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The global climate issue is becoming increasingly serious, and studying the energy transition (ET) has proven to be an effective solution to this problem. The essence of climate mitigation is to address the issue of ensuring the public health (pH) of human beings. Still, the definitions of ET in existing literature are inconsistent, and Many researches overlook the definitions of ET in official documents and discuss the relationship between ET and pH. Therefore, this research utilizes panel data from 107 countries over the period 2000–2020 to construct an energy transition indicator based on the definition from the World Economic Forum (WEF). It also examines the link between ET and pH using a two-way fixed effects regression. In the current turbulent international environment, this paper also investigates this link in the context of composite risk control (CRC), financial risk control (FRC), economic risk control (ERC), and political risk control (PRC). The results show that ET can significantly improve pH, a conclusion that remains significant after being subjected to a range of robustness tests. The study exploring the mechanism impact on the relationship between ET and pH shows that CRC, FRC, ERC, and PRC all strengthen the effect of ET on pH, and the mechanism effect varies considerably between high-income and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs); ET is more significantly affected by the mechanism in LMICs than in high-income countries. Furthermore, this paper illustrates that ET does not differ by gender in improving pH among infants, while there are gender differences in adults by using the instrumental variable regression and GMM regression to mitigate the endogenous and heteroscedasticity issue for heterogeneity test. The study in this paper can not only inspire policy researchers on which aspects to promote ET, but also provide a direction for improving pH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mangrove‐dominated coastlines have high carbon sequestration capacity, but it remains unclear whether tidally outwelled carbon is transformed within the coastal ocean or exported offshore. Here, we used radium isotopes (224Ra and 223Ra) to investigate carbon outwelling in two mangrove seascapes in Brazil across multiple spatial scales. We sampled porewaters to define the source composition, mangrove creek waters to resolve tidal cycles, and cross‐shelf transects to trace outwelling in coastal seascapes. Radium isotopes were positively correlated with dissolved inorganic (DIC), organic (DOC) and particulate organic (POC) carbon across the seascapes. DIC was the primary form of carbon (mean ± SD), representing 85% of the total carbon pool as bicarbonate (75 ± 11%), carbonate (6 ± 5%), and CO2 (4 ± 9%). DOC and POC accounted for 10 ± 6% and 5 ± 6% of total carbon, respectively. Although mangrove waters emitted CO2 to the atmosphere (38–143 mmol m−2 d−1), both bays and continental shelves were a CO2 sink (−2.5 to −0.5 mmol m−2 d−1) associated to chlorophyll‐a enrichments (r2 = 0.86). Total carbon outwelled from mangroves were 3–4 times higher than soil carbon burial at both mangrove sites. Bicarbonate export (27–72 mmol m−2 d−1) to the continental shelf was the major fate of carbon outwelling, more than doubling the perceived capacity of mangrove soil to sequester carbon. Hence, disregarding outwelling as a blue carbon sink mechanism would lead to underestimated assessments of how mangroves capture CO2 and help to mitigate climate change. Plain Language Summary: Mangrove forests effectively store large amounts of carbon within their muddy soils due to their complex root systems, high sedimentation rates, and high productivity. Mangroves also play a crucial role in exporting carbon to the ocean through tidal flushing and climate change mitigation. Here, we measured overlooked lateral carbon fluxes using geochemical tracers. Our findings demonstrated that mangroves could sequester 3–4 times more CO2 if total carbon exports to ocean are accounted in addition to soil carbon burial. Most of the carbon is exported as bicarbonate, with the potential to remain in seawater for millennia. We argue that a fraction of mangrove carbon is not lost during transport offshore, but rather stored in the ocean, the largest global carbon reservoir. Key Points: Porewater exchange is a pivotal component of the carbon budget within mangrove seascapesMangrove carbon outwelling oscillates between tidal cycles and reaches the continental shelf within 1–3 weeksCarbon sequestration via outwelling to the ocean was 3–4 times greater than soil burial [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The uncertainty surrounding the possibility of generating sufficient funds from international donors and other public financial resources to support climate action calls for the identification of alternative sources of climate finance options. Ensuring a reliable stream of funds to drive climate action requires the identification of diverse funding channels that can supplement existing ones. Also, in light of the proactive approach required to combat climate change, overreliance on a singular funding source could hinder the achievement of climate‐related goals. This is because the existing sources of funding from the central government, local governments, and international agencies remain insufficient to meet the perceived cost of climate change in Ghana. Through a qualitative in‐depth interview, empirical data was drawn from religious institutions to identify their contribution toward climate finance. The study revealed that religious institutions play a significant role in climate finance due to their advocacy capacity, financial