End of January saw the launch of the new EU-funded ATMOPOLIS project, an innovative study that integrates environmental and social sciences to understand how air and noise pollution exposure affect citizens across European cities and propose actions to help improve their quality of life. IIASA researchers are leading a work package to develop an integrated decision support tool for cities.
In January, IIASA Director General Hans Joachim (John) Schellnhuber visited Israel as part of an effort to deepen scientific cooperation and advance discussions on Israel’s continued membership in IIASA. The visit highlighted the growing role of science diplomacy in connecting research, policy, and international collaboration to support evidence-based decision-making and long-term sustainability.
INQUIMUS 2025 organized by the Equity and Justice (EQU) Research Group was successfully held at IIASA in December 2025. The interactive three-day conference brought together around 50 participants from a wide range of disciplines, all sharing a commitment to making justice dimensions more explicit in transformative climate risk management and adaptation research and practice.
In a feature published by German newspaper Frankfurter Rundschau, IIASA Director-General Hans Joachim (John) Schellnhuber warns of growing currents that undermine scientific evidence and international cooperation – trends he says, that risk dragging societies back toward myth and superstition.
In 2024, global temperatures exceeded 1.5°C for the first time, signaling that the world is on track to pass this limit within the next decade. In a new commentary, IIASA experts and collaborators argue that this new reality requires a rethink of accountability in climate policy.
IIASA researchers explored why mortality among adults of working age remains high in India alongside rapid economic growth, finding that education – at both individual and community levels – is more strongly associated with lower premature mortality than income or household wealth.
IIASA recently welcomed H.E. Ambassador Eduardo Paes Saboia, Ambassador of Brazil to Austria, for a high-level visit to the Institute’s headquarters in Laxenburg. The visit provided an opportunity for an in-depth exchange on IIASA’s research portfolio and on future avenues for strengthening cooperation between IIASA and Brazilian institutions.
Cities are expected to track sustainability progress with data that are often incomplete, outdated, or available only at national level. New research led by IIASA in collaboration with UN-Habitat finds that citizen science could address these gaps and support nearly 70% of global sustainability indicators, yet is currently used in only 4% of cases.
In a commentary published by Süddeutsche Zeitung (South German Newspaper), columnist Heribert Prantl reflects on the renewed importance of science diplomacy amid growing geopolitical tensions, highlighting IIASA as a notable exception to the current global trend of disengagement.
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.
IIASA’s EQU Research Group started the new year with the kick-off meeting of the Transform-Labor project led by Julia Beier and Susanne Hanger-Kopp. The project centers heat affected workers in Austria in the development of transformative climate change adaptation options.
A new study by IIASA researchers offers a pioneering way to understand how climate change affects people’s lives over the long term. Using a global model and the Years of Good Life (YoGL) metric, the research shows that today’s emissions shape future wellbeing, especially for younger generations.
Researchers from the IIASA Biodiversity and Natural Resources Program are involved in the recently launched EU-funded Trees4Adapt project. The project focuses on tree-based solutions for climate adaptation, aiming to strengthen Europe’s adaptation and resilience to climate change in a way that supports people and nature.
In December, IIASA Director General Hans Joachim (John) Schellnhuber, met in Beijing with Professor Dou Xiankang, President of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), the IIASA National Member Organization for China. The meeting focused on strengthening long-term cooperation between IIASA and NSFC and exploring opportunities for deeper engagement between the two organizations.
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder and one of the most prevalent non-communicable diseases worldwide. On average, one in ten adults is affected. The number of people living with diabetes continues to rise, posing an increasing challenge for healthcare systems and entire economies. A new study reveals the global and national economic costs of diabetes and offers strategies to reduce them.
A commentary coauthored by IIASA experts and senior representatives from the UN and the international statistics community discusses the implications of recent changes to the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) program and highlights the importance of integrating citizen science more fully into official data systems