Energy Program News
2016
How fair are countries’ climate pledges?
Benchmarks to guide countries in ratcheting up their ambition to limit climate change to well-below 2°C and pursue 1.5°C in an equitable manner are critical, but not yet determined in the context of the Paris Agreement. More
IIASA researchers among most highly cited scientists
IIASA energy and air quality researchers were recognized for their outstanding contribution to the scientific literature in the field of geosciences. More
Daniel Huppmann receives INFORMS-ENRE Young Researcher Prize
IIASA Research Scholar Daniel Huppmann was awarded the 2016 Young Researcher Prize by the INFORMS Section on Energy, National Resources and the Environment (ENRE). More
Informing action on a historic climate agreement
The Paris Agreement on climate change goes into effect today, but while the agreement set ambitious targets for tackling climate change, scientists say there is a long way to go to achieve it. Research suggests pathways to get the world on track. More
Shared Socioeconomic Pathways now available
A special issue of the journal of Global Environmental Change dedicated solely on the topic of Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs), co-edited by Energy Program Director Keywan Riahi, and PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency senior researcher, Detlef van Vuuren, will soon be published, and the scenario data are available. More
The Earth system response to negative emissions
During the last century or so, over half of the CO2 emissions from fossil fuel burning, industry, and deforestation have been absorbed by natural sinks such as the forests and oceans. These natural sinks play a critical role in determining the climate effects of CO2 emissions. More
Country pledges overshoot Paris temperature limit
Individual country pledges to reduce greenhouse gas emissions would need to be strengthened in order to limit future climate change to well below the 2°C limit included in the Paris climate agreement, according to a new assessment. More
Joeri Rogelj receives the Piers Sellers Prize
IIASA Research Scholar Joeri Rogelj was awarded the 2016 Piers Sellers Prize for "world leading solution-focused climate research" by the Priestley International Centre for Climate. More
Climate consequences of oil price uncertainty could be significant
Oil prices can have a major impact on the types and quantities of energy sources used—and thus on greenhouse gas emissions. A new study from researchers at IIASA and the World Bank is the first to quantify the energy and emissions impacts of future fuel prices and the various unknowns these impacts depend on. More
Focus on energy independence will not save the climate
Reducing energy imports and mitigating climate change are often portrayed as complementary. However, new research shows that while ambitious climate policies would lower energy imports, energy independence would not bring significant climate benefits. More
Nebojsa Nakicenovic awarded Austrian honor
IIASA Deputy Director General Nebojsa Nakicenovic has been awarded one of the top honors in Austria. More
A record-breaking year for renewable energy
Renewables are now firmly established as competitive, mainstream sources of energy in many countries around the world, according to a new report from an international consortium focused on energy policy. More
Could off-grid electricity systems accelerate energy access?
Small off-grid electricity systems are growing rapidly in South Asia. A new study provides the first assessment of how these systems are impacting communities in the region. More
1.5°C vs 2°C: Why half a degree matters
An average global temperature rise of 1.5°C or 2°C over the coming century would have substantially different impacts on the planet, according to a new study. More
Kerosene subsidies slow transition to clean energy
Reducing reliance on kerosene lighting would provide benefits but proves a stickier problem than previously thought, according to a new analysis focused on India. More
Short-sighted climate policy jeopardizes other UN sustainable development goals
A new study finds that climate policies that fail to take into account interlinkages and trade-offs could hamper progress on other sustainable development goals. However, energy efficiency improvements can reap synergies between the goals. More
Clean energy could stress global water resources
Efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the energy sector could lead to greater pressure on water resources, increasing water use and thermal water pollution. Dedicated adaptation measures will be needed in order to avoid potential trade-offs between the water and climate change impacts of the energy system. More
A lower limit for future climate emissions
A new study finds that the world can emit even less greenhouse gases than previously estimated in order to limit climate change to less than 2°C. More
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How will climate policy affect energy access goals?
