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While climate change is often understood as a collective action and a market problem, we look at it as a problem of planning and coordination. Long-term planning is necessary to promote structural change, which will be required to keep the Paris Agreement's temperature goals. By encouraging states to develop a long-term climate strategy, the Paris Agreement invites countries to turn anticipatory governance into an international governance instrument. In this paper we explore how these strategies describe countries' climate plans and what the perceptions of government officials are about the potential for realization of these strategies. Using mixed methods, we explore both 1) planning dimensions (actions, actors and policies described in the strategies) by applying a topic modeling analysis to 50 documents; and 2) perceptions of the content and challenges to their realization among domestic policy professionals of four major emitters. Our results show that the strategies lack a detailed discussion on how decarbonization pathways could be materialized and who has the responsibility for implementation of long-term targets. Moreover, rather than being a steering instrument, the strategies are dominated by scenario planning and there is also a lack of attention to political issues. Taken together, we contend that strategies are limited in the way they present the future possibilities of low emissions development. To make them more effective in steering long-term decarbonization, greater attention needs to be placed on potential conflicts, barriers and stumbling blocks that may arise along the way. • Long-term climate planning has potential to shift the way we address climate change. • The language used in the strategies are dominated by technical terms and GHG emissions scenarios. • The strategies tend to reduce the political and social complexities of climate change. • As governance instruments, the strategies lack capacity to guide implementation and guidance on how to solve goal conflicts. • The strategies' main value is to provide a platform for alternative discussions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pulp and paper industry accounts for approximately 5% of total industrial energy consumption and contributes 2% of direct carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions from industries. World paper and paperboard demand and production are increasing significantly, leading to an increase in this sector's energy use and CO 2 emissions. Although current studies identify a wide range of energy-efficiency technologies that have already been commercialized for the pulp and paper industry, information is limited or scattered regarding new energy-efficiency technologies that are not yet fully commercialized. Development of emerging or advanced energy-efficiency technologies and their deployment in the market will be crucial for this industry's mid- and long-term energy saving and climate change mitigation strategies. This paper compiles available information on energy savings, environmental and other benefits, costs, and commercialization status for 25 emerging technologies to reduce the energy use and CO 2 emissions. The purpose is to provide a well-structured comprehensive review on these emerging energy-efficiency technologies for engineers, researchers, investors, policy makers, pulp and/or paper companies, and other interested parties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable degrowth offers effective alternative strategies for tackling social and environmental problems such as climate crisis, resource depletion, biodiversity loss, and species hecatomb. However, it plays a marginal role in policy. Moreover, researchers need to operationalise many degrowth proposals in a more sufficient way for the policy. This mainly conceptual-methodological article conceptualises the problem of sustainable degrowth in policy as the problem of knowledge utilisation. How well research papers on the topic adapt to the needs of policy-makers is an important factor influencing this utilisation. This adaptation is under the control of researchers and may be seen as a necessary first step in the introduction of degrowth proposals into policy-making and further implementation. I argue that translating research papers into legislative drafts by researchers can be understood as adaptation of these papers to the policy-makers' needs. This is because the law can be understood as universal basis of public policies and fundamental language to express these policies. The legal system has a systematic, hierarchical, and logical structure while its language tends to be precise, clear, and unambiguous. Legal language may also be salient for many policy-makers. I labelled this way of adaptation as the Translational Legal Approach to Knowledge Utilisation (TLA). It can be applied beyond texts on sustainable degrowth as well. Based on the literature review, I theoretically and conceptually discuss the aforementioned hypotheses by looking at the corresponding criteria of research adaptation with characteristics of law and legal language. I provide the strongest support for the theses that translation of research papers into provisions of legislative drafts can increase readability, comprehensibility, precision, and operationalisation of degrowth research proposals, as well as helps to give them more systemic nature and incorporate policy-makers' context. Future research is needed to create a methodological framework for TLA as well as to empirically verify hypotheses made in this article. • Degrowth plays a marginal role in policies and needs better operationalisation. • The role of degrowth in policy can be seen as a problem of knowledge utilisation. • Law could be a common language between researchers and policy-makers. • Translating research papers into legislative drafts adapts them for policy-makers. • Translating degrowth proposals into legislative drafts supports their utilisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This article introduces a bottom-up global model of the pulp and paper sector (PULPSIM) with a focus on energy consumption and carbon emissions. It is an annual recursive simulation behavioural model with a 2030 time horizon incorporating several technological details of the industry for 47 world regions. The long time horizon and the modular structure allow the model users to assess the effects of different environmental, energy and climate policies in a scenario comparison setup. In addition to the business as usual developments of the sector, a climate commitment scenario has been analysed, in which the impacts of changing forest management practices are also included. The climate scenario results reveal that there is a significant carbon reduction potential in the pulp and paper making, showing a number of specific features: the central role of the fibrous resource inputs and the potential impact of increased waste wood and black liquor based heat generation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to assess the environmental impacts of the Norwegian pulp and paper industry, considering the production of pulp fibres and printing paper. The pulp fibres included in this study are thermo-mechanical pulp and kraft pulp fibres, which differ with respect to the energy consumption and chemicals used during production. The assessed paper grades were super-calendered paper and newsprint. The study was a cradle to gate approach, and corresponds to an attributional life cycle assessment (LCA). The LCA was based on data collected from main pulp and paper producers in Norway. Importantly, aspects related to the increasing use of mineral fillers in the production of newsprints were assessed. The results showed that a reduction of more than 18% climate change impact (kg CO2 eq.) was achieved by increasing the fraction of fillers, in the newsprint furnish. Furthermore, the total climate change impact reduction depended on the applied energy mix. Assuming that the production of printing paper was based only on Norwegian energy mix, yielded a reduction of the climate change impact by more than 44% in 2011, compared to the production based on Scandinavian and European energy mix. Additionally, the input and output transport contributed to more than 20% impact in several cases. We thus concluded that the estimated environmental impacts were affected by; i) the furnish composition of a given paper quality, ii) the input and output transport and iii) the use of different primary grid energy sources. