Publication

2nd Clean Air Outlook

The second edition of recurring Clean Air Outlook led by DG Environment of the European Commission was released in January. The report explores future pathways for air quality in the EU, and the corresponding costs and benefits – building on joint work of IIASA and JRC. The report builds on scenarios

The report builds on scenarios with the GAINS model (IIASA), and – among others – quantifies how climate policy lowers expenditures to limit air pollutant emissions. A macro-economic cost-benefits assessment with the JRC-GEM-E3 model illustrates that clean air can bring economic gains.

Read the Second Clean Air Outlook here; more details can be found in the complementary report.

More publications

Reducing material requirements while decarbonising the Spanish economy: from a green growth to a postgrowth paradigm

30 July 2026

The transition to a low-carbon economy is expected to increase material requirements, as low-carbon technologies (LCTs) typically require more materials than fossil fuel-based energy systems. Here, we extend the MEDEAS-Spain Integrated Assessment Model (IAM) to improve the representation of material requirements, stocks, and flows. Key novelties are: (i) the use

Climate ambition explained: key indicators and net-zero target projections using machine learning

29 July 2026

This study uses advanced machine learning algorithms to analyze the indicators influencing national climate ambition in 2030 emissions targets and net-zero pledges. By focusing on technical and social feasibility, and political credibility, we assess climate ambition of countries through cumulative per capita emissions from 2021 to the net-zero target year.

A harmonised dataset for Earth system foundation models

28 July 2026

Foundation models for Earth systems have so far been trained primarily on physical climate and weather data, with limited representation of the human systems that both drive and respond to environmental change. The lack of a unified global training resource that combines climate, land, ocean, cryosphere, infrastructure, hazards, and socioeconomic