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
Laura Warnecke
Researcher (PM)
Lovisa Kuehnle-Nelson
Research Intern (PM)
Jessica Slater
Research Scholar (PM)
Chris Heyes
Emeritus 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
Vienna, Austria and online
IIASA at EGU 2024
IIASA, Laxenburg, Austria
GAINS Workshop for EECCA Countries
Vienna, Austria
International Vienna Energy and Climate Forum
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
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. Sarkar, D., Dey, S., Purohit, P. , & Chowdhury, S. (2024). Health Benefits of Meeting 2-degree Warming Scenario in India. DOI:10.5194/egusphere-egu24-5480. In: EGU General Assembly 2024, 14-19 April 2024, Vienna.
Policy applications
22 February 2023
The Arctic Council
The Arctic has been warming at an alarming pace, double the global warming. Since 2008 AIR scientists have been involved in a number of activities associated with the Arctic, including contribution to the work of the Arctic Council Task Force on Short-Lived Climate Forcers, Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP), The International Cryosphere Climate Initiative (ICCI).
22 February 2023
The Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC)
In the '“Integrated Assessment of Black Carbon and Tropospheric Ozone” of UNEP and WMO, IIASA identified 16 practical measures that would improve human health, secure crop yields and, at the same time, reduce global temperature increase in the near-term by up to 0.5 degrees.
To initiate concrete action on these measures, US State Secretary Hillary Clinton launched a 'Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short Lived Climate Pollutants' in February 2012, complementing efforts on CO2 emissions taken by countries under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. By early 2018, the Coalition was joined by more than 50 countries and more than 60 non-state partners.
22 February 2023
Task Force on Integrated Assessment Modelling (TFIAM) under the LRTAP Convention
The Task Force’s main focus is to combine information produced by the various scientific working groups of the LRTAP Convention and through computer models assist in the development of legal instruments.
