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In 2018, some 195 delegates from around the world gathered in Incheon, South Korea, at a meeting convened by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to discuss a special report on global warming outlining the latest scientific consensus for policymakers. IIASA researchers played a central role in the compilation of the resulting IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5ºC and actively participated in the writing of several chapters. IIASA scientists also coordinated scientific community efforts, provided original research, and took a leading role in assessing the implications of climate mitigation policies for sustainable development. “The process was very intense,” says Keywan Riahi, IIASA Energy Program director who was one of four IIASA scientists in attendance at the Korea meeting. “Governments and scientists wanted the text to be very clear – there could be no room for misinterpretation.” The report is considered a touchstone for the UN and a guide for national policy around the world. It not only establishes the science, but also explores possible solutions. As Riahi notes, “One country alone cannot solve these issues and that’s why we need these international processes.” ACADEMIA AND BEYOND IIASA researchers regularly participate in international conversations with, among others, academics, policymakers, and the wider public. Work led by Gregor Kiesewetter, a researcher with the Air Quality and Greenhouse Gases Program, for example, underpinned an influential report published by The Lancet. The annual Lancet Countdown report provides an update on climate change and human health. The 2018 edition incorporated insights from the IIASA Greenhouse Gas – Air Pollution Interactions and Synergies (GAINS) model that helped researchers determine which sectors of the economy contribute to the emissions of air pollutants that ultimately become particulate matter. “What makes our contribution special is that we point to the sources that are responsible,” Kiesewetter explains. “Annually, air pollution contributes to about 3 million premature deaths worldwide, almost half a million of which is estimated to be associated with coal combustion. Our findings reveal how reducing greenhouse gas emissions by, for example, phasing out coal, can have direct benefits to human health in the near future, as well as longer-term benefits, such as reducing the risk of heat stress associated with global warming.” In addition to the above, IIASA scientists from the Air Quality and Greenhouse Gases Program also contributed to a UN Environment Program (UNEP) report on air pollution in Asia, which again employed results from the GAINS model. The report identified the 25 most effective measures to guide governments in the region to improve the health of their citizens. Written by: Daisy Yuhas APPLIED SCIENCE WITH A GLOBAL REACH AS PART OF ITS MANDATE TO PROVIDE SOUND, SCIENCE-BASED POLICY ADVICE, IIASA RESEARCH REGULARLY FORMS PART OF INFLUENTIAL GLOBAL PUBLICATIONS AIMED AT DECISION MAKERS. www.iiasa.ac.at10 Options Summer 2019