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The pulp and paper industry is a high energy consuming and polluting sector, and carbon emissions emitted from this sector are worthy of attention. This article, based upon an analysis of China’s Pulp and Paper Industry (CPPI), provides estimates of each of the following: carbon emissions from energy consumption, pre-treatment sector, combustion of condensed black liquor, and methane emitted from incomplete aerobic digestion during sewage treatment of CPPI. During the study period (2005–2012), total CO 2 emissions ranged from 126.0 Mt to 155.4 Mt. Energy consumption was estimated to be the largest source of carbon emissions, however, due to the application of the local emission inventory rather than the IPCC inventory, energy consumption decreased by 4.7%, a lower percentage than was calculated in a previous study. According to this study’s estimation, the emissions caused by the recovery of biomass energy contributed 26–29% of the total CO 2 emissions. CH 4 generated from sewage treatment accounted for 9–11% of the total carbon emissions. The CO 2 intensity dropped during the study period, which reflected the improvement of energy efficiency in the pulp and paper industry. The outcome of this study provides not only detailed information about CPPI’s carbon emissions, but also a calculation framework for studying carbon emissions from pulp and paper sector in the other regions. It suggests that the local carbon emissions inventory should be used for estimating carbon emissions and to reduce the fossil fuel energy, increase energy recovery from biomass, and that promoting cleaner production is essential to achieve a low carbon development of the pulp and paper industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The climate change policy debate and ensuing discussions about industrial energy use and carbon emissions have highlighted the need to: (a) aggregate engineering information to a level relevant for economic policy analysis while maintaining sufficient detail so that results are meaningful for industry decision makers, (b) properly represent an industry’s capital vintage structure to better understand inertia associated with changes in aggregate industrial emissions profiles, and (c) identify policy instruments that leverage an industry’s potential for technological change such that carbon emissions can be noticeably reduced. This paper presents an econometric analysis of energy use and emissions profiles of the US Pulp and Paper Industry and uses the resulting set of equations to specify a dynamic model for the analysis of select climate change policies. Scenarios of cost of carbon, energy tax, and investment-led policies indicate that a combination of cost of carbon and investment-led policies can achieve the desired result of rapidly improving overall efficiency of the industry and promoting changes in fuel mix, which together can result in drastic reductions of carbon emissions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Disposable paper cups comprise typical single-use plastic items, as they are lined internally with a thin plastic coating for waterproofing. They are consumed at a staggering rate worldwide, with the UK alone consuming around 7 million cups daily, thus annually producing around 30,000 tonnes of paper cup waste. Contrary to popular belief, less than 1 in 400 paper cups is currently recycled in the UK, which is in stark contrast to the waste hierarchy and the European Commission's ambitious Circular Economy Action Plan. Paper cups typically end up in landfill sites or even improperly disposed of, contributing to (micro)plastic waste and potentially polluting the world's oceans. The implications of the latter are not fully known yet and cannot be quantified by existing life cycle impact assessment methods. By employing the life cycle assessment methodology, UK's annual carbon footprint from paper cup consumption was found to be 75 kt of carbon dioxide equivalents, which is similar to that of manufacturing 11,500 mid-size passenger cars. Globally, their environmental footprint was found to be comparable to that of some 1.5 M average European inhabitants, indicating the nature and extent of the single-use plastics problem, which paper cups are just a typical example of. Paper cup recycling could reduce this environmental footprint by up to 40%, whereas switching to reusable cups appears to be more environmentally sustainable, achieving a threefold reduction in carbon emissions, which at global scale is more than twice Malta's annual carbon footprint. Results indicate that consumerism along with small daily choices, such as using reusable cups or bags instead of their disposable counterparts, could play a huge role in climate change. At policy level, no concrete measures to curb the superfluous consumption of paper cups, as well as of other single-use plastic items that are becoming increasingly ubiquitous, have materialised. Furthermore, it appears that decision- and policy-makers tend to step in to curtail wasteful and polluting practices only when environmental problems have started to generate widespread concern, instead of undertaking preventative policy measures. Image 1 • The environmental sustainability of disposable paper cups was examined. • 75 kt CO 2eq are emitted annually in the UK and 7.5 Mt CO 2eq globally. • Switching to reusable cups axes carbon emissions by threefold. • Robust LCIA methods should be introduced to account for (micro)plastic pollution. • Existing policy on single use plastics appears to be too little too late. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Land-use change (LUC) estimated by economic models has sparked intense international debate. Models estimate how much LUC might be induced under prescribed scenarios and rely on assumptions to generate LUC values. It is critical to test and validate underlying assumptions with empirical evidence. Furthermore, this modeling approach cannot answer if any specific indirect effects are actually caused by biofuel policy. The best way to resolve questions of causation is via scientific methods. Kim and Dale attempt to address the question of if, rather than how much, market-induced land-use change is currently detectable based on the analysis of historic evidence, and in doing so, explore some modeling assumptions behind the drivers of change. Given that there is no accepted approach to estimate the global effects of biofuel policy on land-use change, it is critical to assess the actual effects of policies through careful analysis and interpretation of empirical data. Decision makers need a valid scientific basis for policy decisions on energy choices. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Renewable energy sources, driven by the global concern for climate change and the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, are gaining increasing importance. Among them, solar energy stands out as a crucial renewable source and accurate solar irradiance forecasting is vital for its effective utilisation. Deep learning (DL) techniques have emerged as state-of-the-art solar irradiance forecasting methods in past years. However, traditional models that are widely used have inferior accuracy in forecasting. To bridge this gap, this paper presents an improved state-of-the-art model that leverages the convolutional property to forecast the time series data. We got a reduction of 8.32% in MAE compared to the base model. The paper's findings highlight the potential of DL-based approaches to significantly improve the accuracy of solar irradiance forecasts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Space-based data provide essential information on the past, current, and future state of climate change. Satellite data widely contribute to scientific research conducted by recognized institutions such as the IPCC, which underpin most climate policies in Europe. In addition, half of the Essential Climate Variables (ECVs), which are necessary to monitor climate change, directly come from satellite data. However, the role of space is not always accurately reflected in Europe's climate policies, with only a few direct references to ESA's or EU's space programmes and data. Against this background, this paper aims to provide an in-depth assessment on the actual role played by space-based data in the definition and implementation of European climate policies. Based on the outcomes of a year-long research conducted in collaboration with the European Space Agency, the paper will first analysed the use and references to space-based data in over 500 climate policy documents of the 22 ESA Member States. Subsequently, it will address some potential blocking points to the use of space in the climate policymaking process in the analysed European countries. By doing so, the paper will also look into aspects related to science communication, the science-to-policy divide as well as the climate governance in ESA Member States. Finally, this paper will provide recommendations to increase the use of space-based data in the climate policymaking process. • Climate policies in ESA Member States show that references to Essential Climate Variables are abundant. • The origin of the data or the systems used to generate variables are not referenced despite half of variables being only measurable from space. • All ESA Member States reference space in their climate policies. • 17 ESA Member States have reference ESA in their climate policies. • A blocking point to the integration of space-based data in climate policies pertain to the science to policy divide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the possible relationship between solar activity and monthly rainfall in Pokhara and Kathmandu cities in Nepal from the year 1968 to 2023. The study uses Cross Correlation Analysis (CCA) and wavelet analysis, the Cross-Wavelet Transform (XWT) and Wavelet Transform Coherence (WTC), to analyze the time series data. The CCA shows a strong positive correlation between the solar cycle and rainfall trend, with correlation coefficients of 0.77 and 0.76 and time lags of 18 months and 14 months at Pokhara and Kathmandu, respectively. The p-values, calculated to be < 0.0001 through the t-test, indicate that the observed correlations are statistically significant. The XWT results show a long-term ∼ 11-year common periodicity in solar cycle and rainfall. The WTC analysis confirms the local correlation between these two time series in time–frequency domain at a common periodicity. The results indicate that the monthly rainfall pattern in Nepal is closely related to the solar cycle pattern. Thus, solar activity likely plays a role in influencing rainfall trends in Nepal. This study shows that solar-climate interaction on a regional scale is complex and emphasizes the importance of understanding these relationships for predicting and managing climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New Zealand's space sector is at the early stages of growth but already attracts 1.5% of global private investment in space and contributes NZD 1.75 billion per year in revenue to the national economy. Growth has in part been due to the country's desirable location for space operations due to a combination of geographic advantages, with its clear seas and skies and access to a wide range of launch angles, a skilled workforce, and strong government financial incentives. There are however challenges to future space activities such as the risk to long-term access and use of Earth's orbital environment, specifically