resources, and extensive networks. Funding from religious institutions has also been channeled into stock adaptation projects and public education, and this is evident in the areas of agriculture, waste, energy, water, and the support rendered to SMEs in general. Besides, their engagement in climate finance is also motivated by ethical, theological, and moral considerations. The study, therefore, argues that funding from religious institutions toward climate change adaptation and mitigation initiatives should be seen as a complementary source of funding to climate finance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conservation of endangered native species and climate change are currently the two most pressing environmental problems on the planet. Therefore, the general objective of the review was to synthesize evidence of the contributions of agroforestry systems to the conservation of native species, carbon sequestration, and livelihood benefits in Ethiopia. A total of 104 publications from 2000 to 2024 publication years were used to provide available evidence and research gaps on agroforestry contribution to native species conservation (n=21), carbon sequestration (n=33), and livelihood benefits (n=35) in Ethiopia. Furthermore, 38 papers from other parts of the world were used to support ideas and relevant evidence linked to the title. The review's findings confirm that agroforestry can serve as in-situ conservation for endangered native species including Cordia africana Lam., Hagenia abyssinica (Bruce) J.F. Gmel., Acacia abyssinica Hochst. ex Benth, Croton macrostachyus Hochst. ex Delile, Ficus sur Forssk and Faidherbia albida (Delile) A. Chev. The review systematic review indicated that agroforestry systems store an average of 40.04 ± 10.4 Mg C ha −1 in biomass and 68.9 ± 9.9 Mg C ha−1 in soil in Ethiopia. Hence, the above-ground carbon was highest for coffee-based agroforestry (17.12 ± 6.3 Mg ha−1) followed by homegarden (16.6 ± 3.2 3 Mg ha−1) and woodlot (7.1 ± 1.09 Mg ha−1). Fuelwood, food, fodder, income, timber, fruits, and poles for construction were the main benefits of livelihood; which have been reported in 37, 30, 26, 25, 23, and 20,18 published articles, respectively. Empirical studies show that an agroforestry system, which can significantly reduce the vulnerabilities of households and store a large amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, is an important strategy for climate adaptation and mitigation. Moreover, further scientific research on agroforestry on the sustainability of agroforestry is needed from responsible bodies in Ethiopia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is the centre of the global policy response to climate change. The Paris Agreement, a legally binding treaty under the UNFCCC, has located climate change adaptation as a critical component of the global response to climate change. The Paris Agreement also establishes an enhanced transparency framework to track progress towards Parties climate change commitments. However, the UNFCCC has consistently maintained a marked difference in provisions for reporting climate change adaptation and climate change mitigation. Consequently, reporting on climate change adaptation lags far behind in detail when compared to that for reporting on climate change mitigation. Using literature review as the main method of analysis, this paper aims to understand the underlying factors that have resulted in the lack of specificity of reporting provisions of the UNFCCC for climate change adaptation and the consequences of non-mandatory provisions for reporting on climate change adaptation on national and global adaptation practice. The paper then highlights the benefits of regular reporting of climate change adaptation to the UNFCCC. It makes important contribution to the growing literature on global environmental governance, especially on national reporting of adaptation information, an under-studied and a poorly understood field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the regional implementation of an International Environmental Agreement, the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, especially as waterfowl habitat (Ramsar), using the Arctic as a case study. With almost a quarter of the world's wetlands located in the Arctic, accounting for the planet's largest regional storehouse of carbon, the region is facing threats from climate change-induced permafrost degradation and increasing human activities. Therefore, effective management of these wetlands is crucial for global climate change adaptation and mitigation. The research question addressed by this paper is how effective Arctic states are in achieving the goals outlined in the Ramsar Convention. To address this question, the study employs several methods, including compiling and analyzing data on the status and trends of Ramsar-designated wetlands in the Arctic, comparing state performance against Ramsar commitments, assessing Ramsar reporting mechanisms to monitor implementation progress, and considering potential modifications to enhance the relevance of Ramsar reporting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Driven by the motivation to raise the ambition level of climate action and to foster the transformation of economies, current climate policy discourse revolves around ways to improve cooperation between industrialized countries and emerging economies. We identify three broad types of initiatives—multilateral-cross sectoral, multilateral, sector specific, and climate and development partnerships—and assess them for potentials to deliver on such objectives with a specific focus on industry transformation. This paper provides new reflections on the institutionalization of international