GLOBIOM IIASA Newsletter — 2024 Highlights
Dear GLOBIOM Community,
Welcome to our first GLOBIOM newsletter! This update aims to keep the GLOBIOM community and interested colleagues informed about recent developments from the IIASA team, including key scientific reports, publications, an outlook on upcoming milestones and trainings, and job opportunities.
As we move into 2025, we wanted to take a moment to review the main activities and contributions from the GLOBIOM community in 2024. This past year saw notable research publications, policy contributions, and recognition of individual achievements. Below is a summary of key developments.
Please feel free to share this newsletter with other relevant peers who may be interested and subscribe to our mailing list via the GLOBIOM homepage. Please get in touch with us (globiom.support@iiasa.ac.at) if you would like us to share something in our next newsletter.
Best regards,
The GLOBIOM Community Coordination Team
Research highlights
Understanding Uncertainty in Market-Mediated Responses to US Oilseed Biodiesel Demand
Escobar Lanzuela, N., Valin, H., Frank, S., et al. explored the uncertainty of indirect land use change (ILUC) emissions related to U.S. oilseed biodiesel demand. Their research, published in Environmental Science & Technology, highlights the sensitivity of ILUC estimates to GLOBIOM parametric uncertainty.
African food system and biodiversity mainly affected by urbanization via dietary shifts
De Vos, K., Janssens, C., Jacobs, L., et al. shed light on how urbanization affects food systems and biodiversity in Africa, primarily through dietary shifts. Published in Nature Sustainability, this study emphasizes the need for targeted policies.
Enhanced agricultural carbon sinks provide benefits for farmers and the climate
Frank, S., Derci Augustynczik, A.L., Havlik, P., et al. showcase the benefits of enhanced agricultural carbon sinks for both climate mitigation and farmers. Published in Nature Food, this research reinforces the importance of carbon sequestration in agriculture.
Aspirational nitrogen interventions accelerate air pollution abatement and ecosystem protection
Guo, Y., Zhao, H., Winiwarter, W. et al. explore ways to mitigation the effects of nitrogen pollution. Published in Science Advances.
Assessing sustainable development pathways for water, food, and energy security in a transboundary river basin
Palazzo, A., Kahil, T., Willaarts, B. et al. explore sustainable development pathways to balance water, food, and energy security in transboundary river basins. Published in Environmental Development.
Holistic food system innovation strategies can close up to 80% of China’s domestic protein gaps while reducing global environmental impacts
Zhao, H., Fan, X., Bai, Z. et al. analyze food system innovation to reduce protein import dependency in China while promoting global environmental sustainability. This research was published in Nature Food.
Policy contributions and community engagement
Supporting Ambitious EU Climate Goals
GLOBIOM-based research played a critical role in informing the European Commission’s recommendation for a 90% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2040.
BIOCLIMA: Assessing Land Use, Climate, and Biodiversity Impacts of Land-Based Climate Mitigation and Biodiversity Policies in the EU
This comprehensive report addresses the synergies and trade-offs between climate change mitigation and biodiversity preservation under the EU’s Farm to Fork (F2F) Strategy and Biodiversity Strategy for 2030.
EPA Mitigation Report
GLOBIOM-G4M modelling contributed to the EPA’s comprehensive report that assessed cost-effective greenhouse gas mitigation strategies in the land-use sector.
Food Systems Transformation in Indonesia
The GLOBIOM team published a report in partnership with FAO, analyzing policy interventions for transforming food systems in Indonesia.
Global Resources Outlook 2024 - Bend the trend
GLOBIOM-G4M modeling fed into 2024 report of the International Resource Panel to investigate pathways to a livable planet as resource use spikes.
Forest Policy Modelling Forum
The 1st Forest Policy Modelling Forum took place in Brussels, fostering discussions on forest policy development and GLOBIOM’s role in shaping sustainable forest management.
Recognitions
Marta Kozicka was named Austria’s 2024 National Champion in the prestigious Frontiers Planet Prize for her groundbreaking study using GLOBIOM to examine the potential of plant-based dietary transitions to achieve sustainability goals. Her research, conducted with a multidisciplinary team, explored how adopting plant-based meat and milk alternatives can contribute to climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation.
Petr Havlík, leader of the IBF group and BNR program, was recognized as a 2024 Highly Cited Researcher by Clarivate, highlighting his significant contributions to environment, ecology, and social sciences research. Notably, Havlík is among the select group of 216 researchers worldwide honored in two fields this year.
Looking ahead
Updated GLOBIOM Documentation: We are working on an update of the 2023 GLOBIOM documentation to reflect recent model developments and applications. This should be finalized in the first half of 2025.
LAMASUS Summer School 2025: Planning is underway for the 2025 edition of the LAMASUS Summer School from 2-6th June, which will offer training on land-use and sustainability modeling. Further details, including dates and application procedures, can be accessed here.
YSSP 2025: In June 2025, the GLOBIOM team will welcome three researchers for a three-month research stay as part of the Young Scientists Summer Program (YSSP). The YSSP program offers PhD students an opportunity to advance their research in an international and interdisciplinary setting at IIASA, working closely with experienced scientists on global sustainability challenges. Applications for the YSSP 2026 cohort will open in fall 2025.