Without new subsidies and policies to support increased energy access, new climate policies could push access to modern energy out of reach for millions in Asia. More
Worldwide electricity production vulnerable to climate and water resource change
Climate change impacts on rivers and streams may substantially reduce electricity production capacity around the world. A new study calls for a greater focus on adaptation efforts in order to maintain future energy security. More
2015
The Paris climate agreement: A vital turning point
The Paris climate talks have yielded an international agreement pledging to keep warming well below 2°C, and endeavoring to limit it to 1.5°C. IIASA hails this as a breakthrough but, as Director General and CEO Professor Dr. Pavel Kabat says: “The real work has yet to begin.” More
Have global emissions peaked?
Carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels are projected to stall in 2015, marking the first time that emissions have slowed without a concomitant economic decline. More
Negative emissions no silver bullet for climate change mitigation
There are significant constraints to large-scale deployment of negative emissions technologies in the future to reach climate change targets, according to a new study including IIASA research. The study emphasizes that greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced aggressively and immediately. More
A second look at the two-degree target
As negotiators begin their second week at the Paris climate change summit, researchers provide a scientific critique of the 2-degree climate target. More
Can Paris pledges avert severe climate change?
An international group of researchers shows that the Paris pledges on climate change could lay the groundwork for limiting climate change to the internationally agreed target of less than 2 degrees Celsius. More
Greater potential for transport in climate mitigation
The transport sector has the potential to cut its emissions of greenhouse gases in half by 2050, according to new analysis from researchers at IIASA and other institutions. More
If a major economy takes the lead, warming could be limited to 2°C
A new study by an international team of researchers including IIASA scientists has found what amount of emissions reductions it would take for a major economy to lead out of the climate gridlock. More
Beyond the numbers: New report tackles country commitments on climate
A new report provides a detailed understanding of the transformations required to achieve individual country commitments on climate change. More
New project integrates climate and development research
A new grant from the European Union Horizon 2020 framework program for research and innovation links climate mitigation and adaptation policies with broader sustainable development questions at a global and regional level. More
Systems analysis for global transformations
A special issue of the journal Technological Forecasting and Social Change explores research on uncertainty and global transformations. More
IIASA’s Energy Program Director joins President of Austria’s Delegation to Iran
Austrian President Heinz Fischer began a three-day visit to Iran today accompanied by a high-ranking delegation of political, business, science, and cultural representatives. More
Accounting for short-lived forcers in carbon budgets
New IIASA research shows how measures to reduce emissions of short-lived climate forcers can impact global carbon budgets for limiting climate change to below 2°C over pre-industrial levels. More
Sustainable energy crucial for development, climate action
Sustainable energy is crucial for inclusive development and action on climate change, said participants of the Vienna Energy Forum, which opened today in the capital of Austria. More
What would it take to limit climate change to 1.5°C?
A new study analyzes the required climate policy actions and targets in order to limit future global temperature rise to less than 1.5°C by 2100. This level is supported by more than 100 countries worldwide, including those most vulnerable to climate change, as a safer goal than the currently agreed international aim of 2°C. More
IPCC Expert Meeting: Climate research community looks into future scenarios
IIASA plays host to climate experts this week, who are meeting to discuss and further develop new socioeconomic scenarios for climate research. More
2014
ERC grant to support energy poverty & climate research
IIASA energy researcher Narasimha D. Rao has received a prestigious Starting Grant from the European Research Council (ERC) for a project on energy, climate change, and decent living standards. More
Climate policy pledges are an important step forward but fall short of 2°C
Pledges to reduce emissions in China, Europe and the US provide an important step forward for climate change action, but a more comprehensive effort is needed to stabilize the climate below critical thresholds. Climate finance can cover investment gaps and alleviate distributional tensions, a new study shows. More
UNEP report highlights pathways to limit climate change
The 2014 Emissions Gap report from the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) outlines clear limits for global greenhouse gas emissions, in order to avoid overreaching the 2 degree Celsius limit. IIASA researchers played leading roles in the report. More
Climate change: Limiting short-lived pollutants cannot buy time on CO2 mitigation
Reducing emissions of non-CO2 gases and air pollutants with climate effects would bring health benefits and near-term climate co-benefits - but the impact on long-term climate change might be lower than previously estimated, according to a new study of the potential of air pollution and carbon dioxide mitigation in climate stabilization scenarios. More
