A Global Perspective on Air Pollution

AIR explores global-scale future emission scenarios for air pollutants and short-lived substances, as an input to global long-term greenhouse gas emission scenarios that are developed at a much more aggregated and stylized level. Special emphasis is put on the role of policy decisions, both on the introduction of new, more stringent emission control measures, as well as on the effective implementation of existing legislation.

(c) Dreamstime

(c) Dreamstime

Effective air quality management can have numerous beneficial effects for sustainability, not least by reaping near-term and local co-benefits from greenhouse gas mitigation strategies.. However, because the most visible impacts of pollution occur at local scales and in the near-term, they have not traditionally been the focus of global, long-term scenario studies. The rather stylized and highly aggregated treatment of pollution control in such models did not reveal the multiple benefits from dedicated policy interventions, which are now seen as an important leverage to motivate action for long-term, transformative change.

To improve the representation of these aspects in global, long-term studies, AIR fostered numerous research collaborations in this field and contributed high-resolution databases on aerosol emissions, mitigation technologies, and health impacts. This improves air pollution estimates in initiatives such as the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways, the Energy Modelling Forum project EMF30, the International Energy Agency World Energy Outlook study, and a number of EU projects. 

Research Projects

Energy and Air Pollution

Energy production and use are by far the largest man-made sources of air pollutants. For the annual World Energy Outlooks of the International Energy Agency (IEA), IIASA regularly quantifies the future impacts of  the IEA energy use scenarios on pollution and health, and explores pragmatic and attainable strategies for cleaner air that go hand-in-hand with progress towards other environmental and development goals.  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

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

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

Key Findings

Resources

AIR has produced global emission fields for a range of future air pollution scenarios as an input for modeling of future atmospheric chemistry and transport as well as climate impacts. Data can be downloaded from the GAINS database.


Publications



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Last edited: 20 June 2018

International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)
Schlossplatz 1, A-2361 Laxenburg, Austria
Phone: (+43 2236) 807 0 Fax:(+43 2236) 71 313