The integrated assessment program integrates simplified representations of the entire global climate system, emphasizing greenhouse gas emissions and actions that would affect emissions. The results of this research provide a foundation for subsequent policy analysis or decision making. The estimated costs of certain actions can be weighed against predicted changes in impacts. The research program also helps the climate change research community better identify priority scientific topics.

Program Objectives

The objectives are:

• To develop integrated assessments, including integrated assessment models, and
• To support research that fills important gaps (especially related to economics) in these models.

Program Description and Components

Integrated assessment (IA) of global climate change is the analysis of climate change from the cause, such as greenhouse gas emissions, through impacts, such as changed energy requirements for space conditioning due to temperature changes. The analysis emphasizes feedbacks. IA is sometimes, but not always, implemented as a computer model. This research supports the development of fundamental information or methodologies rather than the exercise of a model to evaluate specific policy options. The following categories are examples of focused activities that support IA.

• Predicting the rate of technology innovation and diffusion, especially related to carbon emissions.
• Representing non-CO₂ greenhouse gases.
• Representing carbon sinks and land use changes.
• Representing carbon management, especially carbon sequestration.

Program Manager

Mr. Bob Vallario
Climate and Environmental Sciences Division, SC-23.1
Department of Energy, GTN Bldg.
1000 Independence Ave, SW
Washington, DC 20585-1290
(301) 903-5758
Fax: (301) 903-8519
Internet:bob.vallario@science.doe.gov