IAM COMPACT - Expanding Integrated Assessment Modelling: Comprehensive and Comprehensible Science for Sustainable, Co-Created Climate Action

Part of EU Open Research Repository
Published October 10, 2025 | Version v1
Journal article Open

Model linking for low-carbon transitions: Technical and conceptual challenges and best practices

Authors/Creators

  • 1. EDMO icon Aalto University
  • 2. ROR icon Imperial College London
  • 3. ROR icon International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis
  • 4. KTH Royal Institute of Technology
  • 5. ROR icon Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy
  • 6. National Technical University of Athens, Greece
  • 7. HOLISTIC, Greece
  • 8. ROR icon CARTIF
  • 9. E3 Modelling SA
  • 10. ROR icon National Technical University of Athens
  • 11. CARTIF Foundation, Spain
  • 12. ROR icon CICERO Center for International Climate Research
  • 13. ROR icon Universidad de Valladolid
  • 14. Politecnico di Milano Dipartimento di Energia
  • 15. Department of Energy, Politecnico di Milano, Italy
  • 16. CICERO Center for International Climate Research, Norway
  • 17. ROR icon Basque Centre for Climate Change

Description

Linking existing models to extend energy system and integrated assessment analysis is an increasingly common practice. Despite this, and unlike in the field of environmental and earth sciences, little attention has so far been paid to the details of it, to the trade-offs involved and the way in which the model linking affects the interpretation of the outcomes of the interlinked model system. Our aim in this paper is to first focus on a set of key technical and methodological problems that are common in model linking and suggest how these could be approached in different model linking contexts. We then further explore how model linking may affect the nature of the knowledge produced, and how this should be considered in the model linking process. Reflecting our literature driven assessment of the issues and possible solutions, we compile “a check list” to assist in the process of decision making for model linking.

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Additional details

Funding

European Commission
IAM COMPACT - Expanding Integrated Assessment Modelling: Comprehensive and Comprehensible Science for Sustainable, Co-Created Climate Action 101056306