climate cooperation. Specifically, we demonstrate the urgent need to understand what values, norms, and underlying principles drive a cooperation in order to draw conclusions on how to best institutionalize climate cooperation rules.in-use. We conclude that an overemphasis on a CO2 price and on carbon border adjustment mechanisms, such as in the context of the initial proposals for a cross-sectoral climate club envisaged by G7 countries, would have contributed to a further polarization of the international landscape. We find, however, that multilateral, sectoral alliances play an important role for international goal setting and the convergence on standards, metrics, and benchmarks. Based on our analysis, we recommend strengthening multilateral, sector-specific partnerships. These can be focused on sectoral topics as a connector between countries, allowing for a strategically-aligned, increasingly deep collaboration. However, for any initiative to succeed, processes of international institutionalization will be needed in order to agree on rules for implementation based on aligned interests and equity. Building such institutions may well serve as a steppingstone toward more durable cooperation structures between developed economies and emerging economies. In sum, no existing cooperation approach is perfect, but three actions may be taken to move the agenda forward: First, reform of the carbon border adjustment mechanism and removing it from the center of climate club discussions, second, coupling sectoral alliances with climate and development partnerships, and three, designing them in a way to address fears of political influence seeking and superimposition of global north agendas on the global south. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on academic libraries' Community Engagement (CE) initiatives in South Africa and outline their potential to contribute to the actualisation of three Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 2, 3 and 13). The research approach adopted was qualitative using online interviews with 20 heads of libraries in South Africa and eight online focus group discussions with library staff as data collection methods. It was found that South African academic libraries' CE initiatives can be successfully mapped out against the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The results showed that through CE, academic libraries in South Africa play a role in addressing hunger, improving health and well-being and contributing to climate action, among other SDGs. CE, therefore, can play a role in SDGs that fall outside of academic libraries' traditional teaching, learning and research support role. These results will serve as a call for academic libraries to consider participating in CE in order to contribute to development areas that they do not normally contribute to directly. This study provides unique insights on the contribution of academic libraries to SDGs. As a recommendation, academic libraries should consider mapping their CE initiatives against the SDGs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health. Disability. Vulnerability. These words are often used when discussing the risks of climate disruption. These discussions warn of the potential for climate impacts to "undermine 50 years of gains in public health" (as stated by the Lancet Countdown on Climate Change). Increasingly, such discussions also acknowledge climate injustice, examining who will benefit or lose out from climate change, how and why. The embodied vulnerability of disabled people is often assumed within such discussions, with less consideration of the social, economic or political conditions that create this vulnerability. By bringing disability justice and disability studies into correspondence with care, environmental and climate justice scholarship, this reflective paper challenges the master narratives that blur differentiated experiences of disability and climate impacts into a single story of inevitable vulnerability. Recognising disabled people as knowers, makers and agents of change, it calls for transformative climate action, underpinned by values of solidarity, mutuality and care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canada has major sources of atmospheric methane (CH4), with the world's second-largest boreal wetland and the world's fourth-largest natural gas production. However, Canada's CH4 emissions remain uncertain among estimates. Better quantification and characterization of Canada's CH4 emissions are critical for climate mitigation strategies. To improve our understanding of Canada's CH4 emissions, we performed an ensemble regional inversion for 2007–2017 constrained with the Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) surface measurement network. The decadal CH4 estimates show no significant trend, unlike some studies that reported long-term trends. The total CH4 estimate is 17.4 (15.3–19.5) TgCH4yr-1 , partitioned into natural and anthropogenic sources at 10.8 (7.5–13.2) and 6.6 (6.2–7.8) TgCH4yr-1 , respectively. The estimated anthropogenic emission is higher than inventories, mainly in western Canada (with the fossil fuel industry). Furthermore, the results reveal notable spatiotemporal characteristics. First, the modelled differences in atmospheric CH4 among the sites show improvement after inversion when compared to observations, implying the CH4 observation differences could help in verifying the inversion results. Second, the seasonal variations show slow onset and a late-summer maximum, indicating wetland CH4 flux has hysteretic dependence on air temperature. Third, the boreal winter natural CH4 emissions, usually treated as negligible, appear quantifiable (≥ 20 % of annual emissions). Understanding