from space debris and a growing challenge to the whole-of-life of space operations, from the climate emergency and biodiversity crises. Consequently, there is increasing global motivation and urgency to quantify environmental consequences of space activities, which have historically been omitted from legislative and regulatory requirements. This paper provides a summary of the commercial development of New Zealand's space sector and where appropriate environmental regulation and legislation may have been overlooked, as well as outlining broader environmental concerns of space operations. New Zealand's emerging space industry offers a unique opportunity to integrate international best practices for environment and sustainability at a foundational level, for example, the European Space Agency's Clean Space Initiative and their Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Tool and Eco-design Framework. These types of tools provide valuable sources of information to support policy and business decisions. This paper provides a case study for an environmental LCA for a New Zealand designed and launched CubeSat which is the most launched satellite type from New Zealand. The case study indicates how the LCA can be used to identify environmental hotspots during the preliminary and detailed design phases as well as the launch event. Barriers and gaps in data collection have also been identified. As a result of this work, a set of recommendations have been made for further research requirements on the application of LCA to space activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal erosion as a threat to Ghana's coastline is being exacerbated by natural and anthropogenic processes. Adaptation to coastal erosion helps in managing the impacts and the levels of destruction to livelihoods, properties and investments along the coastline. Government intervention in adaptation to coastal erosion has always focused on the development of coastal sea defences without the integration of Indigenous knowledge and initiatives of coastal dwellers. This paper contributes to this gap by examining the Indigenous adaptation responses to coastal erosion in selected coastal communities of Ghana, factors influencing the choice of adaptation responses and the extent to which these Indigenous adaptation responses are addressing coastal erosion. Findings from the explorative qualitative study revealed that coastal dwellers are engaged in different forms of planned and reactive adaptation responses to coastal erosion. It was also found out that most of the Indigenous adaptation responses to coastal erosion were unsustainable in addressing coastal erosion and the choice of Indigenous adaptation response to coastal erosion was shaped by socio-economic and ecological factors or perception. Maladaptation responses by coastal dwellers were contributing to the phenomenon of coastal erosion. Coastal dwellers have survived the impacts of coastal erosion in the absence of support from central and local governments and their unsustainable adaptation responses have become a cyclical ritual over a period of time. The paper contributes to the debates on adaptation to climate change and the consideration of Indigenous knowledge into climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies in coastal zone planning and management. • Indigenous adaptation responses to coastal erosion are autonomous and reactive. • There is no collective community action towards addressing coastal erosion. • Adaptation responses are shaped by socio-economic and ecological considerations. • Maladaptation responses are counterproductive to addressing coastal erosion. • Hard Indigenous adaptation responses are a physical limitation to coastal resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the politics of epistemological claims which link climate change, conflict, migration and terrorism in causal relationships. The paper contends that attempts to establish such causal relationships in conditions of empirical complexity are characterised by a contested politics of implication. Drawing on a critical discourse analysis of a UN Security Council debate on climate security (December 9, 2021), and the concept of linguistic implicature (referring to the non-explicit, inferential meanings which can follow from language use), the paper traces two logics which could suggest a politics of racial implication in climate security discourses: first, a compulsive climatic determinism which roots risks of terrorist violence in climate-affected populations; and second, a logic of proxy geographies in which dehumanisation could be implicated through natural world metaphors. Overall, this paper seeks to provide an understanding of how the inferential meanings associated with claims linking climate change, migration, conflict and terrorism could constitute potentially unequal outcomes in climate security politics and policymaking. • Causal claims about the links between climate change and terrorism are politically contested. • Such claims could implicate racial logics of climatic determinism and dehumanisation. • It is important to study the pragmatic implicatures which could follow from causal claims in climate security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Life cycle engineering (LCE) was introduced in the early 1990s with a focus on eco-efficiency, hence designing products to reduce the environmental impact over their life cycle while maintaining or increasing the value created. In the meantime, the world has seen the emergence of a climate crisis and a biodiversity crisis despite significant eco-efficiency improvements of individual products and services over the years, highlighting the gap between bottom-up LCE activities and top-down sustainability concepts such as planetary boundaries and net-zero targets for climate change. This paper presents a structured LCE approach for practitioners, supporting life cycle engineering of product life cycles with an absolute sustainability perspective towards achieving net-zero targets. An industrial case is provided to demonstrate the applicability of the methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an era dominated by the intersection of advanced technology and traditional industries, the domain of agriculture is on the verge of a revolutionary transformation. This article introduces a solution for vineyard producers, harnessing satellite imagery, weather data, and deep learning (DL) to identify vineyard diseases robustly. This solution, designed for proactive plant health management, stands as a transformative tool towards digital viticulture. Such tools transition from luxuries to essentials as vineyards confront evolving challenges like climate change and new pathogens. Our research builds on the hypothesis that customising deep learning architectures for specific tasks is crucial in enhancing their effectiveness. We contribute by introducing a tailored convolutional neural network (CNN) architecture, developed specifically for the classification of plant diseases using vineyard imagery. The experimental results demonstrate that our custom CNN architecture exhibits performance on par with established state-of-the-art models like ResNet50 and MobileNetV2, underscoring the value of specialized solutions in addressing the unique challenges of viticulture. This paper introduces an overview of the solution's architecture, presents the implementation of DL modules with their corresponding results, and describes use case scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Morocco's commitment to the Marrakech and Paris Agreements' sustainability goals necessitates the implementation of Net Zero Energy Building (NZEB) initiatives to mitigate climate change and promote sustainable development for the built environment industry. Utilizing Morocco's abundant solar resources, NZEBs aim to minimize energy use and carbon emissions in buildings, aligning with global climate objectives and enhancing economic stability through reduced energy costs. This approach aids Morocco in adapting to climate change and achieving international financial and environmental targets. This paper explores Morocco's energy strategy and the regulatory framework for Nearly Zero Energy Buildings, providing a NZEB definition, assessment metrics, and performance indicators, while addressing the challenges posed by existing laws on energy-efficient buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, we are confronted with the presence of two significant transformations. The emergence of technologies like artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, social media, Industry 4.0, and Society 5.0 is significantly impacting the behavior of individuals, societies, and countries in the 21st century. The second transformation pertains to various critical issues such as climate change, desertification, food and water security, and the future of life on our planet. This paper aims to analyze the impact of emerging technologies on mitigating climate change. The central inquiry at hand is whether humanity possesses the ability to transform the ongoing digital revolution into effective climate action. Specifically, we will analyze the fundamental question. Do digital technologies and information management contribute to the problem or offer a solution? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) is considered as one of Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) controller algorithm developed for PhotoVoltaic system (PV) to guarantee a maximum power extraction under different climatic conditions of temperature and irradiation. Classical MPPT algorithms like Perturbe and Observe (P&O), PSO, Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) are an effective method for tracking the maximum power point (MPP) for the PV systems, but the problems with these approaches that they are less stable, high oscillation around steady state and slower convergence to the MPP. Based on recent research, the purpose of this paper is to introduces a novel MPPT controller based on a modified version of heterogeneous multi swarm PSO algorithm using an adaptive factor selection strategy (FMSPSO), to overcome the previous shortcomings and compared with conventional PSO, ANFIS and classical P&O controllers. Simulation and experimental results revealed that the new FMSPSO algorithm can overcome the previous shortcomings providing the superior performance to track the MPP efficiently with a shorter convergence time and small oscillations compared to other algorithms. The experimental confirmation of the FMSPSO algorithm has been carried out using NI-myRIO-1900 card and shows that with the proposed MPPT approach efficiency can reach a value greater than 99% even in climatic variation of irradiation and temperature. • A classical MPPT controller cannot track the dynamic the MPP, has obvious oscillations, and converges slowly. • A novel MPPT controller based on a modified version of MSPSO algorithm using an adaptive factor selection strategy (FMSPSO) is proposed. • A FMSPSO based MPPT algorithm is compared with conventional PSO, classical P&O and ANFIS controllers for validation. • The proposed FMSPSO algorithm provides the superior performance by boosting the PV system tracking efficiency more than 99%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change adaptation is currently an important community concern in developing countries like Bangladesh. The conceptualization of adaptation within the government system matters for the promotion of activities such as employment generation for local communities. The lesser the gap between government policy and the local community's needs for adaptation the more effective outcomes are for ensuring policy success and promoting sustainable community livelihoods or vice versa. This interface between policy and community is important for climate change adaptation which is explored in this paper along with the findings of the research project, DEltas, vulnerability and climate change: Migration and Adaptation (DECCMA) conducted during 2014–2018 in Bangladesh, Ghana, India, and the United Kingdom. The data from Bangladesh was collected from 1384 survey respondents, 19 Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), 3 workshops, and 43 Key Informant Interviews (KIIs). The findings of the paper show that government adaptation activities mainly reflect the Reactive Approach of Limited Action (RALA) perspective rather than the Proactive Approach To Adaptation (PATA). The RALA perspective is characterized by piecemeal and top-down approaches to adaptation which fail to recognize a community conceptualization of climate change, policy perspectives for coping with local concerns, and governance approaches for effective adaptation. In response, the government needs to focus on the PATA in policy, programs, and projects with the governance approach implemented from the bottom-up or, in other words, from the local perspective. Community participation in decision-making processes is characteristic of this bottom-up governance model. Local community participation, consultation, and representation are essential parts of PATA in adaptation policy formulation and execution, providing important lessons for Bangladesh. • Adaptation to climate change is a high policy priority for developing countries such as Bangladesh. • The conceptualization of adaptation in government policy matters for community sustainability. • The top-down, centralised Reactive Approach of Limited Action (RALA) causes further concern for effective adaptation policy. • A Proactive Approach to Adaptation (PATA) is better for community sustainability. • Community participation and representation within governance approaches can expedite a PATA approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal resilience strategies are vital for managing the impacts of climatic shocks and stresses that bedevils coastal zones globally. Coastal strategies that reflect indigenous knowledge and practices as well as local adaptation efforts are productive in promoting resilience to coastal erosion at the local level. However, there has been less common research in conventional literature on how national level strategies impact adaptation measures by local governance institutions and coastal dwellers in addressing coastal erosion. Using an explorative qualitative case study of selected coastal communities in Ghana, the paper contributes to this gap by assessing how national level strategies impact adaptation to coastal erosion at the local level. It also examines the institutional and community perception of coastal erosion, its causes and impacts. Findings indicate that all the coastal dwellers in the study communities are aware of coastal erosion with most of the community interviewees attributing the phenomenon to sea-level rise as the main driver of coastal erosion. Also, interviews with local government authorities and state agencies found that the national level coastal erosion adaptation strategies to a large extent do not promote local innovation in addressing climatic shocks and stresses of coastal communities. The paper contributes to contemporary debates in indigenous knowledge in climate change mitigation and adaptation by multilevel governance towards coastal resilience by recommending a collaborative effort between coastal communities and the District Assemblies in promoting indigenous knowledge in climate change adaptation and the preparation of coastal management plans that incorporates indigenous knowledge in adaptation to coastal erosion. • Coastal dwellers perceive coastal erosion through direct observation. • National level coastal resilience strategies promote indigenous knowledge. • Their implementation is at variance with local level adaptation. • State institutions perceive indigenous knowledge and adaptation as unsustainable. • Formal integration of indigenous knowledge affects local level adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Review of advanced electrodialysis techniques for critical mineral recovery. • Investigation of lithium, nickel, cobalt, and rare earth elements sources. • Principles and performances of advanced electrodialysis techniques for metal recovery. • Necessity of feedstock-tailored advanced electrodialysis technologies is suggested. The global challenge of climate change and the pursuit of carbon neutrality drive the demand for clean energy technologies, increasing the need for critical minerals. However, diminishing ore quality and supply chain vulnerabilities highlight the necessity of exploring unconventional mineral sources. This paper assesses the potential of sources such as low-grade ores, brines, and secondary byproducts for extracting critical minerals, focusing on lithium, nickel, cobalt, and rare earth elements. Conventional refining techniques struggle with the complexity and low concentrations found in unconventional sources, prompting the exploration of innovative methods. Electrically driven membrane technologies, particularly electrodialysis (ED), show promise for selectively transporting metals through ion exchange membranes. The combination of functionalized membranes and advanced ED technologies offers high selectivity for specific elements, and renewable energy-based ED operations can minimize environmental impact. Recent advancements in ED, including selective ED and liquid membrane ED, demonstrate efficient recovery of critical minerals. This comprehensive review explores the principles and recent progress in ED technologies, with a focus on recovering critical minerals from unconventional sources. The paper is structured into three main sections: categorizing the properties of unconventional sources of critical minerals based on the latest literature, exploring the fundamental principles underpinning modern ED technologies, and investigating recent breakthroughs in the separation and recovery of critical minerals from unconventional sources using ED technologies. This framework highlights the potential of advanced ED technologies in efficiently processing diverse unconventional sources and adeptly retrieving critical minerals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mangroves, as a crucial coastal ecosystem, possess significant carbon sink functions and play a key role in mitigating global climate change. This paper, based on the Zhanjiang Mangrove Afforestation Project in Guangdong, explores the development mechanisms and economic and ecological benefits of mangrove carbon sink projects through the lens of collective action theory and system dynamics modeling. The study finds that the primary reason for the unsustainable progression of mangrove carbon sink projects is the lack of intrinsic motivation among local villagers to engage in collective action. By constructing a system dynamics model, this paper quantifies the long-term impacts of mangrove carbon sink projects on local socio-economic welfare and proposes policy optimization recommendations. These recommendations include expanding income sources for local villagers, establishing carbon trading and ecological compensation mechanisms, and involving international non-governmental organizations. The findings of this study not only provide guidance for mangrove carbon sink projects in China but also offer valuable insights for the promotion of similar projects globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing overconsumption to a level that ensures well-being within planetary boundaries is one potential strategy to mitigate climate change. Such strategies might imply considerable changes to consumerist lifestyles. This paper examines individual-level gains and losses that might motivate or hinder people to uptake consumption-reduced lifestyles and accept corresponding demand-side measures. To identify such gains and losses, the paper combines (1) an interdisciplinary systematic literature review spanning eight concepts that assess voluntary consumption reduction from different angles with (2) a qualitative vignette study based upon a sample of mainstream consumers. The paper develops the gains