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Background: To reduce the effects of climate change, the current fossil-based energy system must transition to a low-carbon system based largely on renewables. In both academic literature and non-academic discourse concerning the energy transition, resilience is frequently mentioned as an additional objective or requirement. Despite its frequent use, resilience is a very malleable term with different meanings in different contexts. Main text: This paper seeks to identify how resilience is understood in the field of the energy system and whether there are similar aspects in the different ways the term is understood. To this end, we review more than 130 papers for definitions of energy system resilience. In addition, we use different aspects to categorize and examine these. The results paint a diverse picture in terms of the definition and understanding of resilience in the energy system. However, a few definition archetypes can be identified. The first uses a straightforward approach, in which the energy system has one clearly defined equilibrium state. Here, resilience is defined in relation to the response of the energy system to a disturbance and its ability to quickly return to its equilibrium. The second type of resilience allows for different equilibriums, to which a resilient energy system can move after a disruption. Another type of resilience focuses more on the process and the actions of the system in response to disruption. Here, resilience is defined as the ability of the system to adapt and change. In the papers reviewed, we find that the operational definition of resilience often encompasses aspects of different archetypes. This diversity shows that resilience is a versatile concept with different elements. Conclusions: With this paper, we aim to provide insight into how the understanding of resilience for the energy system differs depending on which aspect of the energy system is studied, and which elements might be necessary for different understandings of resilience. We conclude by providing information and recommendations on the potential usage of the term energy system resilience based on our lessons learned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Environmental pollution and energy poverty have always been serious challenges for the global energy system. Results: Based on the panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2005 to 2020, this paper uses FE and sys-GMM models to explore the impact of environmental regulations and climate change on energy poverty. The results show that climate change increases energy poverty, with rising energy for cooling in hot summers, and unchanged income in the short term. Moreover, environmental regulation plays a moderating role between climate change and energy poverty. Specifically, economical environmental regulation has a negative moderating effect, while legal and supervised environmental regulations have positive moderating effects. Finally, the national basic energy poverty line used is lower than that in the eastern region, higher than that in the western region, and close to that in the central region, which reflects the heterogeneity of energy poverty in different regions of China. Conclusions: The findings in this paper clarify the nexus between climate change, environmental regulation, and energy poverty, addressing in this way a gap in existing research, which has great significance for environmental and energy policy makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the creation, development, and dissemination of prefabricated concrete rural houses in Jiangsu Province in East China from 1961 to the 1980s, an example of the technological transition provoked by the depletion of forest and timber in China. Through archival research, fieldwork and interviews, the paper examines the two waves of design and dissemination of prefabricated concrete rural houses between 1961 and 1965 and their subsequent 'vernacularisation' in the 1970s and the 1980s. This research provides a twofold insight into the current scholarly debates surrounding built heritage and global climate change. On one hand, it addresses a historical context of concrete overuse in contemporary China, a matter of critical importance in relation to carbon emissions and global climate change. On the other hand, it offers a counter-argument to today's call for reintroducing timber structures in many places, as evidenced by the case of East China, where the widespread use of materials like concrete was primarily a consequence of the ecological crisis following decades of deforestation and timber resource depletion. In addition, the 'vernacularisation' of concrete structures manifested by this case still provides lessons for today's efforts to popularise more eco-friendly construction materials and technologies, especially in rural areas, and the prefabricated concrete houses possess potential heritage values as trackers of ecological changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates how the contribution of scientific publications on climate change from the University of São Paulo (USP) evolved between 1989 and 2022. The study conducted a bibliometric analysis of 2874 research articles collected from the Web of Science and Scopus databases to explore main trend topics and reveal influential journals and collaboration networks using the Bibliometrix software. The study shows an increasing and more significant temporal publication distribution from 2010 onwards. Based on the author's affiliations, results indicate that the most important partnerships are national (67%), while the international co-authorships are predominantly with research collaborators of the Global North (North America and Europe). Several papers published in the period are in high-impact factor journals, evidence on climate change from USP. Environmental services, Atlantic Forest, Tropical Forest, Amazon, biodiversity, and Land use are the hotspot research topics to which USP researchers contribute. The evolution of three thematic groups was identified: (i) physical science, (ii) causes and effects, and (iii) strategies, discussed in themes such as organic matter, deforestation, and mitigation, respectively. This research is helpful to get insights into the current research development trends, to show the broadness of the scientific production, and the importance of the USP role in the climate change theme. Ultimately, it provides valuable information for further studies and suggests the possibility of advancing the research agenda on climate change with the Global South. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the literature on the Sustainability in the Arctic region, using a bibliometric analysis of 213 English-language articles published between 1980 and 2022 exploiting Bibliometrix, an R package. To find relevant literature using the Web of Science (WOS) database, we searched for documents using mesh terms based on the query of two terms, "Arctic & Sustainability". We used the Boolean operator "AND" to combine the two terms and the Boolean operator "OR" to include synonyms of the terms. The articles retrieved were authored by 724 researchers, published in 98 journals, representing 132 countries, and growing at 5.08% annually. The findings reveal that a substantial portion of the Arctic sustainability literature placed significant emphasis on the examination of climate change, adaptation, and vulnerabilities affecting local communities. Furthermore, the more recent publications in this field concentrate predominantly on exploring perceptions and governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 1990, global forest area has been reducing; tropical forests have suffered from different anthropogenic and natural factors that account for forest loss. Tropical deforestation is the second driver of anthropogenic emissions; increasing demand and investments in tropical forests drive these emissions. These forests attract significant foreign direct investments, but the effects of these investments on carbon emissions from land use, land-use change, and forestry are not well enshrined in the literature for the countries under study. This paper seeks to analyse the impact of foreign direct investments on carbon emissions from land use, land-use change, and forestry amongst 30 tropical forest countries from 1996 to 2019. The sampled countries were disaggregated by tropical blocs: Amazon, Congo basin, Australasia, and Southeast Asia, and by income levels; low-income, lower-middle, upper-middle, and high-income. The findings reveal a U-shape structure of the impact of FDI on carbon emissions from LULUCF within Congo basin and Amazon countries; at higher levels of FDI, emissions from LULUCF will increase while Australasia and Southeast Asian countries show an inverted U-shape impact, thus at higher levels of FDI, there will be a negative and significant impact on carbon emissions from LULUCF. The income levels reveal an inverted U-shape for low-income and high-income countries and a U-shape for upper-middle-income countries; the impact for lower-middle-income countries is not significant. Overall, for the whole sample, the impact depicts a U-shape. This paper proposes high-level development of environmental conditions for FDI for different sectors that align with country and regional green growth plans. Enhancing national and regional governance systems to enforce decisions and fight corruption effectively can significantly promote green FDI for green growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potentially