IIASA Policy Briefs present the latest research from IIASA in a concise format for policymakers. IIASA is an international, interdisciplinary research institute sponsored by scientific organizations in Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe. http://www.iiasa.ac.at/Admin/PUB/policy-briefs Copyright 2009 IIASA, Laxenburg, Austria en-us Fri, 11 Dec 2009 12:31:49 +0100 Fri, 11 Dec 2009 12:31:23 +0100 FeedForAll v2.0 (2.0.2.9) http://www.feedforall.com IIASA has developed an easy-to-use online calculator to help industrialized countries compare efforts to lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions with those of other countries (and vice versa). The calculator is designed to explore alternative schemes for sharing the burden between countries, and it can help industrialized countries identify a mutually agreeable set of GHG emission reduction targets. http://www.iiasa.ac.at/Admin/PUB/policy-briefs/pb09.html E0A3BBDA-2903-455B-9797-4D9C7EDB5133 Fri, 11 Dec 2009 12:31:29 +0100 As up to 20 percent of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions result from deforestation activities, the reduction of emissions from deforestation and degradation of forests (REDD) is a major theme of the ongoing negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This briefing looks at the fundamental issues underlying REDD, as well as the challenges involved in current proposals to implement a trading scheme for REDD credits. http://www.iiasa.ac.at/Admin/PUB/policy-briefs/pb08.html CC924A26-E048-4EA9-BA8F-B5747AC82721 Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:26:01 +0100 This briefing identifies the opportunities, risks, and challenges associated with efforts to expand solar energy capacity in North Africa to the point where it can make a significant contribution toward achieving emissions reductions targets. http://www.iiasa.ac.at/Admin/PUB/policy-briefs/pb07.html 22A86461-0E7F-4C98-808C-F04B97C48CAE Wed, 2 Dec 2009 20:52:58 +0100 The official line is that public authorities do not negotiate with terrorists. However, governments frequently do end up negotiating with hostage takers and kidnappers and with political groups classified as terrorists. Clearly there are negotiations and negotiations, just as there are terrorists and terrorists. While this briefing does not necessarily advocate negotiating with terrorists, it outlines the practicalities of such negotiations, providing a guide to deciding how, when, and with whom to negotiate. http://www.iiasa.ac.at/Admin/PUB/policy-briefs/pb06.html 39D7A74B-698C-435B-947B-90A7F859D38D Tue, 3 Mar 2009 10:35:31 +0100 This briefing highlights the key issues facing the Indian forestry system. It identifies major priorities and actions to help the Indian forestry system develop sustainably and meet future national needs. http://www.iiasa.ac.at/Admin/PUB/policy-briefs/pb05.html 1FECC0E3-CA30-4DFF-A72A-2A91CDEF95A Mon, 9 Feb 2009 19:00:00 +0100 Experts expect climate change to affect not just average temperature, but also weather variability and extreme weather events. The effects, including economic and human losses, impose a disproportionate burden on vulnerable developing countries. How can insurance, including public–private arrangements with international support, play a role in helping vulnerable countries adapt? This Policy Brief offers practical guidance to policymakers shaping the post-Copenhagen adaptation strategy. http://www.iiasa.ac.at/Admin/PUB/policy-briefs/pb04r.html 0AD9C297-2932-406E-B26D-8D3E1A47EF62 Wed, 2 Dec 2009 20:53:30 +0100 Recently published IIASA research proves unambiguously: education is a fundamental determinant not only of health, demographic trends, and individual income, but also of a country’s aggregate level of economic growth. This gives policymakers a new perspective on international education goals and the most promising routes towards sustainable development. http://www.iiasa.ac.at/Admin/PUB/policy-briefs/pb03.html 9AC0741A-3A52-49B9-92B0-552FF4B7C5CC Fri, 8 Aug 2008 20:55:34 +0200 At its thirty-fifth anniversary conference in November 2007, IIASA brought together a star-studded cast of scientists, policymakers, and thinkers to discuss Global Development: Science and Policies for the Future. The aim was a wide­ranging discussion of what a sustainable and equitable future might look like, and how to get there. Foremost in everybody’s minds were research priorities and how an interdisciplinary institution dedicated to systems analysis on a global scale might contribute. http://www.iiasa.ac.at/Admin/PUB/policy-briefs/pb02.html CBE9429D-21DA-44A9-8779-64C4B03DE7F0 Sat, 9 Feb 2008 18:15:00 +0100 This brief highlights some of the issues and challenges arising from uncertainty in estimates of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removals, explores how this uncertainty can be dealt with through uncertainty analysis techniques and improvements to science, and points to the implications of uncertainty analysis for policymakers working to reduce human impacts on the global climate. http://www.iiasa.ac.at/Admin/PUB/policy-briefs/pb01.html 6140CCB2-8AE4-414E-9AA3-B7C8739F281C Sat, 9 Feb 2008 18:00:00 +0100