Partnering in the DIAMOND Project

E4SMA is partnering in the DIAMOND Project. The project is an ambitious EU project. The objective is to contribute to developing the next generation of integrated assessment models (IAMs). Six models will be upgraded to have fully open access. The models will be sufficiently equipped to scientifically underpin and support an accelerated transition toward sustainable climate neutrality.

The project has five work packages. E4SMA leads Work Package 3 together with the Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3). Our task is to develop and expand the OMNIA global model. OMNIA is a newly developed open-access global model based on the TIMES framework. We also have the task of coordinating our work with the development of the five other models.

The DIAMOND Project also addresses the issues of openness, legitimacy, and ownership regarding the design and use of integrated assessment models. Hence, the OMNIA model will be enabled to generate clear results, accessible to all stakeholders and policymakers.

Being a partner in the DIAMOND project will ensure that we are at the forefront of the development of energy system modelling frameworks.

Scope

Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs) are the primary tool used by the IPCC to develop pathways to achieving global climate goals. In essence, the models provide the scientific basis for international climate negotiations. They play a crucial role in defining climate change discourse, debate, and action.

Meanwhile, the models and the use of the models remain relatively unknown to the general public.

Hence, an important objective of the DIAMOND project is to increase the usability and relevance of the models for modelling teams, policymakers, and other stakeholders. To this end, we are developing a transdisciplinary scientific approach together with our partners. Correspondingly, we will make use of tools and insights from the field of social sciences and humanities.

Models and methodologies

The DIAMOND project focuses on six models: GCAM-Europe, OMNIA, CLEWs-EU, GEMINI-E3 EU, NEMESIS-World, and OPEN-PROM.

The developments and upgrading will significantly increase their sectoral and technological detail, spatial and temporal resolution, EU-level granularity, and robustness. Also, the capacity to represent structural changes, extremes, and behavioral changes will improve.

Furthermore, the partners in the project are working to enhance the models in a broader sense. The aim is to strengthen the capacity to assess the trade-offs and co-benefits of a transition to climate neutrality with other SDGs, including biodiversity, health, well-being, and food security.

Yet another dimension is to strengthen the capacity to explore the political feasibility and societal desirability of mitigation pathways. What are the distributional and equity effects of climate policies? Are there alternative economic paradigms? Which options do we have concerning climate risk management and investment strategies?

To answer such questions, the partners of the consortium will cooperate in developing fully fledged multi-model integrated frameworks.

Our work on OMNIA

In particular, E4SMA and BC3 lead the task of developing and expanding the OMNIA model to feature a global representation of 28 regions. The development will include a disaggregation of 5 regions for Europe.

The expansion includes a full base-year calibration with the latest energy and emissions datasets from sources like United Nations Statistics. The technology datasets will be expanded with the key technologies to decarbonize the hard-to-abate sectors such as iron, steel, cement, and also the sectors of aviation and shipping.

OMNIA (Open-source MuNdus Integrated Assessment) is an open-access global model based on the TIMES framework and the research expertise of established ETSAP TIAM (TIMES Integrated Assessment Model) development teams.