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• Carbon efficiency and abatement costs of the PLEEZ are estimated. • The regional heterogeneity among the three major types of functional zones in the PLEEZ are analyzed. • Major agriculture production zone has a higher carbon efficiency and lowest abatement costs in the PLEEZ. • The global non-radial directional distance function and its dual model are used. In this paper we investigate the carbon efficiency and abatement cost for different main functional regions in China, to test whether major agriculture production zone has higher carbon efficiency and abatement cost than other functional regions. For this purpose, we use a global non-radial distance function to examine the efficiency and abatement cost of carbon emissions and take China's Poyang Lake Ecological Economics Zone (PLEEZ), one of China's national strategy for sustainable development, as an empirical study. By using the non-radial efficiency model, the carbon emissions efficiency indicator can be constructed. By employing the dual model of the non-radial directional distance function, the shadow prices of carbon emissions, which is interpreted as marginal abatement cost can be derived. County level data from 2009 to 2013 of the PLEEZ is used as the empirical investigation. Empirical results show that the CO 2 emissions of the PLEEZ are not performing efficiently and the CO 2 emissions efficiency remains at a very low level with an average value of 0.279. Meanwhile, the shadow prices of CO 2 emissions are calculated, with a mean value of 11.867 yuan per ton, which is relatively low compared with other previous studies of different regions or industry and indicate that carbon emissions are not strictly regulated. Moreover, significant heterogeneities in the carbon efficiency and abatement cost are found among three major functional zones in the PLEEZ remain. Major agriculture production zone shows better carbon efficiency than key ecological function zone, but lower than key economic development zone. It is also found carbon abatement cost of major agriculture production zone is lower than key economic development zone indicating the less pressure under climate change mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in Himalayas has sustainable management and restoration of resources. • Most of the NbS of Himalaya adheres the IUCN standard criteria. • Improved NbS interventions in Himalaya requires precise planning and engaging multiple stakeholders. Himalayan countries face many ecological challenges, including biodiversity loss and the many threats of climate change. In response, these countries are implementing Nature-based Solution to minimize these challenges and promote sustainable development. In this article we analyze the NbS programs implemented across the Himalayan region and assess the limitations of these NbS using the IUCN standard criteria of adherence to NbS for selected articles. We perform a systematic review of articles using the PRISMA methodology, through the Scopus, Google Scholar, and ResearchGate databases and followed by screening through the Rayyan web interface. Articles were screened out based on the location and lack of biodiversity and human well-being outcomes of NbS intervention. Nature-based Solutions in the Himalayas primarily use a sustainable management approach (35.29%), followed by restoration (23.53%), conservation (11.76%), holistic management (11.76%), eco-DRR (11.76%) and green infrastructure (5.88%) to address societal and climatic challenges. Institutional execution of NbS was 29.41% more common compared to the implementation of NbS by community or farmer groups. Pineapple based agroforestry (83.04%), forest restoration (78.57%), spring water storage (83.04%), spring restoration (86.61%), groundwater recharge (82.14%), bio-fertilizer and pesticides (77.68%), watershed restoration (78.57%), community-based watershed management (77.68%), community-based DRR (81.25%), community-based forest management (81.25%), sustainable harvest of medicinal plants (77.68%) and wetland restoration (82.14%), adhere to the IUCN criteria. In addition, some interventions adequately meet IUCN criteria, such as ice stupas (72.32%), forest restoration through plantation (73.21%), eco-safe roads (65.18), blue-green infrastructure (68.75%), and traditional ecological knowledge (72.32%). Our evaluation noted that NbS interventions can be improved by precise planning and design before implementation, engaging multiple stakeholders, comparing alternative solutions, and periodic monitoring of the impacts on the environment and society. This study shows that NbS in the Himalayas are contributing to biodiversity conservation and climate risk management. Tackling the limitation of this present review, mainly the exclusion of research not addressing biodiversity and human well-being, will yield more precise outcomes for climate actions and sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The Budyko framework was applied to 75 catchments covering a large area of Taiwan. • Varied landscape effects determined water resources availability among catchments. • Considerable spatial variability in the Budyko-related variables were found. • Three clusters were identified based on catchments' movements in the Budyko space. • 64 catchments will face the reduced availability of future water resources. Assessing water resources availability in a changing climate is a determinant of promoting sustainable development in a region. Such assessment should better be inter-basin in order to unveil a region's overall risk, so a time-varying Budyko framework is developed and adopted in this study. Gauge-based gridded precipitation and temperature, in company with runoff data, were used to derive the Budyko curves for 75 catchments over Taiwan. Downscaled precipitation and temperature data from selected global climate models and Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) were then used to calculate the shifts in the Budyko space of each catchment. It was found that the Budyko-related variables (e.g., evaporative and aridity indices, and catchment-specific parameter) exhibited considerable variability island-wide, with a few outliers in certain catchments being modulated by distinct landscape features and/or human activities. Under all RCPs analyzed, the majority of catchments showed the magnified movement vectors pointing at the 1st quadrant in the Budyko space in the late-21st century, suggesting a predominant and aggravating drying trend over Taiwan. Cluster analysis of the movement vectors under RCP8.5, which entailed the least inter-model differences, identified three major clusters, two of which (64 catchments included) indicated a drying trend of varied significancy. According to our findings, without effective mitigation of climate change, an increased likelihood of the worst-case scenario will substantialize the reduced availability of Taiwan's water resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Climate-resilient agriculture (CRA) aims to address hunger and poverty. • We provided six principles for the selection of assessment indicators for CRA. • Developed a framework in quantifying the climate-resilient agriculture. • The assessment framework combined four dimensions and has 71 evaluation indicators. • The framework provides a quantitative tool to evaluate CRA in various scenarios. Climate change threatens agricultural production and leads to an increasing contradiction between food supply and needs. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agricultural activities will exacerbate climate change in the future. Solving food security has become a major challenge around the world. The development of climate-resilient agriculture (CRA) is critical to address or slow climate change and is also helpful to improve agricultural quality and efficiency. Based on a review of previous studies and a deep understanding of CRA goals, this paper introduced a comprehensive assessment framework to evaluate CRA. This assessment framework combined four dimensions, i.e., agricultural productivity, farmer income, climate adaptability, and the green development level, and has 71 evaluation indicators. The highlights of this framework are to analyze the impacts of climate change on agricultural development and to stress the synergy of mitigation and adaptation strategies. All indicators represent various factors related to the development of CRA and have been used in previous studies. Therefore, the comprehensive assessment framework can be used as an evaluation tool for analyzing the changes in agroecosystem resilience under climate change, which is also helpful to implement scientific management to ensure sustainable agricultural development and food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• GDP growth is the main contributor to GHG emissions increase in low-income countries. • Decreases in energy intensity had the highest impact on GHG emission reductions. • Greater RES and EE efforts are necessary to offset effects from growing economy. • Current climate policies in the Baltics are not sufficient to achieve 2030 targets. The global economy is on the verge of one of the greatest transitions in modern history. The ability to ensure sustainable economic development and prosperity while significantly reducing consumption of energy resources and generated greenhouse gas emissions is a global challenge that affects every country in the world. To assess whether economies are ready for this challenge, there is an urgent need to examine this dual relationship between economic growth and climate change measures. European Green Deal strategy has set the ambitious goal of Europe becoming the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, boosting competitiveness and long-term prosperity of the economy. Kaya identity and LMDI decomposition is applied to examine how European Union countries have been coping with these countereffects historically. The decomposition analysis is conducted for the EU-28 (including the UK) countries for a 10-year study period from 2010 to 2019. This study analyses the main drivers of changes in GHG emissions in European Union and estimates the progress made in implementing the Green Deal targets. The results show that in the EU, energy efficiency improvements have twice the effect on reducing GHG emission compared to RES strategies. The effect of economic growth was the main offsetting factor hindering the achievement of larger GHG emission reductions. More in-depth ex-ante and ex-post investigation is performed for the Baltic States. A novel forecasting technique is applied to project GHG emissions under three different development scenarios, such as the scenario with existing measures, the scenario with additional measures, and the business-as-usual scenario. The results show that the current climate policies in the Baltic States are not sufficient to achieve the 2030 emission reduction targets and that greater efforts should be made to enforce climate mitigation measures in the economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Multi-hazard risk was evaluated for 109 districts of Indian Himalayan Region (IHR). • A Mountain Specific Risk Management Framework (MSMRMF) was proposed. • The MSMRMF consists two components i.e. risk assessment and risk addressal. • The framework deals risk management strategies for multi-hazard prone mountains. Mountains are characterized by their specificities such as fragility, marginality and remoteness. They are prone to various hazards such as drought, flood, forest fire, landslide and therefore physical, ecological and social systems of the mountains are at risk. Climate change adds to intensifying the magnitude of multi-hazard risk in mountains. The present study attempts to evaluate risk induced by multi-hazard and climate change in the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) using the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) framework. The proposed multi-hazard risk index was based on indicators from a broader domain and applied on 109 administrative districts of IHR. Exposure, sensitivity, adaptive capacity, and coping capacity were defined using comprehensive and sub-regional indicators identified through inductive and deductive approaches. The result showed that the differential risks among the districts of IHR were governed by the multiplicity of the factor such as demography, amenities, natural capital, partnership, technology and spatial specificities of the districts. The result highlighted the need of inclusion of spatial specificities for the risk mitigation in the IHR and therefore a Mountain Specific Risk Management Framework (MSMRMF) was proposed for sustaining the mountainous communities. The proposed MSMRMF contained two broad components as risk assessment and risk addressal. The framework detailed the risk mitigation and coping strategies (based on adjustment of internal and external strengths) for addressing risks. Risk mitigation was proposed to achieved through habitation resilience, natural capital enhancement, external partnerships, climate change adaptation, and technological interventions. The framework would provide an insight of risk and risk management strategies for the multi-hazard prone mountain regions for the sustainable development under the global change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]