Improved electricity access has little impact on climate change
Expanding access to household electricity services accounts for only a small portion of total emission growth, shows a new study from the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), shedding light on an ongoing debate on potential conflicts between climate and development. More
Natural gas boom alone won't slow climate change
Expanding the current bounty of cheap natural gas alone would not help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, according to a new study. More
Island nations commission report on climate solutions
IIASA researchers served as key authors on a new report on climate solutions commissioned by island nations, which are poised to suffer early and greater climate impacts. The report was released at the UN Climate Summit this week. More
Climate targets move further from reach
The Global Carbon Project’s 2014 Carbon Budget shows the continuing rise of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2013. Analyses from IIASA researchers and colleagues show the implications for meeting climate targets. More
Landmark report defines climate change in Austria
Climate change effects are already being felt in Austria: A new report shows how rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, and melting glaciers have affected the country and what lies in store for the future. More
Climate comic now available in English
A comic book on climate change, featuring IIASA Deputy Director General Nebojsa Nakicenovic, is now available in English. More
Pathways to deep decarbonization
A new report on deep decarbonization, published last week, offers a new perspective on how countries can avoid dangerous climate change and achieve sustainable development. More
A new generation of scenarios for climate research
A new framework for climate scenarios research brings an integrated view of economics, demography, and greenhouse gas emissions to the development of emissions scenarios that underlie climate models. More
Climate change - what next?
Options Magazine, Summer 2014: How IIASA research and the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report are changing the narrative on climate change mitigation, impacts, and adaptation. More
Putting a price tag on the 2° climate target
Addressing climate change will require substantial new investment in low-carbon energy and energy efficiency – but no more than what is currently spent on today’s fossil-dominated energy system, according to new research from IIASA and partners. More
Global Carbon Project names IIASA co-chair
IIASA Deputy Director General Nebojsa Nakicenovic has been named co-chair of the Global Carbon Project, an international research project aimed at better understanding the carbon cycle. More
Protecting the environment by fighting poverty
Environmental protection and poverty eradication go hand in hand, according to a new policy paper from leading scientists including IIASA researchers. More
REN21 report shows jump in renewable capacity
The 2014 Global Status Report from the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21) shows major growth in renewable energy capacity worldwide, expanding upon recent IIASA research such as the Global Energy Assessment. More
Tying air pollution to climate scenarios
The latest IPCC report relied on four scenarios—the Representative Concentration Pathways or RCPs—to project the range of possible future greenhouse gas emissions. A new study explores how air pollution could develop under the different climate change scenarios. More
IPCC report: Mitigating climate change
IIASA researchers are major contributors to the third part of the IPCC’s 5th Assessment Report (AR5), “Mitigation of Climate Change,” released yesterday. More
What will climate policy mean for coal?
Limiting climate change to 2°C means shutting down coal power plants – an unpopular proposition for coal power companies. But a new study shows that delaying climate policies could prove even worse for power plant owners. More
EU could afford to lead international climate action
New research from IIASA and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impacts Research (PIK) shows that early action by the European Union on climate change could reduce future warming by more than 1 degree, even if other countries join later. More
14th Delhi Sustainable Development Summit
Attaining Energy, Water and Food Security for All: is the theme of this year's Dehli Sustainable Development Summit which will feature world leaders and experts discussing issues regarding global sustainability. IIASA Director General and CEO Professor Dr. Pavel Kabat, andIIASA Deputy Director General Nebojsa Nakicenovic will both be speaking at the Summit to be held in New Delhi from 6-8 February. More
IIASA and India Collaborations
IIASA Director General and CEO Professor Dr. Pavel Kabat, and Deputy Director General Nebojsa Nakicenovic travel to India to take part in the 14th Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS), and meet with key representatives to discuss and expand IIASA’s collaborations in India. More
Environmental Research Letters Highlights of 2013
IIASA Energy Program Scientist Shonali Pachauri's article "Pathways to Achieve Universal Household Access to Modern Energy by 2030" has been selected to feature in the collection of research highlights of 2013 by the Environmental Research Letters (ERL). More
Providing science to European climate policymakers
IIASA models provided quantitative input to the recent proposal of the European Commission on climate and energy goals for 2030. More
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Principal Research Scholar Sustainable Service Systems Research Group - Energy, Climate, and Environment Program
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