We are looking for an experienced researcher to contribute to the modelling of the future land and food system and the relationships with global environment and sustainability challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and hunger. The work will be done using the IMAGE model. The IMAGE model is a key instrument of PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency for scenario analyses of global environmental change in relation to the future development of consumption and production of energy and food (PBL Image). We use the model to contribute to analysis of current trends and possible response strategies for climate change or achieve other sustainable development goals. Results are frequently used in international assessments such as those by OECD, UNCCD, IPCC, and IPBES. In this position you will both apply and further develop the IMAGE model focusing on the development of land use and the food system within a safe and just operating space. This implies a focus on planetary boundaries such as climate, water and biodiversity, but also on the access to food, energy, and water. In other words, the work relates the biophysical representation of the environmental system and the agro-economic representation of the human system.
As our new colleague, we expect you, together with other researchers in- and outside PBL, to personally work on scenario and model development to provide a quantitative description of possible sustainable futures. You will contribute to model development, scenario studies, implementation of project tasks, and publications in peer-reviewed academic journals and reports. Based on your experience, we also expect you to take a leading role in projects financed by PBL or by external sources (such as the Horizon Europe project BrightSpace) to contribute to the acquisition of new projects and to help define the future research goals of the IMAGE team. A critical requirement is that you enjoy collaborating with other researchers in the IMAGE modelling team working on a range of topics such as land use, energy, and biodiversity. Your work falls under the research programme for integrated global analyses (nexus) and you will be part of PBL's Global Sustainability (MD) department.