PRISMA will improve Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs) in order to develop robust policies toward the achievement of net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emission pathways.

IAMs are key in the ambition to achieve the Paris Agreement goals, which require deep structural transition of the current economy and society. In light of a rapid and full decarbonization of the economy, the ability of the IAMs to consider complex relationships and provide calibrated numerical results have become ever more important in the last decade.

PRISMA aims to improve existing large-scale IAMs and sectorial models in four key areas, namely the representation of distributional justice and efficiency, innovation and finance, climate impacts and land-use implications, and lifestyle change and circularity. The project will improve the temporal and spatial resolution of the analysis, and the representation of disruptive and structural change in the economy, with a focus on Europe, and look at the yearly and in particular near term detailed modeling of rapid decarbonization pathways.

IIASA co-leads two work packages on lifestyle, digitalization, material efficiency, and circularity as well as SDGs synergies and trade-offs, and biophysical climate impacts, respectively. Additional IIASA contributions include research on technological change and financial efforts needed in the transformation towards net-zero GHG emissions and the coordination of data handling across the project.

Funding acknowledgements

Funded by the European Union under grant agreement No. 101081604. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

Funding Acknowledgements

Published papers: