Integrated assessment models and input–output analysis: bridging fields for advancing sustainability scenarios research

AbstractTechnology-rich Integrated assessment models (IAMs) and Environmentally-Extended Input–Output Analysis (EEIOA) are widely employed for sustainability analysis, each offering unique strengths. IAMs focus on forward-looking scenarios, exploring technological shifts and climate change mitigation costs. EEIOA provides more comprehensive but static assessments of environmental and socio-economic impacts throughout supply chains, adopting a lifecycle perspective. I conduct a literature review to assess the current state of IAM-IO integration, paving the way for future research opportunities with advanced models. Existing studies have loosely linked IAM and IO models to improve one field or the other. This perspective highlights the potential for more advanced IAM-IO model linking and identifies three domains within sustainability scenarios research where IAM-IO integration could play a crucial role: the energy-industry nexus in decarbonization pathways, multi-dimensional sustainability impact assessment and demand-side solutions and post-growth climate mitigation scenarios. The expected research insights may be pivotal to design effective sustainable policies.KEYWORDS: Integrated Assessment ModelsInput–output analysismodel linkingsustainabilityclimate mitigation scenarios Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Notes1 Including integrated assessment model, energy model, scenarios, input–output, lifecycle assessment.2 For constructing the core literature review which is focused on IO, I have only retained hybrid LCA-IO studies that include an explicit IO component. However, I have also considered some other papers more focused on LCA approaches to put IO approaches in perspective and to highlight the specific strengths of LCA methods compared to IO.