About

IMP Ireland is a critical research capacity programme designed to develop and direct integrated assessment modelling tools and expertise for applied use within Ireland and the broader international community. The project draws on research and methodologies from many academic and non-academic fields but is ultimately centred on two nationally tailored modelling tools. The GAINS Ireland model and the TREMOVE Ireland model.

These models can be used to examine emissions of greenhouse gases and air quality pollutants into the atmosphere for a given national scenario of activity levels and policies. These emissions are then integrated on a European scale to estimate the radiative forcing, and transboundary effects associated with the levels estimated. In this way, these models can afford a user the potential to examine the broader reaching effects of national actions. The models are utilised at the European and UNECE level to inform policy decisions related to air quality (e.g. National Emissions Ceiling Directive) and climate change (e.g. Effort sharing agreement).

On a national level, the development of this capacity and operational expertise with these models assists in the ongoing development of integrated environmental policies that understand the intricate linkages between cause and effect across a broad section of the economy and the environment.