winter emission is important for climate prediction, as the winter in Canada is warming faster than the summer. Fourth, the inter-annual variability in estimated CH4 emissions is positively correlated with summer air temperature anomalies. This could enhance Canada's natural CH4 emission in the warming climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-scale reforestation, afforestation, and forest restoration schemes have gained global support as climate change mitigation strategies due to their significant carbon dioxide removal (CDR) potential. However, there has been limited research into the unintended consequences of forestation from a biophysical perspective. In the Community Earth System Model version 2 (CESM2), we apply a global forestation scenario, within a Paris Agreement-compatible warming scenario, to investigate the land surface and hydroclimate response. Compared to a control scenario where land use is fixed to present-day levels, the forestation scenario is up to 2 °C cooler at low latitudes by 2100, driven by a 10 % increase in evaporative cooling in forested areas. However, afforested areas where grassland or shrubland are replaced lead to a doubling of plant water demand in some tropical regions, causing significant decreases in soil moisture (∼ 5 % globally, 5 %–10 % regionally) and water availability (∼ 10 % globally, 10 %–15 % regionally) in regions with increased forest cover. While there are some increases in low cloud and seasonal precipitation over the expanded tropical forests, with enhanced negative cloud radiative forcing, the impacts on large-scale precipitation and atmospheric circulation are limited. This contrasts with the precipitation response to simulated large-scale deforestation found in previous studies. The forestation scenario demonstrates local cooling benefits without major disruption to global hydrodynamics beyond those already projected to result from climate change, in addition to the cooling associated with CDR. However, the water demands of extensive forestation, especially afforestation, have implications for its viability, given the uncertainty in future precipitation changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancing carbon emission performance was crucial to achieving carbon neutrality goals. However, few studies have explored the driving mechanisms of carbon emission performance from the perspective of policy combinations. This study combined new energy demonstration cities and low-carbon cities as the subjects of policy combinations and analysed the impact of these two policy combinations on carbon emission performance. This study integrated the superefficiency epsilon-based measure model and the propensity score matching difference-in-differences method. We utilized panel data from 2007 to 2020 covering 271 Chinese cities to investigate the effects of these two policy combinations on carbon emission performance. First, this study employed the superefficiency epsilon-based measure model to measure carbon emission performance. Subsequently, the propensity score matching difference-in-differences approach was used to assess policy effects. The results indicated that the combination of these two policies significantly enhanced carbon emission performance, with a combined effect surpassing that of independent policy impacts by 48.47%. Furthermore, this study revealed that these two policy combinations enhanced carbon emission performance through green technological innovation and industrial structure upgrading. This study offers new insights for improving carbon emission performance, provides fresh perspectives for selecting pilot cities, and provides empirical evidence from China for the international community to adopt policy combination strategies for climate change mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biochar (BC), a carbon‐dense substance created through the pyrolysis of organic biomass, has garnered considerable interest as a promising option for sustainable mitigation methods. A comprehensive examination of the diverse attributes of BC and its implications for addressing contemporary environmental issues while fostering sustainable practices is compiled in this review. The synthesis techniques and structural attributes of BC are scrutinized initially, emphasizing its remarkable features such as broad surface area, porosity, and active sites. These characteristics of BC are conducive to myriad environmental applications, including pollutant remediation, soil health enhancement, and carbon sequestration. Subsequently, this review delves into the mechanisms underlying BC's effectiveness in environmental remediation. BC exhibits augmented adsorption capacities, catalytic functionalities, and interactions with microorganisms, facilitating the removal of contaminants from different matrices of the environment. Recently, BC and their products such as nano‐BC have gained widespread recognition as a feasible option for sustainable carbon material. Fabrication, characterization, modification, and diverse applications of BC were also discussed in detail. Its integration into agriculture holds promise for enhancing soil organic matter, augmenting production, and mitigating gas emissions, thereby contributing to food security and climate change mitigation. In conclusion, BC and nano‐BC emerge as a promising avenue for addressing environmental challenges and advancing sustainable development objectives. However, further research is warranted to optimize synthesis methodologies, elucidate long‐term environmental implications, and facilitate scalable production for widespread adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The escalating environmental degradation and tightening regulations