limiting nature of central bank mandates, together with non-existent standards to assess the impact of climate risks used to inhibit the incorporation of climate change considerations in central bank decisions. This paper analyses how, despite these challenges, climate change risk analysis spread among central banks by examining 941 European financial stability reports of 38 central banks in Europe and their source references. We show that the Dutch and Belgian central banks pioneered significant engagement with climate change risk in financial stability reports, followed by central banks in other Eurozone countries. Then the ECB stepped in, aggregated novel research methods into an accepted analytical framework, and moved to the centre of the stage of the process. Our analysis indicates that various types of proximity played a significant role in the spread of climate friendly central bank mandate interpretations and analytical techniques, but the engagement of a central player was crucial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial Intelligence (AI) could revolutionize our ability to understand and address climate change. Studies to date have focused on specific AI applications to climate science, technologies, and policy. Yet despite the vast demonstrated potential for AI to change the way in which climate research is conducted, no study has presented a systematic and comprehensive understanding of the way in which AI is intersecting with climate research around the world. Using a novel merged corpus of scholarly literature which contains millions of unique scholarly documents in multiple languages, we review the community of knowledge at the intersection of climate change and AI to understand how AI methods are being applied to climate-related research and which countries are leading in this area. We find that Chinese research institutions lead the world in publishing and funding research at the intersection of climate and AI, followed by the United States. In mapping the specific AI tasks or methods being applied to specific climate research fields, we highlight gaps and identify opportunities to expand the use of AI in climate research. This paper can therefore greatly improve our understanding of both the current use and the potential use of AI for climate research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the role of digitalization in enhancing wastewater treatment processes, emphasizing its potential to optimize resource utilization, reduce energy consumption, and improve water quality. By examining the implementation of digital technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML), the study demonstrates how these tools enable real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and intelligent decision-making in wastewater treatment operations. The paper provides a comparative analysis based on key performance indicators (MAPE, RMSE, R2) to evaluate the effectiveness of these digital solutions. Additionally, it discusses the benefits and challenges associated with integrating digital tools in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), including cost, complexity, and data security concerns. The study also addresses the impact of digitalization on carbon neutrality goals, highlighting how data-driven approaches can enhance resource allocation and management. By offering insights into current practices and future directions, this paper aims to contribute to the advancement of sustainable wastewater treatment and support the achievement of UN SDG#6, ensuring clean water and sanitation for all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed at investigating the harm from ecosystem services (ESs) according to agricultural land conversion (ALC) by using meta-analysis. The results of meta-regression showed that spatiotemporal effects had significant influences on some ES losses, and the maximum spatial impacts were relevant to Asia and Europe. Moreover, the results of ALC rate coefficients in meta-regression indicated that three large losses of ES were related to soil erosion (0.314), air pollution (0.202), and climate change (0.161). Therefore, the ALC should be done at a suitable conversion rate to reduce ES losses. Accordingly, administrators are suggested to consider careful research planning for the ALC in the process of economic development. Other strategies highlighted the importance of ALC–ES interactions for human well-being, such as measuring the pricing of goods and services based on land resources, continuously monitoring illegal ALC, and imposing taxes on unplanned ALC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Offshore wind energy (OWE) will play a significant role in achieving climate neutrality. For example, several scenarios for Germany (e.g., Kopernikus base, Kopernikus 1.5 degree, Prognos CN65, and CN60) depict substantial OWE annual installed capacity additions, especially after 2030. This tendency promotes OWE technology development as deployment expands, allowing manufacturers to gain expertise and optimize wind turbine construction. The global trend towards ever-larger components (e.g., hub height and rotor diameter) is critical to achieving higher-rated capacities. These aspects and others, such as wind quality, influence not only OWE annual electricity production but also its environmental performance. In addition, future supply chains might reduce their environmental impacts and enhance OWE climate change mitigation. In this paper, a prospective life cycle assessment (pLCA) is developed and applied exemplarily for a 9.5-MW offshore wind turbine (OWT) on the North Sea coast of Germany for the years 2030 and 2050. Considering that the current OWTs under construction in Europe have an average capacity of 10 MW, Germany plans to instal OWTs of 9.5-MW. This exemplary OWT describes the potential advances for offshore wind turbines in 2030 and 2050, considering component scale-up and learning effects. Yet, the methodology is adaptable to various installed capacities and regions. This approach allows us to analyse not only the potential future characteristics of wind turbines, but also future developments in OWE supply chains. Therefore, relevant parameters related to OWT construction and operation (e.g., rotor diameter, hub height, distance to the shore, lifetime, etc.) as well as prospective life cycle inventory data for background systems that reflect potential future developments in the broader economy are considered. In this way, scenarios (e.g., optimistic, moderate, and pessimistic) for OWE elucidate the expected environmental impacts, such as climate change, marine eutrophication, and abiotic depletion potential, in 2030 and 2050. Results: The findings describe the variability of the environmental impacts of a 9.5-MW offshore wind turbine representing the technologies expected to be available in Germany in 2030 and 2050 and show that climate change impacts could vary between 7 and 18 g CO2-eq per kWh produced in 2030 and between 5 and 17 g CO2-eq per kWh in 2050. However, marine eutrophication could experience a significant increase (100% increase), depending on the consideration of hydrogen as a fuel in the electricity mix, as demonstrated in the climate-neutral scenarios adopted for Germany. Overall, construction efficiency improvements in 2050 might reduce the required materials, leading to a 6% decrease in abiotic depletion potential compared to 2030 values. Conclusions: This paper highlights the need to consider temporal improvements in LCA studies, particularly when assessing the environmental impacts of offshore wind turbines. The complex nature and rapid growth of offshore wind technology require a comprehensive life cycle approach to deepen our understanding of its potential environmental impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper combines social fiction and academic analysis to envision hopeful futures for higher education. At the heart of the exploration is Phoebe Wagner's speculative fiction piece, University, Speaking, which personifies a university grappling with environmental, political, and social change. Phoebe Wagner's first-person narrative highlights the power of collective voice, the importance of centering community, and the urgent need to cultivate resilience and adaptability. Through analysis of key themes, this paper connects Phoebe Wagner's fictional vision to contemporary research on the multi-faceted and complex challenges facing universities today. By integrating artistic and academic perspectives, this paper discusses new possibilities for universities navigating disruption and change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Floating cities have emerged as an efficient long-term solution over unsustainable practiced solutions to combat the rising seas problem; nevertheless, the world lacks an international, official, and comprehensive framework regarding floating cities. Although previous research approached modular floating city design; however, resulted in configurations with various critical design restrictions mainly regarding interlocking capabilities and space utilization. The purpose of this paper is to offer a new systematic strategy for configuring modular and expandable floating cities without such restrictions. This paper explores Euclidean tilings as a strategy to offer numerous configurations based on regular, semi-regular, and demi-regular tilings. Selecting the ideal configuration is complicated; therefore, both quantitative and qualitative data methods were implemented to attain the objectives. Via an