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Impact Sheet #9, November 2014. Advanced systems analysis at IIASA helps decision makers resolve large-scale socio-technical problems in the short, medium, and long term. The problems IIASA tackles are immense, interconnected, persistent, and urgent. They affect human wellbeing and the environment on which we depend. They are of such complexity that to neglect a single aspect of them could be very costly—and not just in monetary terms.

Impact Sheet #1, November 2014. Arctic temperatures have risen at twice the global average rate over the last 40 years. In recent years, concerns arose that the warming from short-lived climate forcers (SLCFs), like methane, tropospheric ozone, and especially black carbon, might be greater than that of CO2. In 2009 the intergovernmental Arctic Council asked IIASA to investigate the effects of SLCFs in the Arctic using its Greenhouse gas – Air pollution Interactions and Synergies (GAINS) model.

A system integration of ground and remote sensing data that parametrizes Russian territory at a 1km spatial resolution for forests and includes tree species, age, and biomass distribution.

Policy Brief #11, September 2014. According to the results of new population research, strengthening human capital by focusing on education and health should become the main goal of national population policies throughout the world.

Downloadable global forest map at a half-degree resolution

Policy Brief #10,  December 2012. In October 2012, IIASA brought together over 800 leading scientists and experts from a diverse range of disciplines,  regions, and institutions to explore the power of science to find future "worlds within reach” and to chart a path “from science to policy.” The conference showed how systems analysis can diagnose complex problems and deliver smart solutions with multiple benefits for both the planet and its people.

Policy Brief #09,  December 2009. IIASA has developed an easy-to-use online calculator to help industrialized countries compare efforts to lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions with those of other countries. The calculator is designed to explore alternative schemes for sharing the burden between countries, and it can help industrialized countries identify a mutually agreeable set of GHG emission reduction targets.

Policy Brief #08, December 2009. As up to 20 percent of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions result from deforestation, the reduction of emissions from deforestation and degradation of forests (REDD) is a major theme of the ongoing negotiations under the UNFCCC. This briefing looks at the fundamental issues and the challenges involved in current proposals to implement a trading scheme for REDD credits.

Policy Brief #07 December 2009. This briefing identifies the opportunities, risks, and challenges associated with efforts to expand solar energy capacity in North Africa to the point where it can make a significant contribution toward achieving emissions reductions targets. It is based on collaborative research between IIASA and PIK, the Postdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.

Policy Brief #04, revised December 2009. Experts expect climate change to affect not just average temperature, but also weather variability and extreme weather events. The effects impose a disproportionate burden on vulnerable developing countries. How can insurance, including public–private arrangements, play a role in helping vulnerable countries adapt? This Policy Brief offers practical guidance to policymakers shaping the post-Copenhagen adaptation strategy.

Policy Brief #06,  March 2009. Officially public authorities do not negotiate with terrorists. However, governments frequently do end up negotiating with hostage takers and kidnappers and with political groups classified as terrorists. While this briefing does not necessarily advocate negotiating with terrorists, it outlines the practicalities of such negotiations, providing a guide to deciding how, when, and with whom to negotiate.

Policy Brief #05, February 2009. The research presented in this briefing is from IIASA’s Forestry Program and TIFAC, an autonomous organization under India’s Department of Science and Technology. It highlights the key issues facing the Indian forestry system, identifies major priorities and actions to help the Indian forestry system develop sustainably and meet future national needs. 

Policy Brief #03, August 2008. Recently published research carried out by IIASA in collaboration with the Vienna Institute of Demography (VID) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences proves that education is a fundamental determinant not only of health, demographic trends, and individual income, but also of a country’s aggregate level of economic growth. This gives policymakers a new perspective on international education goals.

Policy Brief #02, December 2007, IIASA Conference '07. At its thirty-fifth anniversary conference, in November 2007, IIASA brought together scientists, policymakers, and thinkers to discuss Global Development: Science and Policies for the Future. The aim was a wide­-ranging discussion of what a sustainable and equitable future might look like, and how to get there. Foremost were research priorities and how IIASA might contribute. 

Policy Brief #01,  December 2007, highlights issues and challenges arising from uncertainty in estimates of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removals, explores how this uncertainty can be dealt with, and points to the implications of uncertainty analysis for policymakers. The information contained in this briefing is from the Second International Workshop on Uncertainty in Greenhouse Gas Inventories, IIASA, 27–28 September 2007.