and losses of reduced consumption taxonomy (GLORCY), which comprises three main categories of gains and losses that consumers experience, associate, or anticipate to result from consumption reduction. The taxonomy differentiates personal, social, and universal main categories and provides detailed categories for each. These findings provide relevant insights into motivators and barriers to be considered for promoting consumption reduction strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keyword extraction involves the application of Natural Language Processing (NLP) algorithms or models developed in the realm of text mining. Keyword extraction is a common technique used to explore linguistic patterns in the corpus linguistic field, and Dunning's Log-Likelihood Test (LLT) has long been integrated into corpus software as a statistic-based NLP model. While prior research has confirmed the widespread applicability of keyword extraction in corpus-based research, LLT has certain limitations that may impact the accuracy of keyword extraction in such research. This paper summarized the limitations of LLT, which include benchmark corpus interference, elimination of grammatical and generic words, consideration of sub-corpus relevance, flexibility in feature selection, and adaptability to different research goals. To address these limitations, this paper proposed an extended Term Frequency-Inverse Document Frequency (TF-IDF) method. To verify the applicability of the proposed method, 20 highly cited research articles on climate change from the Web of Science (WOS) database were used as the target corpus, and a comparison was conducted with the traditional method. The experimental results indicated that the proposed method could effectively overcome the limitations of the traditional method and demonstrated the feasibility and practicality of incorporating the TF-IDF algorithm into relevant corpus-based research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We incorporate spatial factors affecting carbon emissions as drivers into the RF-CA model. • We change the constraints in the CA model for land use change prediction. • We predicted the land use change of Shanghai in 2025 under a low-carbon scenario. As global climate change intensifies, climate protection is important for the sustainable development of human society. In the process of urbanization and industrialization, carbon dioxide emissions are an important factor contributing to global warming. Therefore, modelling projections of future urban land use under low-carbon scenarios are essential for sustainability policy development. Few studies have focused on the impact of carbon emissions on urban land use change in Shanghai, as current research has primarily concentrated on developing methods for urban land use modelling. This paper utilizes a cellular automata (CA) simulation model based on the Random Forest (RF) algorithm to select various spatial variables of carbon emissions as the driving factors that affect urban land use changes. These variables include traffic location factors, economic development factors, electricity consumption, and population density. In this study, remote sensing imagery of urban nighttime lighting is also used to construct a simulation model of land use types in Shanghai. The model is then used to analyze the contribution of carbon emission constraints to urban land use changes. Actual historical land use data from 2013 and 2019 are used for validation, and the prediction model is used to predict land use outcomes under different low-carbon scenarios in 2025. The model is validated by simulating multiple intra-city land use maps for 2019 (kappa = 0.88, OA=92.71 %). The method of out-of-bag error from the random forest is used to evaluate the significance of carbon emission constraints. Using the validated model, the constraints in the CA model are changed to predict the land use simulation results of Shanghai in 2025 under different low-carbon scenarios. In terms of significance, factors such as distance to power plants, distance to major roads, real GDP, and population density can all have a significant impact on changes in urban land use. By selecting the low-carbon scenario with the most appropriate thresholds for each driver, it is possible to obtain the land use simulation results of Shanghai in 2025 under the optimal low-carbon scenario, while ensuring the high accuracy of the RF-CA model and simultaneously reducing the impact of factors on the city's overall carbon emissions. This paper provides a scientific base for urban planners and scholars to thoughtfully design urban land use while cutting down on carbon emissions. Furthermore, it can aid government agencies in establishing associated planning approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate emergency is widely acknowledged. However, our institutions are struggling to find new intervention types to accelerate the transition. This paper analyses this struggle by combining agency theories and discursive approaches to study transition intermediaries, i.e, organizations seeking to foster the transition activities of others. The internal meaning structures of intermediaries are described as interlocking shared action frames, i.e., beliefs and meanings underpining their activities. These frames are characterized through the definition of pairs of contrasting frame elements along eleven framing dimensions. This conceptualization allows for a semi-quantitative mapping of internal structures. The method is developped and illustrated with the in-depth case study of a Swiss regional utility department running an energy efficiency programme. Analysing a series of exploratory workshops, we find that established frames revolve around technology-oriented, managerial approaches to the transition, ultimately narrowing the range of imaginable interventions. While these are well-studied shortcomings of energy efficiency centred approaches, further observations suggest that these frames underpin the perception of intervention impacts, helping keep staff and recipients involved. To strike a balance between energy saving targets and transformative ambitions, this paper suggests revising programme evaluation logics and reframing technological solutions as responses, rather than substitutes, to practice changes. [Display omitted] • A discursive approach is used to explore the agency of transition intermediaries. • Internal meaning structures are described as interlocking shared agency frames. • A utility department running an energy efficiency programme is taken as case study. • An established perspective revolves around technical, managerial approaches. • Emergent perspectives tend to be linked this coherent established perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal communities and their environments are facing unprecedented changes, with climate change driving rising global mean sea level, exacerbating extreme sea level events, and increasing hazards. Whilst adaptations to change have been central to coastal life for millennia, climate change brings a speed and intensity of change not previously experienced. Researchers are noting that adaptations are needed that are large scale and systemic with significant changes to lives and livelihoods – Transformational Adaptations – yet there is little evidence of this in practice, and there remains an operationalisation gap between ambitions and actions. This paper uses a qualitative case study method to assess how existing policy may enable and inhibit local stakeholder involvement in transformational adaptation in English coastal flood and erosion risk management. Through twenty interviews with coastal management stakeholders, the capacity for local coastal management stakeholders to initiate transformational adaptation and the perceived involvement of residents are analysed. The results indicate that transformational adaptation remains a distant aspiration in the English coastal management system, with local stakeholders possessing limited capacity to initiate it. The perceived role for residents in adaptation processes is often focused on their being recipients of adaptation interventions, and there are a range of barriers to their further involvement. The paper concludes that despite the theoretical interest in transformational adaptation, there is limited evidence its implementation in English coastal flood and erosion risk management, and there are multiple priority areas for policy development to support capacity for engaged transformational adaptation practices in coastal management contexts. • There are few examples of transformational adaptation in the English coastal flood and erosion risk management. • The perceived role for residents in adaptation processes is often focused on their being recipients of interventions. • There are a range of barriers for local stakeholders to develop and enact coastal adaptation policy or practice. • There are multiple priorities for policy development to support capacity for engaged transformational adaptation practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Can the ecological footprint framework be used for measuring resource security? Wackernagel et al. (2021) assert it can, emphasizing the role of biocapacity balance – the difference between a country's biocapacity and the ecological footprint of its consumption. This paper argues that a positive biocapacity balance is not a good indicator of resource security, as it misrepresents climate change's relevance to national resources, overlooks resource depletion, and enforces an overly restrictive notion of "semi-autarky". The paper suggests a set of guidelines to better capture resource security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Earth's climate is projected to warm significantly in the 21st century, and this will affect human societies in many ways. Since sleep is a basic human need and part of everyone's life, the question of how temperature affects human sleep naturally arises. This paper examines the effect of daily mean temperature on