extensive literature review, this research derives key factors for configuring floating cities, then sets a brainstorming session with experts for group decision making before providing findings upon calculations via analytic hierarchy process, one of the most used quantitative data methods of multiple-criteria decision analysis. Through comprehensive literature review: seakeeping, modularity, zoning and circulation, and feasibility have been identified as the most significant criteria in floating city research. It explores the qualities and limitations of triangular, squared, hexagonal, octagonal, and dodecagonal platforms. Regarding criteria, seakeeping was the most significant criterion for platform selection by 53.6%. Regarding platforms, the hexagonal platform scored the highest with 25.31%. Relying on this method and the design considerations presented, numerous dynamic configurations can be offered and assessed through specific contexts without any of the past restrictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper employs an innovative event study methodology to demonstrate the impact of climate change on the NASDAQ index from the unique perspective of extreme weather events. This is achieved through the application of the event study methodology to a total of 526 biological, climatic, geological, hydrological, and meteorological disasters of climate change occurring in the U.S. during the period of 2000–2019. The results of the study demonstrate that: ① it can be generally observed that the five dimensions of climate change have a significant impact on stock returns. ② Empirical evidence indicates that the impact of different climate change dimensions on the return rate of stocks from NASDAQ stocks varies. In contrast, the biological and hydrological dimensions have a significantly negative impact on the return rate of stocks from the NASDAQ index, while the climate dimension has a significantly positive impact on the return rate of stocks from the NASDAQ index. ③ From the perspective of time, the impact of the five dimensions of climate change on the stock yield exhibits certain non-linear characteristics. This can be observed in the phenomenon of shock reversal, which occurs before and after the event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing global concern about climate change and the circular economy have successfully established itselves in international and national policies over the last decade, with the aim of reshaping the production and consumer behavior. The circular economy is one of the core pillars of European Union policy and its success depends on the energy efficiency, reducing production costs, and maintaining employment levels by ensuring continuous strong economic independency of the region. While crises are unavoidable and continue to appear, this paper aims to project the impact of any crisis on sustainability transitions using data analysis of the Global Financial crisis from 2008 to 2009 and discuss how the success of the circular economy implementation and environmental policies could be affected. The paper notes that the global financial crisis of 2008–2009 had a short-term positive impact on environmental degradation and that economic interests overshadowed environmental goals. Due to the recent events of the ongoing Russia and Ukraine war, COVID-19 societal and industrial behavior has shifted from sustainable to linear and has taken a step backward in reducing environmental pollution and achieving Sustainable Development Goals. Analysis of already present data and the context of the 2008–2009 global financial crisis, reviewing of COVID-19 impact on the global economy, health sector, and environmental policies allows us to predict the consequences, as it relates to the future of circular economy policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The acceleration of global climate change poses enormous challenges to the automotive manufacturing industry, a key sector in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Particularly, Scope 3 emissions, encompassing indirect emissions, often constitute the largest carbon footprint component in this sector, yet their quantification and management remain challenging. This paper proposes an interdisciplinary approach that integrates cloud computing, text analysis, and machine learning, and systematically details its implementation, key benefits, and potential applications. Through this methodology, the paper seeks to provide the automotive industry with innovative and actionable insights to tackle the complexities of Scope 3 emissions. It focuses on enhancing the accuracy of emission quantification and optimizing supply chains, aiming to reduce the overall carbon footprint. Moreover, this paper outlines the future challenges and directions for these technologies and methodologies in sustainable development and environmental management. This work underlines the critical role of interdisciplinary approaches in resolving environmental challenges, setting the stage for the automotive industry to forge paths towards a greener future. Highlights: • The article explores the challenges of managing Scope 3 emissions, emphasizing the importance of strengthened quantitative analysis and strategic oversight. • The research promotes interdisciplinary integration, combining cloud computing, text analysis, and machine learning to establish a comprehensive framework for emission data management and reduction. • The development of a specialized SaaS platform is proposed to refine data collection practices, enhance stakeholder interaction, and streamline emission management workflow. • The adoption of text analysis in supply chain management optimization is advocated to improve operational efficiency and support decision-making processes. • The discussion covers technological, policy, and market developments potentially affecting Scope 3 emissions management strategies, offering a long-term orientation for future research and industry practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the main challenges regarding the prediction of groundwater resource changes is the climate change phenomenon and its impacts on quantitative variations of such resources. Groundwater resources are treated as one of the main strategic resources of any region. Given the climate change phenomenon and its impacts on hydrological parameters, it is necessary to evaluate and predict future changes to achieve an appropriate plan to maintain and preserve water resources. In this regard, the present study is put forward by utilizing the Statistical Down-Scaling Model (SDSM) to forecast the main climate variables (i.e., temperature and precipitation) based on new Rcp scenarios for greenhouse gas emissions within a period from 2020 to 2060. The results obtained from the prediction of climate parameters indicate different values in each emission scenario, so the limit, minimum and maximum values occur in the Rcp8.5, Rcp2.6 and Rcp4.5 scenarios, respectively. Also, a model is developed by utilizing the GMDH artificial neural network technique. The developed model predicts the average groundwater level based on the climate variables in such a way that by implementing the climate parameters forecasted by the SDSM model, the groundwater level within a time period from 2020 to 2060 is predicted. The results obtained from the verification and validation of the model imply its proper performance and reasonable accuracy in predicating groundwater level based on the climate variables. The findings derived from the present paper indicate that compared to the years prior to the prediction period, the groundwater level of the Sahneh Plain has dramatically dropped so that based on the Rcp scenarios, the groundwater level values are in their lowest state within the period from 2046 to 2056. The findings of this paper can be used by managers and decision makers as a layout for evaluating climate change effects in the Sahneh Plain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The size and number of global threats to humanity's at least cultural survival on the very small blue planet of Earth is growing. Exponential population growth and additionally exponential growth of all kinds of consumption have led to the planet's limits finally being exceeded in the final quarter of the last century. Meanwhile this growth has already probably generated irreversible changes in the world which have brought or will bring the climate very soon beyond "tipping points" leading to "runaway effects", endangering mankind or at least its cultural achievements. Science and education need to provide pathways for survival and the design of a sustainable future, and thereby replace having to deal with short-term and small problems by tackling these global threats. This paper discusses these issues, underlines the significance of global studies and outlines approaches to the design of a trans-disciplinary global sustainability science curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The serious consequences of climate warming have increasingly become a globe agenda in recent decades. China has been actively participating in various initiatives to address global climate change and has made commitments to reduce carbon emissions. Although the logistics industry is regarded as the "new driving force of national economic development", its carbon intensity is relatively high. Therefore, whether the logistics industry can develop in a green and low-carbon way is very crucial. This paper takes the green logistics efficiency of China's provincial logistics