Research projects

Through a wide range of targeted research projects, the IIASA AIR program explores innovative aspects that could improve decision making on emission controls.

Current projects

Urban nitrogen cycles: new economy thinking to master the challenges of climate change (UNCNET)

UNCNET is a three-year project funded under the Joint Programming Initiative Urban Europe in collaboration with the Chinese National Science Foundation. It tackles existing and future challenges of urban sustainability that are closely connected to the fate of reactive nitrogen compounds. More

Air Pollution in Asia and the Pacific: Science-based Solutions

IIASA contributes to the first comprehensive, solution-oriented interdisciplinary scientific assessment of the air pollution outlook and policy measures in Asia, identifying the top 25 clean air measures for Asia that would deliver important co-benefits on a wide range of other development priorities. More

Pollution Management and Environmental Health
(PMEH)

Pollution is becoming an increasingly significant development challenge causing currently about 16% of all deaths worldwide with the poor, marginalized, and young hardest hit by the health effects of the contamination. More

Biomass Burning in Asia

The burning of biomass in Asia – as a household cooking fuel, of agricultural residuals, and uncontrolled forest and peat fires – is an important impediment to development in Asia. Solutions require a systems perspective and international cooperation. More

Pollution Management in the Hanoi Region

The fast economic growth in Vietnam’s urban areas and the the lack of control of polluting sources are causing public health problems and significant environmental degradation, including greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, undermining the potential for sustainable socioeconomic development of the country and impacting the poor. More

Complex Urban Systems for Sustainability and Health (CUSSH)

The Complex Urban Systems for Sustainability and Health (CUSSH) is a four-year Wellcome Trust funded project that will deliver key global research on the systems that connect urban development and health. Alongside partner cities in France, China and Kenya the project will assist decision-makers and the public about areas of development that afford the greatest opportunities for health and sustainability.  More

Ground-level ozone in Asia

Current and future economic growth will cause serious air quality problems in Asia, negatively impacting human health and crop production, unless further air pollution control policies are implemented.  More

EMERGE: Finding solutions to pollution caused by shipping in Europe

IIASA is partner and work package leader on EMERGE - Evaluation, control and Mitigation of the Environmental impacts of shipping, an innovative 4-year research project looking to find solutions to pollution caused by shipping. IIASA will collaborate with 18 organizations across Europe on the project which will be funded by the European Commission under the Horizon 2020 program. More

Integrated Assessment Modelling for negotiations under the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP)

IIASA's Mitigation of Air Pollution & Greenhouse Gases Program develops modeling tools that identify strategies for European efforts to control air pollution in a cost-effective way. More

Clean Air Strategies for Europe

IIASA’s Mitigation of Air Pollution & Greenhouse Gases Program (MAG) is using its modeling tools to identify strategies to assist in meeting European Union’s clean air goals. More

Cutting Greenhouse Gases in Europe

IIASA researchers are using the GAINS climate model to support the European Commission’s effort to reduce greenhouse gases by 20 percent and significantly increase renewable energy use in Europe by 2020. More

Past projects

Assessment of the potential for cost-effective air emission reductions from shipping (SOx, NOx) through designation of further Emission Control Areas in EU waters with a focus on the Mediterranean Sea

IIASA has completed a study on the potential for cost-effective air emission reductions from international shipping through designation of further Emission Control Areas on the European Seas with a focus on the Mediterranean Sea. More

Pathways towards a Low Carbon Green Korea

How can countries transition to sustainable economy? What would it look like? What changes are needed? And how could those changes be implemented?  South Korean and IIASA researchers are collaborating on a new project to find the answers that policymakers need.  More

Energy Use Impacts on the Environment (EnerGEO)

EnerGEO assessed the current and future impact of energy use on the environment by linking environmental observation systems with the processes involved in exploiting energy resources. More

Effects of Climate Change on Air Pollution and Response Strategies for European Ecosystems (ECLAIRE)

39 research partner institutions study the effects of climate change on ecosystems impacts in Europe and develop next generation European air pollution mitigation and adaptation strategies under climate change. More

Assessment of Climate Change Mitigation Pathways (AMPERE)

AMPERE researchers used state-of-the art models to develop long-term, economically feasible strategies to lessen the global impact of climate change. More

Ground-level ozone in Asia

Current and future economic growth will cause serious air quality problems in Asia, negatively impacting human health and crop production, unless further air pollution control policies are implemented.  More

Atmospheric Aerosol Chemistry and Climate Change (PEGASOS)

The goal of PEGASOS is to enhance our understanding of the interactions of climate and atmospheric chemistry in the past, present and future. More

Evaluating Black Carbon Cuts in Finland (MACEB)

IIASA researchers used the GAINS model, in partnership with Finnish scientists, to develop a tool to evaluate the climate effects of reducing black carbon emissions from different economic sectors More

Impacts of Short-Lived Air Pollutants (ECLIPSE)

ECLIPSE is conducting research to increase knowledge about emissions of ozone and aerosols, which act as short-lived climate forcers, and identify concrete, cost-effective abatement measures. More

European Consortium for Modelling of Air Pollution and Climate Strategies (EC4MACS)

EC4MACS provides scientific and economic analyses of policies in support of Europe’s Thematic Strategy on Air Pollution and the European Climate Change Programme. More




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Last edited: 16 May 2019

International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)
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