sleep duration using nationally representative Hungarian time use surveys between 1976 and 2010. Compared to a day with an average temperature of 5–10 °C, colder temperatures do not influence sleep duration. However, as daily mean temperatures rise, sleep duration starts to strongly decline. The effect of a hot (>25 °C) day is −13.3 minutes, but if preceded by a few other hot days, the effect is even stronger, −24.7 minutes. The estimated sleep loss is especially large on weekends and public holidays, for older individuals, and men. Combining the estimated effects with temperature projections of twenty-four climate models shows that the warming climate will substantially decrease sleep duration. The projected impacts are especially large when taking into account the effects of heatwave days. This study also shows that different groups in society are likely to be affected in significantly different ways by a warming climate. • This paper examines the effect of temperature on sleep duration. • Exposure to heat reduces the amount of time spent sleeping. • The effect of heat wave days is much stronger. • The sleep loss is especially large on weekends. • The effects are stronger for older people, people with less education and men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transformative adaptation (TA) places emphasis on changing the underlying causes of climate risk. Little is known about how TA can be achieved in practice in southern African cities. This paper reports on a set of criteria, derived from the literature and transdisciplinary engagements, for taking TA from theory into practice. These are: fundamental/sustainable changes in thinking and doing; inclusivity; challenging power asymmetries; demonstrability; responsive and flexible; and holistic, complex systems thinking. These criteria were explored through five water-related projects in Durban (South Africa) and Harare (Zimbabwe), which were identified by actors as having transformative potential to reduce urban climate risks. The study suggests that trade-offs might need to be made between several of these criteria, with strong synergies between others. Challenging power asymmetries is important in southern African cities where adaptation should change the structures of society that give rise to highly differential climate vulnerabilities. Challenging power structures largely requires true inclusivity and an equal stake in shaping decisions as opposed to tokenistic participation. While TA is needed in southern African cities, the complexity of these contexts and the scale of TA ambition introduces practical challenges when compared with incremental adaptation, i.e. small changes to existing practices to reduce climate impacts within the current development paradigm. Given such practical limitations, the paper concludes that TA in southern African cities might pragmatically be attempted as part of a process of ongoing learning to identify opportunities for gradual restructuring and expanding, in scale and ambition towards transformation. • Incremental adaptation achieves demonstrable results quickly. • Transformative adaptation needs to expand activities gradually in scope and scale. • Trade-offs exist at points along the incremental-transformative continuum. • Greater inclusivity in transformative adaptation introduces governance challenges. • Going beyond incremental adaptation requires challenging power asymmetries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extreme weather alerting systems are one of the central tools utilised in adapting to changing weather patterns resulting from climate change. This paper evaluates the effectiveness of the current alerting systems for hot and cold weather used in England to notify the health and social care sector of upcoming extreme weather events. We consider the views of stakeholders on the current system and explore their perspectives on the proposal to move towards an impact-based system. The paper concludes that while the current system is an effective tool, stakeholders feel they need to draw on additional material to assist with the development of an appropriate response. We also highlight that many stakeholders are concerned about the potential for creating alert fatigue due to a lack of clarity of the geographical area impact of some of the alerts. Consequently, there was a high level of support from stakeholders for the move towards an impact-focused system. • Extreme weather alerting systems are an important tool for protecting public health. • Impact-focused alerting systems can help planners and front-line staff deliver a more effective response to extreme weather. • It is important alerts are not sent out unnecessarily to protect the credibility of the system and avoid alert fatigue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small island states are the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, despite not contributing much to global greenhouse gas emissions. Crafting effective science-based adaptive strategies to conserve and sustain natural resources in the face of the changing climate has important socio-economic, political, and ecological dimensions. The analysis in the current paper reveals that the island of Mauritius has been warming at a rate of 0.0216 °C/year over the period 1971–2020, with an increase in precipitation averaging 2.29 mm/year over the 1981–2020 period. The changing climate over time has had severe repercussions on the native ecosystems of the island and is threatening the long-term freshwater supply system. Science-based policy measures proposed revolve around the expansion and re-design of protected areas to be strategically located in climate-resilient regions that seek to offer refuge to native fauna and flora. To increase the resilience on freshwater supply on the island, measures proposed include the introduction of a freshwater coordination-based system that operates on water stress level, in addition to increasing the network of freshwater catchment areas in regions where precipitation is increasing over time. The insights in this paper are expected to be valuable for other small islands in adapting to climate change. [Display omitted] • Quantifications of the changes in temperature and rainfall over time have been conducted. • The spatial distribution of the changing climate of a small island state is modelled. • Adaptation measures are proposed to conserve native island fauna and flora. • Science-based policies are proposed to improve sustainability of freshwater supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Africa is particularly affected by climate change due to its exposure to climate hazards, high vulnerability, and low adaptive capacity. Yet, Africa is also a continent rich in Indigenous and Local Knowledge (ILK) that has a long history of informing responses to climatic variability and change. This paper explores the extent to which ILK has been used in climate change adaptation in Africa. It deploys a bibliometric analysis to describe the connections between ILK and climatic change adaptation in Africa, complemented by an analysis of ILK literature and case studies. We consider four key dimensions of ILK, 1) type, 2) contexts of application, 3) value for adaptation, and 4) outcomes and effects in responses to climate change in Africa. Examples drawn from 19 countries across Africa highlight ILK systems are closely connected with biocultural relationships associated with observed patterns of climate change and where adaptation can be more effective when informed by ILK. This body of knowledge is critical to the delivery of climate change adaptation in Africa. The paper suggests some measures through which ILK may be more widely leveraged, both for improved adaptation outcomes, as well as enhancing the biocultural heritage value of ILK systems across Africa. The study commends the remarkable value of ILK in Africa for climate change adaptation and its value for supplementing climate services, particularly in areas with limited access to modern climate and weather forecasts as well as the encouragement of Indigenous communities to develop senses of ownership and active contribution to the sustainability of the future interventions. • Role of Indigenous Knowledge in Climate Change Adaptation in Africa. • The study commends the remarkable value of ILK in Africa for climate change adaptation. • its value for supplementing climate services particularly in areas with limited access to modern climate. • the paper concludes outlining measures through which ILK may be more widely leveraged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