industry as the research object. The Super-SBM model is used to measure the China's green logistics efficiency, then the general dynamic characteristics is depicted by kernel density analysis. With the GML (Global Malmquist-Luenberger) index model, the reasons for the changes in green logistics efficiency are explained. Finally, Moran's I index is used to analyze the spatial correlation of green logistics efficiency in each province. The results show that the green logistics efficiency in China is at a low level, but with an upward trend. China's green logistics efficiency has a significant positive spatial correlation, showing a zonal pattern of high in the east and low in the west, and a polarization phenomenon. In addition, the bottleneck of the overall development of green logistics efficiency in China depends on the level of green technology. Furthermore, the results also imply that green technology advancement is an inherent key factor for green logistics efficiency to achieve growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flash droughts, characterized by rapid onset and development, present significant challenges to agriculture and climate mitigation strategies. Operational drought monitoring systems, based on precipitation, soil moisture deficits, or temperature anomalies, often fall short in timely detection of these events, underscoring the need for customized identification and monitoring indices that account for the rapidity of flash drought onset. Recognizing this need, this paper introduces a global flash drought inventory from 1990 to 2021 derived using the Soil Moisture Volatility Index (SMVI). Our work expands the application of the SMVI methodology, previously focused on the United States, to a global scale, providing a tool for understanding and predicting these rapidly developing phenomena. The dataset encompasses detailed event characteristics, including onset, duration, and severity, across diverse climate zones. By integrating atmospheric variables through their impact on soil moisture, the inventory offers a platform for analyzing the drivers and impacts of flash droughts, and serves as a large, consistent dataset for use in training and evaluating flash drought prediction models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming is a challenge to the sustainable development of all humanity. Innovation is the main driver of the world's development and a powerful response to economic development and environmental protection. In this paper, a bidirectional fixed effect model and spatial Durbin model are used to explore the impact mechanism, heterogeneity and spatial impact of the low-carbon effect of technological innovation based on panel data of 279 Chinese cities from 2010 to 2019. The findings indicate that (1) technological innovation significantly negatively impacts carbon intensity, while the impact of high-quality technological innovation is greater. After the robustness test with the instrumental variable method and DID method, the conclusion is still valid. (2) The low-carbon effect is stronger in cities where governments pay more attention to green development and in central China. (3) Technological innovation improves energy efficiency (direct mechanism) and optimizes energy and industrial structures (indirect mechanism), and the digital economy strengthens this effect. (4) Furthermore, innovation can negatively impact the carbon intensity of adjacent cities. This paper provides new evidence and perspectives on the impact of technological innovation on carbon emissions more precisely at the city level. Additionally, this study provides an essential reference for countries to cope with global climate change and formulate differentiated policies among regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon emissions are a major contributor to global warming and climate change. The government has adopted carbon tax (CT) and cap-and-trade policies to reduce carbon emissions from carbon companies. This paper develops a production–inventory model for scarce perishable goods under different carbon policies and outside green technology. This study covers the contribution of energy-efficient green technology in a multi-stage supply chain to control carbon emissions in producing and transporting goods from the manufacturer to the dealer. However, it discusses a different combination of carbon policies chosen for manufacturers and retailers in their countries. According to the findings, changes in carbon pricing, CT, and exchange rates under various policy combinations have varying effects on the entire supply chain, each member's interests, and the social benefits of reducing carbon emissions. It seeks to provide useful information to decision-makers in businesses or supply chains, especially multinational corporations, to make decisions related to fixed rate CT and cap partial deficit cases, long cycle time, reasonable profit with small value, and long term and low cost of green technology investment. The main objective is to find the best material sourcing, production, and distribution strategy for manufacturers and the best replenishment strategy for retailers to maximize the overall joint profitability of the supply chain. In summary, sensitivity analysis has provided an optimal solution management implication based on certain key parameters and CT size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global climate change and the collection of environmental protection taxes are accelerating the green transformation of thermal power enterprises. This study selected Chinese thermal power listed companies as samples and used a dynamic three-stage (operational, green transformation, and market performance) network DEA model to evaluate their transformation efficiency and corporate performance. This paper incorporates targeted indicators such as ESG (environment, society, governance) and stock prices into the model and conducts a comparative study on the basis of macro policies and the geographical location of the enterprise. A comparative analysis was conducted on the efficiency of enterprises before and after the adjustment of the environmental tax burden, using the environmental tax burden as an exogenous variable. Thus, the following conclusions can be drawn: there is a certain positive correlation between the collaborative efficiency of the two links of thermal power enterprises and the economic development of their respective regions. Moreover, the green transformation efficiency of most thermal power enterprises is superior to the market performance efficiency. The environmental tax burden mainly improves the overall efficiency of thermal power enterprises by improving their operational efficiency and efficiency in the green transformation stage without affecting market performance. To further improve efficiency, thermal power enterprises should actively communicate with stakeholders to strive for more financial relief. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pangani is a historic coastal Swahili town situated at the mouth of the Pangani River, which empties its waters into the Indian ocean. Archaeologists have traced the origins of this town back to the seventh century through evidence from material cultures found in this area. Despite its historical importance and archaeological interest, Pangani faces substantial conservation and management challenges, primarily due to low awareness levels among its local community. These residents are largely unaware of the town's historical value and of the impact of factors such as climate change, stone quarrying, wave erosion, and development pressures, so effective conservation plans are lacking. In finding the best practices for managing and conserving this historic town, a critical question remains as to how to rescue the town's significance and value from these challenges. This paper proposes a gazettement approach for managing and conserving Pangani, emphasising a bottom-up approach that involves local communities and other stakeholders in the conservation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on climate anxiety is rapidly growing, with ongoing exploration of population prevalence, contributing factors, and mitigation strategies that transform anxiety into helpful action. What remains unclear is whether and how to delineate climate anxiety from mental ill health. A limited conceptualization of climate anxiety restricts efforts to identify and support those adversely affected. This paper draws on psychological and existential theories to propose a theoretical model of climate anxiety and coping, extending previous conceptualizations. The model theorizes that climate change evokes an existential conflict that manifests affectively as climate anxiety (and other emotional experiences), wherein cognitive and behavioral coping processes are activated. These processes fall on a continuum of adaptivity, depending on functional impact. Responses might range from meaningful engagement with activities that address climate change to maladaptive strategies that negatively impact personal, social, and occupational functioning. Applications of this model in research and practice are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human well-being, human development and peaceful coexistence require healthy ecosystems and ecosystem services. The complex interlinkages between water security and biodiversity are crucial for sustainable development. Biodiversity plays a crucial role in regulating the nutrient cycle and water and mitigating the impacts of climate change. However, the