Welcome to IMAGE 3.2 Documentation

IMAGE is an Integrated Model to Assess the Global Environment.

The IMAGE model has been developed by the IMAGE team under the authority of PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency.

☛ What's new in IMAGE 3.0 and what is the IMAGE strategy for the period 2015-2020.

What is IMAGE?

IMAGE is an ecological-environmental model framework that simulates the environmental consequences of human activities worldwide. It represents interactions between society, the biosphere and the climate system to assess sustainability issues such as climate change, biodiversity and human well-being. The objective of the IMAGE model (version , released in 2014) is to explore the long-term dynamics and impacts of global changes that result from interacting demographic, technological, economic, social, cultural and political factors.

Navigate the website

To become acquainted with the IMAGE framework:

• Introduction to the framework and Integrated Assessment Modelling.
• Framework summary of drivers, models, impacts and policy responses.

Policy-related pages:

• Climate policy, Air pollution and energy policies and Land and biodiversity policies comprise the policy response components.
• Policy interventions overview provides access to the Policy issues pages of the models.
• Projects/applications overview links to projects in which the IMAGE framework has been applied.

Model-related pages:

• Model components overview links to all components (e.g. drivers, core models, impact models and policy responses).
• Data flow overview links to the input/output of all components.

Assessment-related pages:

• Applications

Availability of data results

• The Download page explains how to download and use the User Support System (USS) for IMAGE scenarios. USS is a viewer showing the scenario indicators (>200) of a number of projects.
• At IIASA (RCP Database (version 2.0)) the IMAGE scenario results are part of the model set. At this website many indicators can be viewed and compared.

Availability of models

Most of the models, currently, are not available as downloadable software. They are too complex and require expert use.

The IMAGE 3.0 book

The contents of this website originates from the IMAGE 3.0 book. The website extends and actualises all information on the IMAGE framework.