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As one of the IIASA founding organizations, the Japan Committee for IIASA has helped develop a highly-productive relationship between IIASA and Japan. The Japanese Ministry of the Environment funds IIASA’s annual membership fee and NMO activities.
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IIASA Connect
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News
18 May 2026
Full fossil fuel phase-out by 2050 would require up to 80% more electricity generation
New research by an international team of scientists finds that fully phasing out fossil fuels worldwide by 2050 would require global electricity generation to expand by roughly 60 to 80% beyond the levels projected in conventional 1.5°C climate pathways. The study also shows that eliminating fossil fuels could significantly reduce dependence on CO2 removal technologies and underground carbon storage.
16 October 2025
Democratizing global climate modeling
A new international study co-led by IIASA researchers and Japanese partners aims to democratize the way global climate scenarios are developed. The authors propose a transparent, inclusive research platform that invites participation from scientists worldwide – especially from emerging and developing regions – to ensure that the foundations of climate policy analysis are globally representative and equitable.
06 May 2025
Japan’s Minister of Environment visits IIASA
IIASA had the great honor of welcoming His Excellency Mr. Keiichiro Asao, Minister of the Environment and Minister of State for Nuclear Emergency Preparedness of Japan, for a high-level visit and strategic dialogue with IIASA leadership and researchers.
Events
Focus
12 March 2026
Advancing knowledge on cities and climate change: Insights from the IIASA Urban Futures Hub
The IIASA Urban Futures Hub is a cutting-edge research initiative dedicated to studying and assessing how cities and urban systems can lead climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts from local to global scales. The Hub regularly brings together experts from various disciplines within and beyond the Institute to collaborate on assessing cities and climate change across diverse domains and scales. IIASA researchers Leila Niamir and Merle Quade share insights from the initiative's latest expert workshop.
Annual Report 2024
Annual Report 2024: Economic Frontiers Program Highlights
In 2024, the Economic Frontiers Program explored the shifting dynamics between demography, health, and sustainability.
Projects
ASPIRE: Assessment of Innovative Energy Technologies and Exploration of Decarbonized Energy System Using Novel Global Energy System Model
Publications
Watanabe, C., Tou, Y., Nagamatsu, A., & Neittaanmaki, P. (2026). Generative AI-Driven Innovation Leads the Way to Coevolution Between Japan, India and the Global South Towards Decarbonization. In: Challenges in Design Methods, Numerical Tools and Technologies for Sustainable Aviation, Transport and Industry. Eds. Tuovinen, T., Neittaanmäki, P., & Knoerzer, D., pp. 209-229 Cham: Springer. ISBN 978-3-031-98674-1 10.1007/978-3-031-98675-8_14.
Ju, Y. , Cao, T., Firdaus, N., & Li, B. (2025). Endogenizing long-term material and energy demand in response to power capacity changes by model soft-linking: application to Japan. Energy Systems 10.1007/s12667-025-00724-9.
Washizu, A., Ju, Y. , Yoshida, A., Tayama, M., & Amano, Y. (2024). Modeling the distributed energy resource aggregator services in a macroeconomic framework: The application to Japan. Energy 312 e133561. 10.1016/j.energy.2024.133561.
Oshiro, K. & Fujimori, S. (2024). Mid-century net-zero emissions pathways for Japan: Potential roles of global mitigation scenarios in informing national decarbonization strategies. Energy and Climate Change 5 e100128. 10.1016/j.egycc.2024.100128.
Yamaura, K., Xu, S., Sugiyama, Masahiro., & Ju, Y. (2024). Public perceptions on net zero energy houses in Japan. Sustainability Science 10.1007/s11625-024-01501-w.
Ita, S., Washizu, A., & Ju, Y. (2024). Lifestyle changes overweighing technology improvement in household decarbonization: evidence from Japan during 1990-2020. Carbon Footprints 4 (1) 10.20517/cf.2024.30.