Article: News
26 May 2021
The farming of livestock to feed the global appetite for animal products greatly contributes to global warming. A new study however shows that emission intensity per unit of animal protein produced from the sector has decreased globally over the past two decades due to greater production efficiency, raising questions around the extent to which methane emissions will change in the future and how we can better manage their negative impacts.
Event
Virtual meeting
IIASA is organizing a panel discussion at the 2021 virtual American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) meeting. Drawing on the outcomes of the IIASA-ISC Consultative Science Platform, international experts will discuss the impact of the pandemic on food systems, the recovery process from the 2020 crisis and how to better respond to disasters in the future.
Article: News
05 January 2021
Grasslands are managed worldwide to support livestock production, while remaining natural or semi-natural ones provide critical services that contribute to the wellbeing of both people and the planet. Human activities are however causing grasslands to become a source of greenhouse gas emissions rather than a carbon sink. A new study uncovered how grasslands used by humans have changed our climate over the last centuries.
Event
Virtual meeting
IIASA organized two panels at the first online Canadian Science Policy Conference (CSPC) 2020. These offered participants the opportunity to join a live policy simulation about complex Arctic policies and explore horizon scanning, foresight, and scenario mapping as tools to solve the multifaceted issues of tomorrow.
Article: News
25 November 2020
Even before COVID-19, the threat of climate change was affecting the ability of West African food systems to deliver healthy, sustainable, and nutritious foods. In a recent paper published in Nature Food, an international team of researchers provide evidence-based policy recommendations to support West African governments in reforming food systems to make them more resilient.
Article: Other
25 November 2020
Options Winter 2020: Systems science is ideally positioned to address global impacts and harness opportunities brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. IIASA is actively involved in addressing emerging issues and supporting policymakers on the road to a more sustainable post-COVID world.
Advancing Systems Analysis (ASA)
Systemic Risk and Resilience (SYRR)
Biodiversity and Natural Resources (BNR)
Integrated Biosphere Futures (IBF)
Energy, Climate, and Environment (ECE)
Integrated Assessment and Climate Change (IACC)
Sustainable Service Systems (S3)
Transformative Institutional and Social Solutions (TISS)
Population and Just Societies (POPJUS)
Equity and Justice (EQU)
Migration and Sustainable Development (MIG)
Event
Virtual meeting
How do we ensure that disruptions to food supply caused by crises like COVID-19 do not disproportionately impact the poor and marginalized? This virtual meeting will focus on how the post-COVID recovery process could catalyze paths towards more resilient and sustainable food systems.
Article: News
14 October 2020
As the world focuses on the dual crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, a new landmark study pinpoints the ecosystems that should be restored for the biggest climate and biodiversity benefits at the lowest cost. According to the authors, restoration can potentially be 13 times more cost-effective when it takes place in the highest priority locations.
Article: Blog Post
15 September 2020
IIASA researchers Michael Obersteiner, David Leclère, and Piero Visconti discuss the findings of their latest paper, which proposes pathways to reverse the current trend of biodiversity loss and shows that the next 30 years will be pivotal for the Earth’s wildlife.
Article: News
10 September 2020
Plant and animal species across the world are steadily disappearing due to human activity. A major new IIASA-led study suggests that without ambitious, integrated action combining conservation and restoration efforts with a transformation of the food system, turning the tide of biodiversity loss by 2050 or earlier will not be possible.
Model
A modeling framework for medium to long-term energy system planning, energy policy analysis, and scenario development
Water Security (WAT)
Integrated Biosphere Futures (IBF)
Energy, Climate, and Environment (ECE)
Sustainable Service Systems (S3)
Pollution Management (PM)
Integrated Assessment and Climate Change (IACC)
Transformative Institutional and Social Solutions (TISS)
Multidimensional Demographic Modeling (MDM)
Austria
Brazil
China
Germany
Italy
Norway
Article: News
03 August 2020
With the reopening of flights during the summer holiday season in Europe, many countries have started to see an increase in COVID-19 infections. A new IIASA-led study sheds light on how COVID-19 spreads regionally and between countries, as well as on how effective governmental measures to curb the spread of the pandemic have been to date.
Article: News
20 July 2020
An international team of researchers investigated the effects of trade on hunger in the world as a result of climate induced crop yield changes. The conclusion is encouraging: international trade can compensate for regional reductions in agricultural production and reduce hunger when protectionist measures and other barriers to trade are eliminated.