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
Nutrient cycling
Non-CO2 greenhouse gas sources
Scenario Services and Scientific Software
Models, tools, datasets
Greenhouse Gas and Air Pollution Interactions and Synergies (GAINS)
Global emission fields of air pollutants and GHGs
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
Short-Lived Climate Forcers
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.
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
Maximilian Posch
Guest Research Scholar (PM)
Binh Nguyen
Research Scholar/Software Engineer (PM)
Xiuming Zhang
Research Scholar (Marie Curie Fellow) (PM)
Wolfgang Schöpp
Guest Senior Research Scholar (PM)
News
21 March 2025
Strengthening policy for clean air and climate solutions in the ASEAN region
A new report released by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), highlights the urgent need for integrated policies to address air pollution and climate change across Southeast Asia. IIASA researchers contributed as authors of the first chapter, laying the foundation for science-based policy action.
20 March 2025
Solutions to urgent environmental protection challenges in Vietnam
Zbigniew Klimont, who leads the Pollution Management Research Group in the IIASA Energy, Climate, and Environment Program, was invited to share the group's expertise in assisting cities to mitigate air pollution at a recent conference co-organized by the Hanoi People's Committee and the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) - the IIASA National Member Organization for Vietnam and its scholarly community.
21 February 2025
Vietnamese Ambassador and IIASA discuss strengthening research collaboration
On 14 February 2025, IIASA welcomed H.E. Ambassador Vu Le Thai Hoang, Permanent Representative of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to the International Organizations in Vienna, to explore advancing research cooperation between IIASA and Vietnam.
Events
CICERO Center for International Climate Research, Oslo
HYway Kick-off meeting
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
Wang, J., Wang, Y., Zhang, S. , & Yi, B. (2025). Drivers of environmental externality reduction in China's electric power industry: A spatial-temporal analysis. Journal of Environmental Management 373 e123612. 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.123612. Ren, K., Tang, X., Huang, C. , Willerström, J., & Höök, M. (2025). Prospective metal requirements assessment of China's wind-power and photovoltaics: Implications for emerging anthropogenic mines. Resources, Conservation and Recycling 215 e108088. 10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.108088. Ren, M., Zhu, B., Huang, C. , Wang, J., & Dai, H. (2025). Multidimensional sustainability implications of alternative iron and steel industry decarbonization strategies in China. Resources, Conservation and Recycling 215 e108136. 10.1016/j.resconrec.2025.108136. Sarkar, D., Imam, F., Kumar, A., Mukherjee, A., Purohit, P. , Kiesewetter, G. , Klimont, Z. , Ghosh, S., Balakrishnan, K., Chowdhury, S., & Dey, S. (2025). Pathways for India to Reduce Ambient Air Pollution Health Burden and Achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG-3.4). Environmental Science & Technology 10.1021/acs.est.4c08697. (In Press) Klimont, Z. , Kiesewetter, G. , Schöpp, W. , Gomez Sanabria, A. , Rafaj, P. , Purohit, P. , Borken-Kleefeld, J. , Wagner, F. , Heyes, C. , Höglund-Isaksson, L. , Nguyen, B. , Sander, R. , & Warnecke, L. (2025). Chapter 1: Bringing Clean Air, Better Health, A Stable Climate and Other Benefits to the ASEAN Region. In: Clean Air and Climate Solutions for ASEAN. Eds. United Nations Environment Programme, pp. 1-17 United Nations Environment Programme. ISBN 9789280742138 10.59117/20.500.11822/47268.