News coverage of noteworthy environmental events is often fleeting, moving from one spectacle to another and rarely retaining global attention. But in August 2019, news of Amazon rainforest fires spread seemingly as quickly as the fires themselves, with sustained global coverage and funding pouring into environmental organizations. Yet Amazon fires regularly occur and fires were simultaneously burning in other important Brazilian biomes, with some causing worse damage. What was it about the 2019 Amazon fires that elicited such a strong and persistent global response? In this paper, we draw on distinctions between slow/immediate (Nixon, 2011) and structural/direct violence (Galtung, 1969) to answer this question. We argue that the Amazon's reputation as a global treasure and its association with climate change and biodiversity through 'giantness' (Slater, 2002) meant that the fires' local spectacular violence became felt as an instant global threat, shifting perceptions of violence from slow to immediate. Moreover, as the identified instigator of the violence, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro became a sort of 'bridge' between structural and direct dimensions of violence, thus making the violence personal. These three dynamics combined to enhance visibility of the Amazon's destruction and its connection to planetary stability, thereby inspiring the 2019 fires' extraordinary reactions. Through this analysis, the paper contributes to psychological literature on perceptions of ecological crises and to discussions in political ecology/geography concerning violent environments by demonstrating how and why both the slow and structural violence of the global climate and biodiversity crises can be rendered more visible via localized effects. • Significant environmental events rarely receive sustained global news coverage. • In 2019, the Amazon fires stood out for their extended global news coverage. • The fires shifted the violence of environmental crises from slow to immediate. • Bolsonaro shifted the violence of environmental crises from structural to personal. • These dynamics made the violence of the climate and biodiversity crises more visible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although states continue to work together under the UNFCCC, it is increasingly apparent that not enough is being done, and that a just response to climate change is not being pursued. This paper asks whether non-state actors, such as cities, corporations, and non-governmental organisations might, by contrast, offer hope for such a response to emerge. Using the city of Bristol as an empirical case study, the paper puts forward that non-state actors can not only lower emissions and/or contribute to adaptation efforts, but more importantly have the potential to significantly shift the context of climate change action and create space for systemic change. They therefore offer room for cautious optimism. • Cosmopolitan climate justice centred analysis of non-state actors. • Non-state actors offer hope for a just response to climate change. • Non-state actors can push for systemic change in climate change policy. • City of Bristol, UK, used as an empirical case study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to explore how environmental protection expenditures (EPE) affect innovation and investigate the potential causal relationship between the two variables. The novelty and main contribution of our paper to the literature stems from the fact that we look at total environmental protection expenditures from both the public and private sectors, and distinguishing between corporations and households in the private sectors. We also consider both inputs and outputs of innovation and address potential endogeneity issues in this relationship, which are both lacking in the current literature. Using a panel of EU countries over the period 2006–2020, this study generally finds a positive impact of EPE on innovation after controlling for the effects of trade, credit, education and inflation on innovation, and using the System GMM estimator to treat endogeneity. Moreover, EPE from the government sector drives the bulk of this positive impact. The core results are robust to alternative measures of innovation, alternative estimation techniques that address endogeneity (i.e., the Lewbel 2SLS, Mundlak, and Hausman-Taylor estimators) and the moderation effects of Climate Change Performance (CCPI). This study also provides a useful guide to policy makers engaged in environmental planning. • We evaluate the impact of environmental protection expenditures (EPE) on innovation in mainly EU countries. • We use longitudinal dataset for the group of EU countries over the period 2006–2020. • We find a positive impact of EPE on innovation. • The results are robust for observable heterogeneity, alternative measures of innovation and estimation techniques. • This study provides a useful guide to policy makers engaged in environmental planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While many transition scenarios describe potential low-carbon systems, few link these system-level outcomes to the microlevel stakeholder decision-making needed to actualise them, resulting in a 'planning gap'. Closing this gap requires that insights from modelling-based transition scenarios on what must happen to achieve climate targets are linked to those on how to make it happen from stakeholder-focused transition scenarios. This link requires a different understanding of decision-making rationality from that of a representative agent with rational expectations, as employed in much climate-change modelling currently. Rationality conceived as 'frame-sensitive reasoning' can better account for heterogenous stakeholders' alternative preferences, the actions they take in pursuit of them, and the effect of these actions on low-carbon transitions. This paper augments the Intuitive Logics (IL) stakeholder-focused scenario approach to enable frame-sensitive reasoning and provide modelling-based transition scenarios with realistic innovation-diffusion assumptions. In so doing, the paper assists in closing the planning gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rising temperatures exacerbated by climate change are a growing concern in the UK. This paper assesses the state of heat risk governance in the country through an analysis of the Adverse Weather and Health Plan (AWHP) launched in 2023, which replaces the former Heatwave Plan (HWP) for England — the prominent policy for addressing heatwaves in the UK. Through 17 semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders, the paper assesses the perceived effectiveness of the new plan in addressing heat risk. The findings demonstrate that AWHP has been positively received and is considered to have well-functioning institutional arrangements and strategies tailored to manage immediate heat risks. However, areas for improvement are identified: the need to enhance public communication and broaden the cross-sectoral understanding of heat impacts beyond the domain of 'health'. Further, the research reveals gaps in leadership, institutional structure, delineation of roles and responsibilities, and funding and resources for addressing long-term heat risk and preparedness in the UK. The paper explores these and highlights the need for strengthening governance and capacity to tackle the multi-dimensional climate risk, i.e., heat, effectively. • UK heat policy lacks consideration for long-term risks. • Understanding heat impacts beyond health is crucial for effective risk mitigation. • Establishing an institutional structure with clear leadership is essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Do 'green' environmental concerns – such as about biodiversity, climate change, pollution – deter citizens from having children? This paper reports the first longitudinal evidence consistent with that increasingly discussed hypothesis. It follows through time a random sample of thousands of initially childless men and women in the UK. The paper shows that those individuals who are committed to a green lifestyle are found to be substantially less likely to go on later to have offspring. Probit and Weibull survival models are estimated. The results are robust to controlling for people's age, education, income, marital status, mental health, life satisfaction, optimism, and physical health. The paper's key estimated effect-size is substantial. A person entirely unconcerned about environmental behaviour is estimated to be just over 50% more likely to go on to have a child than a deeply committed environmentalist. • Will fertility decline because humans become so concerned about environmental damage? • Using UK data on thousands of randomly selected young adults, we provide the first longitudinal evidence that those who have environmental concerns and act in a 'green' way go on to have fewer children. • The estimated effect-size is large. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper identifies which topics of negotiation are providing momentum for climate negotiations after the Paris Agreement and to what extent. To do so, it examines the main requests that developing countries have expressed through different negotiation groups between 2017 and 2023. To measure the progression of climate negotiations, the paper identifies whether those requests have been translated into COP decisions. This is done through discourse analysis contained in numerous daily reports of COPs, summaries, and official decisions. In this research, COP decisions are defined as the expression of collective negotiations in the UNFCCC system, and as decisions with political consequences. The paper identifies advancements on twenty-nine issues in areas like gender, loss and damage, facilitative dialogue, adaptation, and the acceleration of finance flows to small-island developing states. Eighteen issues have been identified as acknowledged in COP decisions, but not fully addressed. These correspond mainly to finance-related items and the commitment to contributing US$100 billion to climate mitigation. Sixteen issues have been identified as ignored in the COP decisions examined. The conclusions suggest that there is agreement on creating new frameworks to allow further discussions on important topics brought to the table by developing states, but there is no real agreement on increasing funding in a significant way. Also, conclusions underline that despite the lack of sufficient funding, commitment to fighting climate change has not declined over time, and states continue to prefer multilateral negotiations to working outside the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change mandate. • States prefer multilateralism to other forms of cooperation to face climate change. • Climate negotiations remain a key forum for countries' coordination despite the slowness in decision-making. • There has been progress in climate negotiations in the areas of loss and damage, gender or adaptation. • Funding remains a key issue in climate negotiations, being critical to increase trust among parties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • This paper proposes the concept of room-temperature solar-powered CH 4 reforming. • The non-metallic element (Br, N and S) doped TiO 2 is prepared. • The doped catalysts X-TiO 2 were used in photocatalytic methane reforming. • The structure–activity relationship was studied by density functional theory. • Based on isotope tracer results, a possible