material cycles are integrated into the IAM framework to broaden the strategy space beyond classic energy- and land-based climate mitigation strategies by including important elements of circular economy approaches. Initially, the focus is on bulk materials such as steel, cement, non-ferrous metals, or plastics, with the aim to also include important critical materials for key low-carbon technologies, such as batteries and fuel cells.

Third, with decision-making support requiring input at different levels - global, regional, national, and subnational - the integration of analysis across different spatial scales is a research focus relevant to all the previously listed topics of the IACC group, requiring further methodological and tool development. Key aspects of this challenge will be, on the one hand, increasing the spatial and temporal granularity of relevant parts of the IAM framework, and on the other, explicitly representing a wider set of policy options, for example, to develop climate action plans at the national or subnational scale.  

Finally, IIASA operates a community data hub for global climate change mitigation and transformation pathways, for example, by hosting multiple key datasets for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Integrated Assessment Modeling Consortium (IAMC). These globally-focused efforts are complemented by activities that support the development of national mitigation strategies as well as sector-specific activities such as supporting the finance community in using mitigation scenarios to assess the transition and physical climate change risks of, for instance, investment portfolios.

Models, tools, datasets

gas pipeline

Model for Energy Supply Strategy Alternatives and their General Environmental Impact (MESSAGEix)

India Forest

The NExus Solutions Tool (NEST)

Photo 134399877 © Designer491 | Dreamstime.com

ENGAGE Scenario Explorer

IPCC

AR6 Scenario Explorer and Database

Projects

RESCUE

Response of the Earth System to overshoot, Climate neUtrality and negative Emissions (RESCUE)

Beige and colored pawns grouped together

Exploring National and Global Actions to reduce Greenhouse gas Emissions (ENGAGE)

From linear economy to a circular economy

Developing circular pathways for a EU low-carbon transition (CircEUlar)

Photo 260785013 © Mirko Kuzmanovic | Dreamstime.com

Development of a global integrated assessment modeling system for climate-air pollutants management focused on Northeast Asia (GUIDE)

Staff

Philip Hackstock profile picture

Philip Hackstock

Research Software Programmer (ECE, IACC)

Xiaoyang Zhong profile picture

Xiaoyang Zhong

Research Scholar (IACC, S3)

Giacomo Falchetta profile picture

Giacomo Falchetta

Research Scholar (IACC)

Holger Rogner profile picture

Holger Rogner

Emeritus Research Scholar (IACC)

News

Biomass distribution

29 September 2023

Ron Milo from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel visits IIASA

IIASA recently welcomed Ron Milo, an Associate Professor from the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, to discuss ongoing research projects and explore future collaborations between the two institutes.
Solar powered irrigation

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.

Focus

28 September 2023

Feasible futures

Policy Brief #41, October 2023. Embracing the notion of feasibility, this research shows that the world will probably overshoot 1.5°C, largely owing to low institutional capacity. Energy demand reduction and electrification are two options to turn down the heat, and addressing weak institutions is crucial.
PB41
Black and white view from one side of the wall of famous Gariep Dam near Norvalspont in South Africa with open spillway and picturesque landscape in the background.

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.

Elderly gentleman in white shirt having difficulties with extreme heat, high temperature, wiping sweat from face

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.

Publications