A new IIASA-led study proposes a novel method to estimate global economic wellbeing using nighttime satellite images.
Tag: Sustainable Development Goals
UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have impact on textile wastewater pollution research
The world’s research effort into wastewater pollution caused by the textiles industry has increased threefold over the past five years, according to a new analysis released this week in the lead up to Earth Day (Friday 22 April).
How recovery from COVID-19 and climate policies might affect the use of “clean” cooking fuels
A group of IIASA researchers shows how recovery from the pandemic and climate mitigation policies might affect access to clean fuels.
How much energy do we need to achieve a decent life for all?
IIASA researchers have assessed how much energy is needed to provide the global poor with a decent life and have found that this can be reconciled with efforts to meet climate targets.
An action agenda for Africa’s electricity sector
A new scientific article outlines how to undertake the much needed expansion and modernization of Africa’s electricity sector.
Achieving equitable access to energy in a changing climate
IIASA researchers used a novel bottom-up approach to analyze how access to energy services may evolve over time under different scenarios of socioeconomic growth and policy scenarios that meet climate mitigation goals.
Informing policy for long-term global food security
The results of a new IIASA-led study can be used to benchmark global food security projections and inform policy analysis and public debate on the future of food.
Finding pathways for sustainable development in Africa
A new project funded by the Belmont Forum will develop novel tools and capacities to understand and manage interlinkages between the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and support sustainable development pathways for African countries.
Strengthening water resources planning in East Africa
IIASA researchers worked with local stakeholders from the East African Community to explore and co-develop regional water scenarios that can enhance understanding of the up- and downstream water sector interactions in the extended Lake Victoria Basin.
Transformations within reach: Pathways to a sustainable and resilient world
The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) and the International Science Council (ISC) have drawn on the combined strengths and expertise of the two organizations to help build a sustainable post-COVID-19 world.
Empowering women could help address climate change
According to an international group of researchers, building capacity to adapt to the effects of climate change will require eradicating inequalities of many sorts, including gender.
Pathways to sustainable land use and food systems
The findings of a new report suggest that integrated strategies across food production, biodiversity, climate, and diets can meet the objectives of the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Advancing the accurate tracking of energy poverty
A novel measurement framework that better aligns with the services people lack rather than capturing the mere absence of physical connections to a source of electricity can help track energy poverty.
Bending the curve of biodiversity loss
A major new study suggests that without ambitious, integrated action combining conservation and restoration efforts with a transformation of the food system, turning the tide of biodiversity loss by 2050 or earlier will not be possible.

How to Tackle Climate Change, Food Security and Land Degradation
How can some of world’s biggest problems – climate change, food security and land degradation – be tackled simultaneously? Some lesser-known options, such as integrated water management and increasing the organic content of soil, have fewer trade-offs than many well-known options, such as planting trees, according to a Rutgers-led study in the journal Global Change Biology.
Innovations for sustainability in a post-pandemic future
According to the latest report released by The World in 2050 (TWI2050) initiative, the COVID-19 crisis can provide an opportunity to create sustainable societies with higher levels of wellbeing for all.
Closing the gap: Citizen science for monitoring sustainable development
Citizen science could help track progress towards all 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). An IIASA-led study, for the first time, comprehensively analyzed the current and potential contribution of citizen science data to monitor the SDGs at the indicator level.
A new approach to measuring inequalities in development
A new study for the first time systematically explored and compared the use of the Human Life Indicator as a viable alternative to the conventional Human Development Index.
Five years after the Paris Agreement: The gap between promises and implementation
A new study shows that achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement will require a deep reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions, ideally by around 40% to 50% by 2030.
Can sub-Saharan Africa achieve sustainable access to energy for all by 2030?
A new study shows that to ensure universal access to affordable, reliable, and modern electricity services by 2030 in sub-Saharan Africa, the pace of electrification must more than triple.

ASSESSING FORESTS FROM AFAR
A new study led by the University of Delaware’s Pinki Mondal recommends that in addition to using large swaths of coarse satellite data to evaluate forests on a national scale, it is important for countries to prioritize areas such as national parks and wildlife refuges and use finer scale data in those protected areas to make sure that they are maintaining their health and are being reported on accurately.
Planning for future water security in China
The findings of a new study underscore the value and potential of technological adoptions to help design targets and incentives for water scarcity mitigation measures.
Increasing opportunities for sustainable behavior
A new study shows how even minor changes to available infrastructure can trigger tipping points in the collective adoption of sustainable behaviors.
Integrated solutions for the Indus Basin
New framework helps decision makers find science-based pathways to address water resources and connected sustainability challenges in the Indus River basin.
A roadmap to make the land sector carbon neutral by 2040
A new roadmap outlines actions on deforestation, restoration, and carbon cuts that could lead to the land sector becoming carbon neutral by 2040 and a net carbon sink by 2050.
Assessing the benefits and risks of land-based greenhouse gas removal
A new study shows that afforestation and other forms of climate-friendly land use not only helps to remove CO2 from the atmosphere to reduce global warming, but they can also contribute to achieving the SDGs.