increasing demand for water due to population growth, urbanization, and economic development poses a threat to both water security and biodiversity. The need for a holistic approach to water security, which includes the protection of aquatic biodiversity, is emphasized. Understanding their interconnectedness is vital for effective environmental management. Employing an ecosystem-based approach, the paper investigates the interlinkages between water security and biodiversity in Sub-Himalayan Jammu City as the city faces significant challenges in maintaining water and biodiversity security due to varied anthropogenic and natural factors. The study provides a comprehensive overview of the current water security and biodiversity status in Jammu City. The study explores the role of ecosystem services in promoting water security, such as water purification, flood regulation, and habitat provision, while examining the issue of land use changes. Moreover, it investigates how preserving and restoring biodiversity can enhance ecosystem resilience and contribute to sustainable water management practices. The study highlights the need for a paradigm shift towards ecosystem-based approaches to develop more sustainable and resilient water management strategies in Jammu City while safeguarding its rich biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hydrogen certification market faces intricate challenges that are intertwined and interdependent. This research paper employs the metaphor of fitting puzzle pieces together to delve into the complexities of the market. It highlights the central puzzle piece that often goes unnoticed: the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. The lack of compatibility in LCA methodologies across certifications creates significant hurdles in achieving harmonization of crucial aspects such as governance, hydrogen categorization, emissions threshold determination, segmented certification due to various hydrogen end-uses, and chain-of-custody tracking systems that catches the interest of research so far. To address this oversight, the paper adopts a structured approach to accomplish its objectives. Firstly, it thoroughly investigates the existing life cycle methodologies employed in global hydrogen schemes, treating them as distinct puzzle pieces. This analysis delves into key components of these methodologies, including eligible sources and pathways, functional unit determination, system boundary definition, cut-off rules, allocation choices, and impact assessment. By examining the differences and variations in these methodologies, the paper elucidates their intricate interplay with policymaking and segmented international goals. Moreover, the research tackles the challenges arising from LCA methodology misalignment in the hydrogen market, drawing parallels with the difficulty of fitting mismatched puzzle pieces together. It explores potential strategies to overcome these challenges by drawing insights from existing certification models in other sectors, such as advocating for internationally recognized standards, designing mutual recognition agreements, creating product category rules and comparability factors, and promoting convergence through market demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric extreme events cause severe damage to human societies and ecosystems. The frequency and intensity of extremes and other associated events are continuously increasing due to climate change and global warming. The accurate prediction, characterization, and attribution of atmospheric extreme events is, therefore, a key research field in which many groups are currently working by applying different methodologies and computational tools. Machine learning and deep learning methods have arisen in the last years as powerful techniques to tackle many of the problems related to atmospheric extreme events. This paper reviews machine learning and deep learning approaches applied to the analysis, characterization, prediction, and attribution of the most important atmospheric extremes. A summary of the most used machine learning and deep learning techniques in this area, and a comprehensive critical review of literature related to ML in EEs, are provided. The critical literature review has been extended to extreme events related to rainfall and floods, heatwaves and extreme temperatures, droughts, severe weather events and fog, and low-visibility episodes. A case study focused on the analysis of extreme atmospheric temperature prediction with ML and DL techniques is also presented in the paper. Conclusions, perspectives, and outlooks on the field are finally drawn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In a context marked by the intensification of climate change as well as an increase in the frequency and intensity of violent conflicts in Africa, this paper analyses the effects of vulnerability to climate change on conflict through the channel of migratory movements. Given the complex causal relationships between the variables, and to distinguish between their direct and indirect effects on conflicts, we employ structural equation modeling on a sample of 37 African countries observed between 1995 and 2017. The results show that vulnerability to climate change has both direct and indirect negative effects on internal conflict in Africa. An increase in vulnerability to climate change reduces the net stock of international migrants; while the net stock of migrants increases internal conflict. These effects are robust regardless of the components of the climate change vulnerability index considered and vary, however, according to the official language spoken and the level of development. In English-speaking and low-developing countries, the effects of climate change vulnerability on conflict remain negative, while in French- and Arabic-speaking as well as in more developed African countries, climate change vulnerability indirectly increases conflict through migration.In a given territory, the implementation of specific adaptation measures helps to reduce the level of vulnerability to climate change. Furthermore, the increase in conflicts caused by a reduction in vulnerability to climate change can be mitigated by a decrease in migratory movements through a better allocation of natural resources such as arable land and an increase in gross domestic product per capita. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The "Dual Carbon" initiative is a two-stage carbon reduction goal proposed by China, with significant implications for global climate change mitigation. This article examines the impact of the "Dual Carbon" strategy on China's forestry development and explores how to leverage this strategy to facilitate the transformation and advancement of the forestry sector. Current review indicated that forestry has the advantage of achieving higher emission reduction targets at a low cost. Starting with an overview of the "Dual Carbon" strategy, this paper analyzes the carbon sequestration potential of plants and soil, and the challenges and opportunities faced by forestry development under this framework. Furthermore, we outline implementation pathways for forestry development, aiming to provide insights for the progress of China's forestry sector. Overall, it should be noted that the priority is to vigorously develop timber resources, and we also need to vigorously develop and protect forestry talent with the support of China's policies. By trapping into the carbon storage capabilities and leveraging carbon trading mechanisms of forests, a favorable ecological environment can be created, thus achieving the goal of carbon neutrality. Highlights: • Forest development and its carbon sinks, attributed to plant and soil have the potential in carbon sequestration process, thus helping China achieve carbon neutrality. • The supply of forest products and the balance of economic growth and environmental protection are the key difficulties under the "Dual Carbon" strategy. • Trading forest carbon sinks can boost China's sequestration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper assesses the robustness of the "natalist bias" of pollution control in de la Croix and Gosseries (J Environ Econ Manage 63:271–287, 2012), according to which taxing emissions encourage agents to shift from production to procreation, further deteriorating the environment and gradually impoverishing the next generations. We relax the assumptions that human capital does not depend on environmental quality and that society does not allocate resources to pollution control. Using a similar Overlapping Generations (OLG) growth model, our findings indicate that taxation does not necessarily encourage agents to permanently shift away from production because living under better environmental conditions enhances productivity through human capital formation. As the government increases the emissions price, agents reduce consumption and education spending, hurting output in the short term. However, in the long run, the reduction in emissions that follows taxation more than compensates for the initial adverse effects, provided that the sensitivity of human capital accumulation to environmental degradation is strong enough. Furthermore, as we increase the coefficient capturing such pollution externality, a Neimark–Sacker bifurcation occurs, making the system compatible with persistent endogenous fluctuations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2015 Paris Agreement has set out the climate change target of limiting global warming to 1.5 °C, which poses a serious challenge to