This Editorial is the introduction to a special issue on the development of advanced frameworks harbouring integrated assessment models and inter-sectoral detail from input-output databases. This Editorial aims to explain the rationale for dedicating a special issue to this emerging area of research, with the potential for contributing to policy issues linked to sustainability. This is followed by an introduction to the eight contributions to this issue. Then, a concluding section outlining future directions for integrated assessment modelling (IAM) and input-output analysis (IOA) is presented.