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Boreal forests often bring to mind a winter wonderland: spruce and pine forests as far as the eye can see, fluffy snow dotted with reindeer beneath a nighttime sky brightened by the aurora borealis. Climate change threatens this fragile, pristine habitat that spans 8 countries in the far north. Now boreal forests are associated not just with snowy landscapes, they are becoming synonymous with raging wildfires and massive plumes of smoke, such as those found currently in Canada. Mitigating the threats posed by climate change in this unique ecosystem and discussing the most recent boreal-related research is the focus of the International Boreal Forest Association conference. Organized in large part by IIASA’s own Florian Kraxner, IBFRA 2023 was held in Helsinki, Finland, where researchers from around the globe gathered to discuss recent findings, foster new connections, and contribute to a plan of attack to save boreal forests as we know them.

Johanna San Pedro is the latest addition to the Agriculture, Forestry, and Ecosystem Services Research Group at IIASA. We wanted to take this opportunity to share her journey before IIASA, her passions, and what makes her a unique addition to the FLAM team.

Every summer, IIASA turns into a buzzing hub of knowledge seekers, and this year is no different! The AFE FLAM team welcomed three interns and three YSSP fellows this summer and we took a moment to chat with Rasheed, Adrian, Laura, and Lawrence about their experiences and goals.

IIASA Director General, Albert van Jaarsveld, visited New Delhi from 27 to 29 July 2023. This trip marked a momentous opportunity for IIASA to strengthen its ties with India and global partners, as well as contribute to the advancement of the Green and Sustainable Growth Agenda for the Global Economy.

Registrations are open for the newly established International Vienna Energy and Climate Forum, which will take place for the first time on 2 and 3 November 2023 at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna. It will bring together high-level representatives from member states, international organizations, business, and science including youth representatives and more than 1,000 international experts to discuss best practices and present solutions to tackle climate change and achieve a green energy transition.

IIASA research informed the recently announced Final Renewable Fuels Standards Rule by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding biofuel volume requirements and percentage standards for 2023–2025. The rule establishes biofuel volume requirements and associated percentage standards in view of steady growth of biofuel use in the US's fuel supply and aims to ensure a sustainable and environmentally friendly energy future.

IIASA was honored to welcome a delegation from the Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization (GEIDCO) led by GEIDCO Executive Vice Chairman Liu Zehong.

Influencing science policy and its outcomes continues to pose many challenges for scientists. In his recent half-day workshop at IIASA, acclaimed policy expert, incoming president of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), and inaugural Peter de Jánosi Visiting Fellow at IIASA, Adil Najam, engaged participants of the 2023 IIASA Young Scientists Summer Program (YSSP) in a lively discussion and simulation on negotiating science policy.

IIASA, the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC), and the Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) have joined forces to conduct a survey among world experts in demography to better understand the future of the world population and its impact on various global trends.

IIASA is proud to host the 2023 cohort of its Young Scientists Summer Program, consisting of 50 PhD students representing 30 nationalities from all over the world.

In May, IIASA proudly welcomed alumni of its former Resources and Environment Area (REN) and Environment Program (ENV) who worked at the institute in the 1970s and 1980s.

IIASA was honored to welcome a delegation from the Office of the President of the UN General Assembly led by H.E. Ambassador Csaba Kőrösi earlier this week.

IIASA Scientific Advisory Committee member, Elke Weber, has received the Patrick Suppes Prize of the American Philosophical Society, the oldest learned society in the USA, for her work on advancing the understanding of how people make important decisions in real-world environments.

Researchers from the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI) visited IIASA on 24 April to finalize a five-year collaboration on nature-based solutions for meeting climate and biodiversity targets, and to plan a proposal to continue their collaboration.

IIASA Cooperation and Transformative Governance Research Group Leader, Nadejda Komendantova, has been appointed as an independent expert on the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Foresight Expert Panel established in cooperation with the International Science Council (ISC).

IIASA Interim Deputy Director General for Science, Wolfgang Lutz, has been appointed as a Special Adviser to Dubravka Šuica, the European Commission Vice President for Democracy and Demography, starting in April 2023.

IIASA Director General Albert van Jaarsveld attended the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) joint Council and Program Directors' meeting on 17 April and a symposium on misinformation from 18-19 April as part of the CIFAR Research Council.

A delegation from Peking University, led by the President, Qihuang Gong, visited IIASA to discuss strengthening research collaborations with IIASA scientists. 

IIASA researchers collaborated with the FAIRR Initiative – a collaborative investor network – on the development of a new IPCC-aligned climate risk analysis tool for investors. Analyses done using the new tool, show that climate-related cost increases could significantly affect the bottom lines of the largest listed livestock companies unless new strategies are urgently adopted.

IIASA researchers contributed to the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report released earlier this week. The report highlights that there are multiple feasible and effective options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to human-caused climate change, and they are available now.