Search

IIASA has emerged as one of Austria’s standout research institutions in a new Elsevier report titled, Austria as a Science and Technology Nation, which benchmarks the country’s scientific performance in an international context.

Tropical forests are one of the planet's most important carbon sinks – often also called "the lungs of the Earth". But their future in a high-CO₂ world remains uncertain. IIASA researchers contributed to a new study, which suggests even small understory trees in the Amazon may initially buffer climate change more strongly. Their long-term capacity to store carbon could, however, be restricted by nutrient availability, highlighting the vulnerability of these ecosystems under future climate conditions.

On Tuesday, 17 March 2026, IIASA had the privilege of hosting Austrian Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen at Schloss Laxenburg for a program focused on exchange, conversation, and engagement with the Institute’s research community. Austria is IIASA’s host country and one of its founding members, with its membership dating back to 1973.

Two new studies published in leading scientific journals conclude that stabilizing long-term climate risks will require sustained net-negative carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions for centuries. Approaching the problem from distinct perspectives – legal and technological feasibility on the one hand, and economic optimization under uncertainty on the other – the research converges on a consistent message: reaching net zero is not enough.

Hands-on mini project- ‘My Future City’ for brainstorming a safer school street for children

IIASA recently welcomed Austrian Federal Minister of Education, Science, and Research, Eva-Maria Holzleitner to Schloss Laxenburg for a high-level exchange on science diplomacy, international cooperation, and future collaboration opportunities.

IIASA welcomed H.E. Ambassador Nikolaus Marschik, Secretary General of the Austrian Federal Ministry of European and International Affairs (BMEIA), for a high-level visit to Schloss Laxenburg on Friday, 20 February 2026.

In January, the Laxenburg Education Campus became a gathering place for curious minds, engaged citizens, and local forward-thinkers. In cooperation with IIASA, the Municipality of Laxenburg hosted the opening of the exhibition Climate & Me, welcoming visitors interested in sustainability.

The International Vienna Energy and Climate Forum (IVECF 2026), to be convened on 9-10 April 2026 at Vienna’s Hofburg Palace, comes at a pivotal moment. As the world races to deliver on sustainable development, energy, and climate goals, growing concerns over international security and stability emphasize the urgent need for inclusive and integrated solutions as well as the need to provide climate justice.

The final stakeholder workshop of the Austria Fire Futures (AFF) project gathered leading experts, policymakers, foresters, firefighters, and tourism representatives on October 28, 2025, at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in Laxenburg to discuss Austria’s growing wildfire risks and the way forward toward climate resilience.  

IIASA has released its report from the European Forum Alpbach 2025, where it served as reporting partner for the Climate Track. Drawing from five insightful blogs, the report distills key ideas and reflections that emerged under the Forum’s overarching theme, “Recharge Europe.”

IIASA Deputy Director General, Karen Lips, represented the Institute at the 2025 European Regional Meeting of the Global Research Council (GRC), convened by Science Europe earlier this week. The meeting provided an important forum for engagement with global research-policy networks to advance themes of open science, artificial intelligence, fairness, and sustainable research systems.

IIASA Distinguished Emeritus Research Scholar and Sherpa for Asia, Wolfgang Lutz, has been awarded the Austrian Decoration for Science and Art (Österreichisches Ehrenzeichen für Wissenschaft und Kunst).

From 15 to 19 September 2025, IIASA hosted a Symposium on Human Capital for Sustainable Development – A Focus on Africa. Supported by the Yidan Prize project funds, the event brought together researchers, postdoctoral fellows, and PhD students from Africa and Europe to advance collaboration on education, demography, and sustainable development.

AFE group and its Wildfire climate impacts and adaptation model (FLAM) have drawn public attention in Austrian media by providing high-resolution insights into current and future wildfire hotspots.  

Johanna Mikl-Leitner, the Governor of Lower Austria, visited IIASA last week to strengthen ties between the Institute and the Province of Lower Austria.

IIASA will host the first author meeting of the upcoming Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Spatial Planning and Connectivity Assessment in Laxenburg, Austria from 22-26 September. The meeting will bring together experts from around the world to begin work on the assessment, which will examine how spatial planning can integrate biodiversity and human wellbeing.

IIASA CAT-ASA scientists Nadejda Komendantova, Tatiana Ermolieva, and Taher Zobeidi jointly with PARATUS case study teams from Istanbul (Turkey), Bucharest (Romania), Barcelona (Spain), are excited to share a short summary of their joint work on "Systemic risks, vulnerability analysis and integrated disaster risk management for disaster resilient societies" in the frames of the WP2, Task 2.2. of the PARATUS project.

On 23 June 2025, IIASA will launch the global citizen science “Tree-Quest” campaign at the Living Planet Symposium in Vienna, inviting people from all over the world to take part using the free Geo-Quest app. As part of the Citizens for Copernicus project, IIASA researchers will also lead hands-on workshops with schoolchildren at the symposium, teaching them how to use the app and collect ground data that will help scientists map the carbon stored in trees with satellite data more accurately.

The Second Austrian Assessment Report on Climate Change (AAR2) provides a comprehensive scientific analysis of climate change spanning approximately 800 pages, showing ways to a sustainable transformation towards climate neutrality and a sustainable, just society.