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.
The PM Group addresses sustainability challenges in the near and long term through an improved understanding of the multiple benefits of policies and their distribution across society. The group has a strong focus on the development of new approaches for multi-sectoral policy interventions to manage pollution across different media (air, water, and soil) at various scales to address near-term concerns and enable long-term transformations and their public support towards a sustainable future. In particular, the group endeavors to enhance the systems perspective approach to address and explore issues such as the interactions and environmental impacts of pollution; assessment of sources of non-CO2 greenhouse gases; mitigation opportunities; approaches to address nutrient and material cycling; options for more equitable solutions; and improved methods for estimating the health and economic benefits of policy interventions.
Themes
Scenario Services and Scientific Software
Models, tools, datasets
Greenhouse Gas and Air Pollution Interactions and Synergies (GAINS)
Model for Energy Supply Strategy Alternatives and their General Environmental Impact (MESSAGEix)
ENGAGE Scenario Explorer
Projects
Finding solutions to pollution caused by shipping in Europe (EMERGE)
Development of a global integrated assessment modeling system for climate-air pollutants management focused on Northeast Asia (GUIDE)
Development of a collaborative, integrated management framework to improve future air quality in Northeast Asia (AQNEA)
Exploring National and Global Actions to reduce Greenhouse gas Emissions (ENGAGE)
Staff
Zbigniew Klimont
Research Group Leader and Principal Research Scholar (PM)
Lena Höglund Isaksson
Senior Research Scholar (PM)
Jens Borken-Kleefeld
Senior Research Scholar (PM)
Adriana Gomez Sanabria
Research Scholar (PM)
News
15 April 2024
Collaborating to devise a strategy for organic waste management in Uganda
IIASA researchers are participating in a new project kicking off in Uganda this week, in which IIASA and a number of international partners will work with Ugandan stakeholders to co-develop a national strategy for organic waste management in the country.
08 February 2024
IIASA research informs the European Commission's recommendation for 90% greenhouse gas emission reductions by 2040
The European Commission set an ambitious mid-term target, supported by an extensive Impact Assessment, paving the way to climate neutrality by 2050.
15 November 2023
IIASA researchers again ranked among the world's most cited
IIASA is proud to announce that nine researchers associated with the institute have been recognized in the 2023 Highly Cited Researchers™ list by Clarivate.
Events
IIASA, Laxenburg, Austria
CATALYSE Meeting
Vienna, Austria and online
IIASA at EGU 2024
IIASA, Laxenburg, Austria
GAINS Workshop for EECCA Countries
Focus
30 March 2024
Transforming waste into a valuable resource
As the world marks the International Day of Zero Waste, Adriana Gómez-Sanabria highlights that the path to zero waste will require a shift in society’s current consumption and production patterns. Originally conceived to shield humanity and the environment from the fallout of our actions, waste management systems must now evolve into engines of sustainability.
04 October 2023
ENGAGE Summary for Policymakers
As the world faces the risks of dangerous climate change, policymakers, industry and civil society leaders are counting on Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs) to inform and guide strategies to deliver on the objectives of the Paris Agreement (PA) and subsequent agreements.
Publications
Chandra, N., Patra, P.K., Fujita, R., Höglund-Isaksson, L. , Umezawa, T., Goto, D., Morimoto, S., Vaughn, B.H., & Röckmann, T. (2024). Methane emissions decreased in fossil fuel exploitation and sustainably increased in microbial source sectors during 1990–2020. Communications Earth & Environment 5 (1) e147. 10.1038/s43247-024-01286-x. Kim, E., Kim, B.-U., Kim, H.C., Liu, Y., Kang, Y.H., Jacob, D.J., Kim, Y.P., Woo, J.-H., Kim, J., Wang, S., Yoo, C., Bae, C., Kim, Y. , & Kim, S. (2024). North Korean CO emissions reconstruction using DMZ ground observations, TROPOMI space-borne data, and the CMAQ air quality model. Science of the Total Environment 921 e171059. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171059. Wamelink, G.W.W., Goedhart, P.W., Roelofsen, H.D., Bobbink, R., Posch, M. , van Dobben, H.F., Biurrun, I., Bonari, G., Dengler, J., Dítě, D., Garbolino, E., Jansen, J., Jašková, A.K., Lenoir, J., & Peterka, T. (2024). A novel method to estimate the response of habitat types to nitrogen deposition. Environmental Pollution e123844. 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123844. (In Press) Brito, T., Höglund-Isaksson, L. , Rafaj, P. , Sander, R. , & Klimont, Z. (2024). Analysis of trade-offs from the use of hydrogen blended with natural gas in the European Union. DOI:10.5194/egusphere-egu24-10187. In: EGU General Assembly 2024, 14-19 April 2024, Vienna. Purohit, P. , Amann, M., Kiesewetter, G. , Schöpp, W., Wagner, F. , Klimont, Z. , Heyes, C. , Gomez Sanabria, A. , Srivastava, P., & Borken-Kleefeld, J. (2024). Cost-effective emission reductions to improve air quality in South Asia. DOI:10.5194/egusphere-egu24-7641. In: EGU General Assembly 2024, 14-19 April 2024, Vienna.
Policy applications
22 February 2023
Centre for Integrated Assessment Modelling (CIAM)
Since 1999 IIASA has been hosting the Centre for Integrated Assessment Modelling (CIAM), one of the four centres assigned for the European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP) of the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution.
22 February 2023
GAINS analyses for the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference - COP15 in Copenhagen
As input to the climate negotiations at COP15 in Copenhagen 2009, IIASA has developed a coherent international comparison of greenhouse gas mitigation efforts among Annex I Parties in 2020. This web site provides interactive access to an on-line calculator, underlying input data, and documentation of the methodology.
22 February 2023
Pollution Management in Developing Countries
There is an urgent need in the developing world for increased support on pollution management in order to respond to the magnitude of the threat to human health and economies. Responding to pollution is a challenge that is solvable in the near term to save lives and unlock economic opportunity through action at the local, national, regional and global levels.
The methods developed by the IIASA AIR program offer an integrated perspective on cost-effective policy interventions that improve air quality, reduce negative health impacts, and deliver benefits for a wide range of development goals.
