Development of an Interactive Simulation Environment to Enhance the Use of Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs) and Inform Climate Change Policy Using the FeliX Model

Abstract

Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs) are vital tools for exploring the interactions between economy, society and the environment, but their complexity often makes them inaccessible to non-experts. Interactive Simulation Environments (ISEs) overcome this barrier by providing a user-friendly interface for the underlying model. This thesis aims to present the implementation of the FeliX ISE built on top of the FeliX IAM, which is one of the few models that explicitly model human behavior in human-natural systems. The work details the development process, from initial prototypes to the final version of the tool, its software architecture and the design choices that guided its implementation.