Page - 2 - in options, Volume winter 2021

Q&A — Caroline Zimm Jim Hall Roula Inglesi-Lotz FROM THE EDITORIAL TEAM The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP26, comes at a critical time for humanity and is an unprecedented opportunity for the world to come together to address the threat to our continued existence on this planet that is climate change. This special edition of Options highlights the work of IIASA researchers on the subject. Our cover feature takes a systems look at humanity’s role in the climate crisis. We are both the cause and victims of climate change, and it therefore stands to reason that we should also be part of the solution (pages 12-15). Our second feature explains the role of scenarios in exploring climate change and its impacts, and how these stories of future Earth could help to reveal how we might prevent global tragedy (pages 10-11). While systems analysis is uniquely suited to address complex global issues like climate change, it is difficult to pin down. In this issue, you can read all about how the flexible, shapeshifting nature of this discipline is actually also its superpower (pages 16-17). Please get in touch with us via email if you would like to share your thoughts on articles in this issue or if you have ideas for topics that you would like to see featured in future issues. The IIASA Communications and External Relations team press@iiasa.ac.at ABOUT OPTIONS Options magazine features recent IIASA research and activities. Writers: Stephen Battersby, Monika Bauer, Marie Franquin, Jim Hall, Ansa Heyl, Rachel Potter, Jeremy Summers, Fanni Daniella Szakal, Neema Tavakolian Expert reviewers: Juraj Balkovic, Johannes Bednar, Elina Brutschin, Andre Deppermann, Ulf Dieckmann, Dilek Fraisl, Shinichiro Fujimori, Mikko Heino, Stefan Hochrainer-Stigler, Lena Höglund-Isaksson, Julian Hunt, Leena Ilmola-Sheppard, Martin Jung, Gregor Kiesewetter, Jarmo Kikstra, Florian Kraxner, Michael Kuhn, Mia Landauer, JoAnne Linnerooth-Bayer, Piotr Magnuszewski, Reinhard Mechler, Kian Mintz-Woo, Junko Mochizuki, Raya Muttarak, Nebojsa Nakicenovic, Shonali Pachauri, Miguel Poblete- Cazenave, Stephan Pietsch, Keywan Riahi, Joeri Rogelj, Elena Rovenskaya, Adriana Gomez Sanabria, Dmitry Shchepashchenko, Aline Soterroni, Iain Stewart, Caroline Zimm, Bas van Ruijven, Piero Visconti, Fabian Wagner, Charlie Wilson Graphic design: Adam Islaam and Deen Mohammed Cover: © Adam Islaam | IIASA and Benjavisa Ruangvaree | Dreamstime This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. For any commercial use please contact: permissions@iiasa.ac.at — ZVR 524808900 PEOPLE AT THE HEART OF CLIMATE CHANGE THE FUTURE OF THE RIVER IS IN YOUR HANDS