Search

Food and energy production have caused substantial nitrogen pollution, harming air and water quality and posing risks to the climate and ecosystems. A new study shows how nitrogen interventions can reduce pollution, improving health, and supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Focusing on Sweden, a new IIASA study assessed the feasibility of recovering phosphorus from municipal wastewater as an alternative sustainable source of this non-renewable mineral.

Despite advancements in clean energy, global CO₂ emissions continue to rise. IIASA researchers contributed to a new international study that underscores the importance of integrating technological advancements with robust institutional capacities to formulate effective climate policies.

Current climate policies imply a high risk for tipping of critical Earth system elements, even if temperatures return to below 1.5°C of global warming after a period of overshoot. A new study indicates that these risks can be minimized if warming is swiftly reversed.

To mitigate the climate crisis, we must tackle methane emissions now. In a new article published in Frontiers in Science, an international team of researchers set out three imperatives to cut methane emissions and shared a new tool to help find the most cost-effective ways of doing so.

Under the leadership of the Equity and Justice Research Group of the IIASA Population and Just Societies Program, researchers from across the Institute have spent the past three years working towards the first iteration of the IIASA Justice Framework – a descriptive guideline for science and policy. The framework is now available on the IIASA website and as an IIASA working paper.

On 22 July, 2024, a high-level delegation from the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), led by Professor Tran Tuan Anh, visited IIASA to meet with Director General John Schellnhuber and IIASA researchers to discuss ongoing research projects and opportunities.

A novel machine learning framework developed by IIASA researchers to estimate global rooftop area growth from 2020 to 2050 can aid in planning sustainable energy systems, urban development, and climate change mitigation, and has potential for significant benefits in emerging economies.

A new IIASA study explores waste management systems and reveals that achieving zero waste leakage by 2030 is unlikely, potentially jeopardizing related Sustainable Development Goals. The authors emphasize the need for global cooperation, particularly across four regions, to responsibly manage waste disposal.

Small changes in our everyday actions can trigger significant, rapid societal shifts especially when it comes to climate action. A new IIASA-led study highlights the importance of analyzing these dynamics with a comprehensive framework to harness their full potential for reducing carbon emissions.

IIASA experts took part in various discussions and activities organized as part of the UNFCCC Bonn Climate Change Conference, seeking to boost climate action and the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

IIASA researchers contributed to a new study finding that nitrous oxide emissions continued to rise between 1980 and 2020, marking a 40% increase in man-made emissions of this potent greenhouse gas over this period.

The 2024 State of Carbon Dioxide Removal report finds that around 7–9 billion tonnes of CO₂ per year will need to be removed by mid-century from the atmosphere if the world is to meet the 1.5°C Paris Agreement target. The authors stress that reducing emissions is the primary way to achieve net-zero, but Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) has a critical role to play.

A perspective piece published in Nature Climate Change describes innovative strategies that significantly reduce both resource consumption and fossil fuel emissions.

New research by the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) and IIASA proposes using soil bacteria to cut greenhouse gas emissions from food production.

The first Vienna Climate Biennale started its 100 day long festival program in April. CircEUlar is among the scientific partners of the Biennale, providing content on the potential of circular economy strategies to combat climate change.

A new study by an international team of researchers quantified the impacts of climate change on gross domestic product (GDP) across the globe, revealing a global GDP loss of 10% if the planet warms by more than 3ºC.

IIASA researchers are participating in a new project kicking off in Uganda this week, in which IIASA and a number of international partners will work with Ugandan stakeholders to co-develop a national strategy for organic waste management in the country.

A new study led by Jarmo Kikstra, a research scholar in the IIASA Energy, Climate, and Environment Program, explores whether reducing production and consumption growth could make a significant contribution to resolving the climate crisis.

The Austrian Science Fund (FWF) has awarded the Resilience and Malleability of Social Metabolism (REMASS) project funding of over six million euros for the next five years. This is an important milestone for this new field of research, which is being carried out by scientists from several Austrian institutions including IIASA.