countries to reduce emissions. As the world's largest carbon emitter, promoting the realization of the "dual-carbon" goal is the key to realizing China's green transformation and high-quality development. Chinese asset managers play active roles in the capital market as an important channel of asset allocation. Currently, the vast majority of Chinese asset managers hold high percentages of high-carbon industries in their portfolios, and lack quantitative data of their carbon footprints embodied in equity investments, which faces huge carbon-related risks. Therefore, it's an urgent need to comprehensively and scientifically measure financed emissions of Chinese asset managers, which is of great significance for asset managers' carbon risk management and sustainable investment. This paper develops a detailed inventory of carbon emissions for equity portfolios managed by Chinese asset managers from 2010 to 2020, which stands as a pivotal reference for in-depth analysis of emission characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainability in cotton production is inevitable because producing more cotton means more employment, economic acceleration, and industrial expansion. India, China, the United States, Brazil, and Pakistan contribute 74% of worldwide cotton production. Pakistan is contributing only 5%, despite the high potential of cotton. The average yield of cotton in Pakistan is stagnant at 570.99 kg hm−2, whereas it entails the highest cost of production among all other crops. The yield obtained in Pakistan is less than the potential, profitability is drastically lessening, and farmers are abandoning cotton for alternative kharif crops. Some traditional quantitative studies have unveiled different factors that affect cotton production. However, an in-depth qualitative study has never been conducted in Pakistan to explore the root causes of growing cotton crop failure. Following Moustakas's traditional phenomenological guidelines, this phenomenological study was conducted in the district of Rahim Yar Khan in the core cotton zone of Punjab province. A total of 10 interviews were conducted with purposively selected cotton growers based on a criterion: (i) having more than 10 years of cotton growing experience, (ii) being a cotton grower, and (iii) having at least 10 years of formal schooling. Interviews were conducted face to face on an interview guide. One interview lasted 45–50 min, and responses were recorded and analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. A total of 6 themes emerged from the collected data, including (i) climate change, (ii) varietal problems, (iii) pesticide usage, (iv) sense of institutional services, (v) attitude of farmers and (vi) soil health and environment. These six merging themes contributed to cotton crop failure and yield decline. The deep exploration further summarized that researchers, extensionists, and farmers need to seriously consider variety, sowing time, and the environment to revive cotton crops. The detailed recommendations and policy guidelines are presented in this paper, highlighting the cotton sector's research, development and investment areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Timely and accurate agricultural drought monitoring and drought-driven mechanism analysis in karst basins in the context of global warming are highly important for drought disaster monitoring and sustainable ecological development in a basin. In this study, based on MODIS data, meteorological and topographic data and land use data from 2001 to 2020, we used the Sen slope, the Mann–Kendall test and a geographic detector to explore the driving mechanisms of agricultural drought caused by climate change and human activities in the karst basin of southern China from 2001 to 2020. The results showed that (1) the spatial distribution of the TVDI in the karst basin in southern China has obvious regional characteristics, showing a decreasing trend from west to east. (2) According to the interannual trend of drought, the degree of drought in the South China karst basin exhibited a weakening trend over the last 20 years, with the most severe drought occurring in 2003. Regarding the seasonal change in the TVDI, drought in spring, summer and autumn exhibited a decreasing trend, while that in winter exhibited an increasing trend, and the drought intensity decreased in the following order: spring (0.58) > autumn (0.53) > summer (0.5) > winter (0.48). (3) Single-factor detection the results showed that rainfall, temperature and elevation were the main factors driving aridification in the study area; multifactor coupling (mean) drove drought in descending order: rainfall (q = 0.424) > temperature (q = 0.340) > elevation (q = 0.219) > land use (q = 0.188) > population density (q = 0.061) > slope (q = 0.057). Therefore, revealing the mechanism of agricultural drought in karst basins through the study of this paper has important theoretical significance and provides technical guidance for drought relief in karst areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Traditional agriculture is on the front line of climate change, being most impacted by the increase in the intensity and frequency of extreme events, such as floods, drought and rising temperatures. Local ecological knowledge is a recognized keystone of successfully managed socioecological systems, but loss of soil fertility, water scarcity, incidence of diseases and decreased production due to climate change are linked to the greater vulnerability experienced by traditional farmers. Plant biostimulants are natural products used to stimulate nutrient uptake and efficiency by crops, increase tolerance to abiotic/biotic stress and improve quality without negative impacts on the environment if obtained from renewed sources. Humic substances are some of the most used plant biostimulants in agriculture and play a central role in plant adaptation. Materials and methods: We reviewed and discussed a sample set of papers (n = 52) about humic substances to mitigate abiotic stress in crops using data basis from Web of Science (Clarivate Analytics), Scopus—IBM (International Business Machines Corporation), and Scielo (Scientific Electronic Library Online). Results: The predominance of authors in the global south is notable, but it is not a coincidence, since this is where the effects of climate change will have the greatest impact. The mechanisms involved in the stress mitigation involve the activation of signaling factors, gene response induction, the accumulation of osmoprotective and anti-oxidant compounds, the induction of antioxidative metabolism, ion homeostasis, membrane transport and adjustment of hormonal balance. The intriguing question is: how can a complex mixture of molecules affect so many distinct effects on plants responsible for plant adaptation? Conclusions: The complexity of humic substances challenges our knowledge method, but supramolecular chemistry may provide answers that enable us to broaden our understanding of the plant defense mechanisms modulated by these substances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the impact of transition risk on a firm's low-carbon production. As the world is facing global climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has set the idealized carbon-neutral scenario around 2050. In the meantime, many carbon reduction scenarios, known as Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) have been proposed in the literature for different production sectors in a more comprehensive socio-economic context. We consider, on the one hand, a firm that aims to optimize its emission level under the double objectives of maximizing its production profit and respecting the emission mitigation scenarios. Solving the penalized optimization problem provides the optimal emission according to a given SSP benchmark. On the other hand, such transitions affect the firm's credit risk. We model the default time by using the structural default approach. We are particularly concerned with how, by following different SSPs scenarios, the adopted strategies may influence the firm's default probability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is often hypothesized that adaptive capacity leads to increased yield. However, the veracity of this assumption in quantitative terms has largely remained understudied by researchers. Also, adaptation depends on the vulnerability of the agricultural sector, climate risks, biocapacity of the area, readiness and adaptive capacities of stakeholders. Adaptation can only take place if stakeholders are ready to respond and resources are also available. To understand these relationships, the paper examined the impacts of climate change, food vulnerability, adaptive capacity, biocapacity and readiness on yields of major cereal crops in thirty-five African countries. We used the panel autoregressive distributive lag model to analyse publicly available panel data obtained from FAOSTAT, Global Foot Print Network, and Notre Dame Adaptation Index databases, and World Bank Group Climate Change Knowledge Portal. The results show that biocapacity, adaptive capacity, food sector vulnerability, and temperature decreased rice yield in the long. Biocapacity increased maize and sorghum yields, while adaptive capacity decreased their yields in the long run. Food sector vulnerability and temperature decreased maize yield in the long run, while temperature increased sorghum yield in the long run. The results suggest that improvement in adaptive capacity is an important policy tool to increase the yield of some cereal crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate movements have gained momentum in recent years, aiming to create public awareness of the consequences of climate change through salient climate protests. This paper investigates whether concerns about climate change increase following demonstrative protests and confrontational acts of civil disobedience. Leveraging individual-level survey panel data from Germany, we exploit exogenous variations in the timing of climate protests relative to survey interview dates to compare climate change concerns in the days before and after a protest (N = 24,535). Following climate protests, we find increases in concerns about climate change by, on average, 1.2 percentage points. Further, we find no statistically significant evidence that concerns of any subpopulation decreased after climate protests. Lastly, the increase in concerns following protests is highest when concern levels before the protests are low. Climate movements aim to raise public awareness of climate change through protests, but their efficacy is debated. Here, the authors show that concerns about climate change increased in Germany after climate strikes and non-violent acts of civil disobedience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Afghanistan is facing one of the world's most serious humanitarian and environmental crises, with food insecurity, conflict, instability, and climate change. To analyze all these interrelated challenges we studied the impact of climate change on natural resources, food security and social stability in Afghanistan. The potential impacts of climate change on food security through agriculture, water resources, drought, energy, migration and conflict, and social health studied by assessing large number of peer reviewed papers and reports published. The finding shows that Afghanistan's average temperature has risen by 1.8 °C since 1950. Severe floods, droughts, and heatwaves raised in the country, which increased the risks of crop failure, livestock starvation, crop or animal disease, and pests. Based on the climate models, future precipitation will further decrease and temperature will increase, which would exacerbate the human and environmental crises further. Climate factors and natural resource degradation associated with political issues exacerbated food insecurity and social unrests in Afghanistan. Climate-related disaster events contributed to hunger and child malnutrition, and diarrheal disease is a main health risk for children. Afghanistan ranks 109th out of 121 countries in the Global Hunger Index, indicating a severe level of food insecurity. A large number of people lack access to food, both due to conflict and climate change. Migration and social health are also major impacts of climate change on Afghan society. Finding shows that climate change contributed displacement and economic losses in Afghanistan, drought in 2018–2019 caused over 400,000 people to be displaced in the most affected regions, resulting in millions of dollars in financial losses. Climate change, acted as a "threat multiplier" to all economic and social development and stability in Afghanistan. To prevent the devastating impacts of climate changes impacts, government of Afghanistan must take action context-specific solutions such as reduce the risk of social and political instability, attain food security, and avoid additional environmental and agricultural destruction, and must implement adaptation and mitigation measures. Unfortunately, Afghanistan's future is uncertain due to climate change threats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is a global phenomenon that poses a significant threat to nomadic communities' traditional livelihoods worldwide. The Bakarwal scheduled tribe; a nomadic community from Pir Panjal Range, India is not immune to these threats. The recurrence of Extreme Weather Events (EWE) and emerging Slow Onset Changes (SOC) increases their susceptibility to economic and non-economic losses thereby, endangering pastoralism. This paper proposes a conceptual framework for addressing the impacts of climate change on nomadic communities through loss and damage incurred by various climatic stressors. The framework involves four key steps: (1) identifying climatic stressors (2) identifying climate-vulnerable communities, (3) assessing economic and non-economic losses, and (4) establishing a relationship between climatic stressors and the losses. The study used a mixed-method approach to assess climate risk. The results show that Bakarwals are experiencing significant economic and non-economic losses. The recurrence of extreme events results in direct economic losses to them whereas the slow onset changes bring implications on non-economic losses to nomadism. The study underscores the importance of taking an anticipatory and proactive approach to climate change adaptation. It provides context-specific recommendations for policymakers and practitioners to approach climate risk while navigating through loss and damage. This research contributes to the literature by providing a roadmap for identifying and addressing the loss and damage among pastoral communities, thereby enhancing their adaptive capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discourse on urban flood resilience and the notions associated with the word has grown enormously and has been discovered to be in staggering form. This paper intends to provide a bibliometric analysis of nearly 30 years of urban flood resilience by mapping the knowledge domain, identifying evolving themes & trends over time, and extracting publications addressing urban flood resilience from the Scopus database. Trends, evolution, and mapping purpose of subject and field information analysis are undertaken using VOSviewer and SciMAT tools. The VOSviewer programme highlights the emphasis areas, whereas SciMAT traces the field's intellectual evolution across time and the essential themes that drove the transition. The study period is divided into four segments: 1996–2005, 2006–2010, 2011–2015, and 2016–2022 based on the significant international policy milestones. The findings of the analysis highlight that the urban flood resilience field initially concentrated on a few themes and subsequently expanded to encompass the multi-dimensional characteristics of urban area resilience. In recent years, spatial planning approaches, nature-based and sustainable solutions, community-based and citizen science approaches, application of artificial intelligence, urban–rural relationship in resilience aspect, health services, and critical infrastructure networks have been the field's primary themes and concerns for achieving and assessing urban flood resilience. Despite a lack of emphasis on resilience assessment methods and approaches favouring conceptual framework and factors, it is observed that these themes are emerging in the developing scenario to solve the resilience concepts. The research may serve as a springboard for people's and policymakers' concerns about climate change and its effects, infrastructure development to improve the health and social well-being of societies, and a desire to learn more about resolving urban flooding problems in order to enhance flood management concepts pertaining to urban flood resilience and its history. Hence, a comprehensive list of themes and thematic areas concerning urban flood resilience with varying weights according to contexts is recommended, leading to the development of the urban flood resilient assessment tool and modifying the existing tools to reflect better the holistic understanding of sustainable and resilient cities/areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engineering biology (EngBio) is a dynamic field that uses gene editing, synthesis, assembly, and engineering to design new or modified biological systems. EngBio applications could make a significant contribution to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions. Yet, policy support will be needed if EngBio is to fulfil its climate mitigation potential. What form should such policies take, and what EngBio applications should they target? This paper reviews EngBio's potential climate contributions to assist policymakers shape regulations and target resources and, in so doing, to facilitate democratic deliberation on desirable futures. Engineering biology is a dynamic field that uses gene editing, synthesis, assembly, and engineering to design new or modified biological systems. Here the authors discuss the policy considerations and interventions needed to support a role for engineering biology in climate change mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Restoring tree cover changes albedo, which is the fraction of sunlight reflected from the Earth's surface. In most locations, these changes in albedo offset or even negate the carbon removal benefits with the latter leading to global warming. Previous efforts to quantify the global climate mitigation benefit of restoring tree cover have not accounted robustly for albedo given a lack of spatially explicit data. Here we produce maps that show that carbon-only estimates may be up to 81% too high. While dryland and boreal settings have especially severe albedo offsets, it is possible to find places that provide net-positive climate mitigation benefits in all biomes. We further find that on-the-ground projects are concentrated in these more climate-positive locations, but that the majority still face at least a 20% albedo offset. Thus, strategically deploying restoration of tree cover for maximum climate benefit