photocatalytic mechanism was proposed. • The catalytic performance of S-TiO 2 is 22–65 times that of bulk TiO 2 catalyst. • The possible catalytic mechanism was verified by in situ infrared characterization. Given the increasingly severe climate and energy crises, this paper proposes the concept of "room-temperature solar-powered CH 4 reforming", intended to achieve carbon emission reduction and efficiently use carbon-containing resources. However, traditional semiconductors as catalysts have some problems, such as few catalytic active sites and fast recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes, resulting in low efficiency of photocatalytic CH 4 reforming. For this reason, a series of doped catalysts X-TiO 2 (X = Br, N, and S) are prepared by introducing nonmetallic elements into the TiO 2 lattice to construct oxygen defects. Notably, the CO yield of the S-TiO 2 catalyst was 1048 μ mol g−1, 65 times higher than the catalytic performance of bulk TiO 2. Based on the functional density theory (DFT) calculation, the interaction between the S active site and the performance of photocatalytic CH 4 reforming with oxygen defects is discussed in detail. The synergistic effect of the S site and the oxygen defect has been shown to rapidly activate C = O and C-H bonds at room temperature. Finally, based on the tracer experiment and DFT calculation, a possible mechanism of photocatalytic CH 4 reforming at room temperature is proposed. This work provides a new research direction for achieving carbon neutrality at room temperature and a feasible technical scheme for the large-scale application of photocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Product service systems (PSS) are an example of a novel business model billed as having the potential to significantly reduce the environmental burdens of production and consumption processes. However, despite widespread interest in PSS, consensus regarding their actual environmental impacts, particularly with regard to salient issues such as global warming, is lacking. Hence this paper explores existing research to investigate the state of the art regarding the climatic impacts of PSS, alongside the set of factors that influence climatic impacts. The paper comprises a systematic review of peer-reviewed academic literature, quantifying the extent to which different types of PSS have the capacity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across multiple product categories. Our study shows that significant reductions in climatic emissions are possible, but PSS are in many cases associated with more modest reductions and, in some cases, increased emissions. Further, we observe no clear differences in climatic impacts according to the type of PSS model that is deployed. Rather, differences in climatic impact are influenced by factors such as production and design alongside use-phase impacts and contextual factors such as transportation and the energy mix. The study argues that further research is needed to establish a more robust baseline upon which to draw conclusions regarding the sources of climatic impacts, and outlines fruitful ways for companies to tackle the complexities of climatic emissions that are beyond their control. • In some cases, product service systems can reduce climatic impacts by up to 80%. • In other cases, climatic impacts increase compared to traditional product sales. • Climatic impacts are influenced by use intensity, transportation and production. • Other contextual factors such as the energy mix play a role. • More quantitative assessments are needed with less reliance on estimations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking China's provincial panel data from 2010 to 2020 as an example, this paper verifies that climate change, especially extreme climate change, can destabilize China's financial stability and explores the transmission path of climate risks with meteorological disaster losses as the channel variable. Our empirical results demonstrate that: (a) only after the extreme climate change breaks through a certain threshold, thus causing a significant impact on the financial system; (b) we cannot ignore the improvement of disaster prevention and reduction ability brought by the improvement of social and economic development level; (c) the impact of extreme climate change will spread to the financial system through the economic losses caused by meteorological disasters; (d) there is obvious regional heterogeneity in the spread of meteorological disaster losses to the financial system. Our results are robust to a wider battery of checks and have important policy implications. • This paper empirically tests the impact of climate change on financial stability. • Extreme climate change will damage China's financial stability. • The economic losses caused by climate disasters will spread to the finance. • The transmission of such losses has obvious regional heterogeneity. • This paper provides policy implication for coping with climate risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monthly rainfall data for Blue Nile Basin (BNB) were obtained from the Ethiopian Meteorological Authority (1950–2018). Long-term trends in the BNB annual and monthly rainfall are investigated in this study. The challenges of the paper were to explore the impact of climate change on the study area using sound practical methods. The paper used the widely used statistical methods to find precisely the significance of the impact of climate change rainfall variability and distribution both spatially and temporally in the BNB. The statistical significance of the trend in the study is calculated by the Mann-Kendall (MK) test. Data were analyzed using the coefficient of variation, anomaly index, and precipitation concentration index. The coefficient of variation is high in Kiremt rainfall which implies more inter-annual variability of Bega rainfall than Kiremt (Coefficient of Variation (CV): Bega˃ Belg˃ Kiremt season). Based on Precipitation Concentration Index (PCI) value, the number of moderate concentration years (89.9%) has been increasing through time and the study area has encountered successive years of drought. The results showed that the annual, Bega, Belg, and Kiremt precipitation over the whole of BNB is significantly decreasing except Bega season with a magnitude of 36.38, 3.8, 7.8, and 24.7 mm per decade respectively. The rainfall in the study area is characterized by a high CV. Moreover, prolonged droughts have become common which adversely affects the agricultural system. It was also found that very low values of rainfall anomalies that correspond to severe droughts were associated with El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing assumption in urban studies literature is that the urban poor remain vulnerable to climate change impacts yet excluded from planning interventions and their formation. However, at present, there is dearth of research examining the adaptation practices by the urban poor in African cities. Focusing on Ghana's capital, Accra, the purpose of this study is fourfold: (i) to explore climate change literacy among the urban poor and local planning institutions; (ii) to examine the urban poor's perceptions on climatic events in Accra; (iii) to analyze autonomous adaptation measures to climate change impacts; and (iv) to assess planned adaptation measures to climate change impacts. This paper uses household surveys, secondary data analysis and agency interviews in two informal communities - Nima and Chorkor - in Accra as case studies. Underpinned by the social exclusion theory, the results show limited climate literacy despite widespread experience of climate change impacts by the urban poor. Most adaptation measures were community driven and autonomous while the limited institutional responses were both planned and autonomous. However, both community and institutional planning responses were ad-hoc, reactionary and unsustainable. The paper recommends consideration of community-based self-organizing adaptation measures into city plans to ensure that autonomous measures are complemented with planned adaptation strategies. In addition to stakeholder participation, collaborations and partnerships in climate change adaptation, pro-poor adaptation measures - both autonomous and planned remain imperative as they can contribute to inclusive and just climate change policy. • Urban poor remain vulnerable to climate change impacts. • They are excluded from climate planning action. • Adaptation measures were community driven and autonomous. • Institutional responses to climate change are unsustainable. • Stakeholder partnerships in pro-poor adaptation required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract With fast development and urbanization, Chinese cities are facing several challenges including issues of environmental pollution, climate change, resource depletion and landfills shortage. Waste recycling is one effective way to respond these challenges. Under such a situation, this paper aims to evaluate energy saving and carbon reduction potential of recycling wastes by taking Shanghai, the biggest city in China, as a case study. Results show that 8.7 Mt standard coal (tce) and 16.81 Mt CO 2 could be reduced under current recycling system in Shanghai. And recycling of waste steel and nonferrous metals were the two dominant contributors, accounting for about 44% and 42% of energy saving, and 60% and 33% of CO 2 reduction, respectively. If the recycling rates of main recyclable wastes were improved to 100%, additional 6.44 Mt energy and 10.02 Mt CO 2 could be further saved, mainly from recycling waste glass, waste plastic and waste metals. Adoption of RPF (Refuse Plastic & paper Fuel) could further contribute to 1.24 Mt energy saving and 2.67 Mt CO 2 reduction. Finally, policy implications on establishing a mature recycling system and promoting RPF technologies are discussed, in which the potential on reducing total energy consumption and CO 2 emission of Shanghai can reach 6.6% and 4.9%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]