Welcome to IMAGE 3.2 Documentation
IMAGE (Integrated Model to Assess the Global Environment) is an integrated assessment model 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 is to explore the long-term dynamics and impacts of global changes that result from interacting socio-economic and environmental factors. News on the IMAGE model is captured at the IMAGE website.
The IMAGE modelling framework has been developed by the IMAGE team under the authority of PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency. IMAGE is documented on this website (including updates) and a previous version can be found in the IMAGE 3.0 book. In 2014, 2018 and 2020 IMAGE has been reviewed by an international advisory board. The development strategy for the period 2015-2020 is elaborated in the IMAGE strategy document.
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 is to explore the long-term dynamics and impacts of global changes that result from interacting socio-economic and environmental factors.
Below, we briefly indicate some of the information available on this 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:
Publications
- The references list all references used on this site.
- IMAGE related publications overview lists publications related to the IMAGE framework.
IMAGE and the Integrated Assessment Model Consortium (IAMC)
The IMAGE teams collaborated with the global IAMC, an organization of scientific research organizations that pursues a scientific understanding of integrated assessment modelling and the issues analyzed by these models. Several Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs), including IMAGE, are documented on the IAMC models website. The IMAGE model framework can be compared to other IAMs through the standardised comparison table with the fundamental model characteristics: Model Comparison
Availability of data results
- All scenario data (>200 indicators) for major projects are available for download and for viewing in a User Support System (USS)The Download page explains how to download and use the USS for IMAGE scenarios. USS is a viewer showing the scenario indicators (>200) of several projects.
- At IIASA (RCP Database (version 2.0)) the IMAGE scenario results are part of the database of Integrated Assessment scenarios. 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.
What is new in IMAGE 3.0
- What's new in IMAGE 3.0 summarises the changes in IMAGE (version IMAGE 3.0, released in 2014) compared to the earlier version IMAGE 2.5.