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A new IIASA-led study finds that expanding street green space can reduce urban heat stress in cities worldwide, but even ambitious greening efforts are unlikely to offset a significant share of the additional heat expected under climate change. Instead, the research shows that street greenery should be part of a broader portfolio of urban adaptation measures.

The most recent edition of the Forest Talks webinar series – jointly hosted by the ForestNavigator project (coordinated by IIASA) together with the ForestPaths and PathFinder projects – brought together researchers, modelers, and national reporting experts to discuss advances in Earth observation (EO) for forest monitoring and greenhouse gas inventory support across Europe. 

IIASA Director General Hans Joachim (John) Schellnhuber will be a keynote speaker at the second International Holzbau Symposium with the Summit on Sustainable Building and Housing, taking place in Berlin, Germany, on 29 April 2026. The symposium will bring together leading voices from science, policy, and industry to explore how wood construction can contribute to climate mitigation, sustainable economic development, and the provision of affordable housing.

IIASA researchers invite visitors to explore some of the most pressing challenges of our time - from climate change and clean energy to global water security. Through interactive formats and hands-on activities, participants can discover how science helps us better understand complex systems and identify solutions. IIASA will be present at two locations: in Vienna at the Austrian Academy of Sciences, and in Lower Austria at Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA).

How can education shape Africa’s demographic and economic future? The African Human Capital Data Sheet 2026 presents new evidence on population trends by level of education, skills, and demographic transitions across the African continent.

IIASA researchers will contribute to the 26th Austrian Climate Day taking place in Vienna from 8 to 10 April 2026. Organized by the Climate Change Centre Austria (CCCA), the event brings together researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to exchange knowledge and foster collaboration. This year's theme, Building bridges: from knowledge to transformation, focuses on strengthening links between science, policy, and implementation.

IIASA Integrated Climate Impacts Research Group Leader, Carl-Friedrich Schleussner, will be the speaker at the upcoming 5vor12 Briefing by the Network for Climate Journalism Austria on one of the most pressing developments in climate science: climate overshoot.

IIASA researchers have been working with the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), Stellenbosch University, and the African Centre for Clean Air, to provide financial and technical support to Uganda, through its National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), to develop the Uganda Sector Strategy for Organic Waste Management.

New insights from four NATURANCE Innovation Labs show how risk transfer and nature-based solutions can work hand in hand to address escalating climate risks. From flood resilience in the UK and Italy to wildfire and urban heat challenges across Europe, the brief highlights practical opportunities to scale NbS where they are needed most.

On Tuesday, 17 March 2026, IIASA had the privilege of hosting Austrian Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen at Schloss Laxenburg for a program focused on exchange, conversation, and engagement with the Institute’s research community. Austria is IIASA’s host country and one of its founding members, with its membership dating back to 1973.

The Horizon Europe project CHOICE hosted an online webinar presenting two interactive simulation environments designed to make food-system and climate modelling more accessible to stakeholders, policymakers, and non-expert users. The session featured live demonstrations and hands-on exercises exploring how behavioral change, dietary shifts, food waste reduction, and land-use decisions can shape sustainability outcomes.

Cyberattacks, blackouts, natural disasters: in a world where physical and digital systems are becoming ever more tightly intertwined, disruptions can quickly paralyze entire infrastructures. At a recent public lecture co-hosted by IIASA and the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW), renowned computer scientist and mathematician Dimitris E. Simos spoke about these vulnerabilities. In this interview, he explains why our systems are particularly susceptible to attacks, how chain reactions occur, and what each of us can do to improve security.