requires accounting for albedo change and we provide the tools to do so. Restoring tree cover is a prominent climate solution but can cause global warming due to changes in albedo. This paper maps albedo and carbon changes from restoring tree cover to highlight where the greatest net climate benefits can be achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping humanity's future, and this manuscript provides a comprehensive exploration of its implications, applications, challenges, and opportunities. The revolutionary potential of AI is investigated across numerous sectors, with a focus on addressing global concerns. The influence of AI on areas such as healthcare, transportation, banking, and education is revealed through historical insights and conversations on different AI systems. Ethical considerations and the significance of responsible AI development are addressed. Furthermore, this study investigates AI's involvement in addressing global issues such as climate change, public health, and social justice. This paper serves as a resource for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners understanding the complex link between AI and humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accelerating efforts for the Sustainable Development Goals requires understanding their synergies and trade-offs at the national and sub-national levels, which will help identify the key hurdles and opportunities to prioritize them in an indivisible manner for a country. Here, we present the importance of the 17 goals through synergy and trade-off networks. Our results reveal that 19 provinces show the highest trade-offs in SDG13 (Combating Climate Change) or SDG5 (Gender Equality) consistent with the national level, with other 12 provinces varying. 24 provinces show the highest synergies in SDG1 (No Poverty) or SDG6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) consistent with the national level, with the remaining 7 provinces varying. These common but differentiated SDG priorities reflect that to ensure a coordinated national response, China should pay more attention to the provincial situation, so that provincial governments can formulate more targeted policies in line with their own priorities towards accelerating sustainable development. The paper reveals areas of common and differentiated SDG priority at the national and subnational levels in China considering synergy and trade-off. The findings suggest that provincial governments should formulate more targeted policy aligning with national priority to achieve SDGs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Ethiopia, large-scale agricultural investment (LAI) is promoted to foster adaptation to climate change among smallholder farmers by improving farming conditions and productivity. However, little has been known about this condition so far. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to study the implications of LAI for the capacity for climate change adaptation among smallholder farmers, based on a study conducted in Merti district in the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia. An asset-based approach was used to measure the adaptive capacity of smallholders, via data collected from a household survey, undertaken among smallholder households who had, or had not, benefited, from LAI, and supported by key informant interviews and focus group discussions. Descriptive and inferential statistics and qualitative thematic analysis methods were used to analyze the data. The study found that the adaptive capacity of smallholder households was improved under the influence of LAI. LAI motivated and prompted farmers to use technologies that fostered climate change adaption, including the use of irrigation, improved crop varieties, chemical fertilizer, and engagement in alternative sources of income, which improved their food security status. But this technology and knowledge transfer mainly occurred through observation (learning by doing), not by capacity-building. However, both group of smallholders (within and without contact with the LAI) received similar benefits through government rural extension services. Therefore, the paper concludes that scaling up these technologies and alternative income sources could enhance the adaptive capacity of smallholders, but that LAIs should contribute actual technical and financial support as part of benefit-sharing or corporate responsibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across the globe, governments are developing policies and strategies to reduce carbon emissions to address climate change. Monitoring the impact of governments' carbon reduction policies can significantly enhance our ability to combat climate change and meet emissions reduction targets. One promising area in this regard is the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in carbon reduction policy and strategy monitoring. While researchers have explored applications of AI on data from various sources, including sensors, satellites, and social media, to identify areas for carbon emissions reduction, AI applications in tracking the effect of governments' carbon reduction plans have been limited. This study presents an AI framework based on long short-term memory (LSTM) and statistical process control (SPC) for the monitoring of variations in carbon emissions, using UK annual CO2 emission (per capita) data, covering a period between 1750 and 2021. This paper used LSTM to develop a surrogate model for the UK's carbon emissions characteristics and behaviours. As observed in our experiments, LSTM has better predictive abilities than ARIMA, Exponential Smoothing and feedforward artificial neural networks (ANN) in predicting CO2 emissions on a yearly prediction horizon. Using the deviation of the recorded emission data from the surrogate process, the variations and trends in these behaviours are then analysed using SPC, specifically Shewhart individual/moving range control charts. The result shows several assignable variations between the mid-1990s and 2021, which correlate with some notable UK government commitments to lower carbon emissions within this period. The framework presented in this paper can help identify periods of significant deviations from a country's normal CO2 emissions, which can potentially result from the government's carbon reduction policies or activities that can alter the amount of CO2 emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Finland, agriculture is practiced in variable growing conditions that are further challenged by climate change and under external pressure caused by international competition, changing consumer preferences and demands, and the renewal of the European Union Common Agriculture Policy and Paris Agreement climate targets. Futures studies in agriculture have focused on scenario building with expert panels, though usually without farmers' involvement. This study focuses on farmers' views of shaping the future of Finnish agriculture. It builds on the disaggregative Delphi method and combines interviews and a representative survey of Finnish farmers. The study is based on a bottom-up process in which a farmer panel of 20 farms defined their views of the future in a semi-structured thematic interview. The views were turned into statements in a structured survey sent to the second panel, which comprised all Finnish farmers who had received agricultural subsidies in 2016, with 4401 respondents. The results were analyzed using quantitative factor analysis, which produced five future images for Finnish agriculture. The images were shown to the original farmer panel for reflection. They considered the probability of each future image and their own role in it. Technology solves as a future image was most favored by farmers, followed by Ecological and specializing small-scale production image. Business-as-usual was the least likely future images according to the interviewed farmers. This paper describes the process and discusses both methodological benefits and pitfalls, as well as farmers' future views of the forthcoming decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is a complex issue with significant scientific and socio-economic uncertainties, making it difficult to assess the effectiveness of climate policies. Dynamic Integrated Climate-Economy Models (DICE models) have been widely used to evaluate the impact of different climate policies. However, since climate change, long-term economic development, and their interactions are highly uncertain, an accurate assessment of investments in climate change mitigation requires appropriate consideration of climatic and economic uncertainties. Moreover, the results of these models are highly dependent on input parameters and assumptions, which can have significant uncertainties. To accurately assess the impact of climate policies, it is crucial to incorporate uncertainties into these models. In this paper, we explore the impact of parameter uncertainties on the evaluation of climate policies using DICE models. Our goal is to understand whether uncertainty significantly affects decision-making, particularly in global warming policy decisions. By integrating climatic and economic uncertainties into the DICE model, we seek to identify the cumulative impact of uncertainty on climate change. Overall, this paper aims to contribute to a better understanding of the challenges associated with evaluating climate policies using DICE models, and to inform the development of more effective policy measures to address the urgent challenge of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]