worldwide since the 1990s have heightened environmental concerns among organizations, necessitating innovative and sustainable responses to climate change. This article aims to explore opportunities and challenges of sustainable innovations for mitigating climate change within companies. A systematic literature review was conducted, encompassing 42 articles from 2005 to 2022. Most studies originate from European countries, particularly from institutions like Sapienza University of Rome, Jinan University, and Amsterdam Business School. Notable authors include Rosa Maria Dangelico, Ans Kolk, and Jonatan Pinkse. The most cited journals include Business Strategy and the Environment, Journal of Cleaner Production, and Sustainability (MDPI). Identified opportunities for companies embracing climate change mitigation through innovation include enhanced image and competitiveness. Challenges comprise high implementation costs, ambiguous sustainable development guidelines, partnership scarcity, technological risk uncertainties, consumer acceptance concerns, deficient tools for low‐carbon product development, and the sociotechnical system's influence. Moreover, companies face hurdles like reliance on supply chain complementary capabilities and regulatory uncertainties. Future research should prioritize less costly sustainability practices and examine the sociotechnical factor's impact on sustainable innovation adoption. Prohibitive investment costs hinder companies from embracing these practices, highlighting the need for cost‐effective alternatives. Understanding the sociotechnical dynamic's role in driving or obstructing sustainable innovation adoption is crucial for comprehensive analysis and effective strategy development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Green Deal was launched by the European Commission (EC) in December 2019, before being formally approved in 2020. It comprises a package of policy measures that aim to set the European Union (EU) on the path to a green transition, with the ultimate objective of achieving climate neutrality by 2050. Despite the EU's longstanding commitment to reducing carbon emissions in support of climate change mitigation and the achievement of its net zero ambition, this paper focuses on the growing importance of climate change adaptation within its policy portfolio. With respect to the latter, the long-term vision is for the EU to become a climate-resilient society that is also fully adapted to the unavoidable impacts of climate change. Achieving climate neutrality and a climate-resilient society by 2050 will be more challenging for some EU member states and regions than for others, eg poorer regions and those highly dependent on fossil fuels or with carbon-intensive industries that employ significant numbers of people. To address such issues, the EU has introduced a Just Transition Mechanism to help level the playing field and provide financial and technical support to regions most adversely affected by the move towards a low carbon economy. The paper traces the evolution of the EU's climate policy agenda leading up to the adoption of the Green Deal, outlines its proposed road map in pursuit of climate neutrality and a climate-resilient society by 2050, and questions the efficacy of some its intermediate targets including the adequacy and equity of its just transition aspirations. It also details and scrutinises the key role that the European Investment Bank (EIB) will play in supporting delivery of the strategy.1,2 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the relationship between institutional trust from an individual and societal perspective and perceived corruption and climate attitudes of individuals in Latin America. To this end, multilevel modeling was used to test whether the attitudes of individuals from 285 regions of Latin America are influenced by these constructs. Based on the results, it was found that in contrast to studies in developed countries, where institutional trust is positively associated with pro-climate attitudes, in Latin America institutional trust acts as an inhibiting factor and is inversely related to climate attitudes. Furthermore, the perception of corruption in public institutions was also identified as a factor inhibiting collective action to combat climate change. Moderation analysis revealed that individuals' level of education significantly influences this relationship, with a notable difference in climate attitudes between individuals with low and high levels of trust, especially among those with less education. These findings highlight the importance of taking regional specificities into account when examining the relationship between institutional trust, perceptions of corruption, and climate attitudes, and underscore the need for public policies that promote transparency and accountability of institutions to foster effective collective action on climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local actors have growing prominence in climate governance but key capacities and powers remain with national policymakers. Coordination between national and local climate action is therefore of increasing importance. Underappreciated in existing academic and policy literature, coordination between actors at different scales can be affected not only by politics and institutional arrangements, but also by methods of data analysis. Exploring two datasets of GHG emissions by local area in England—one of consumption-based emissions and the other of territorial emissions—this paper shows the potential for a data scaling problem known as the modifiable areal unit problem and its possible consequences for the efficacy and equity implications of climate action. While this analysis is conceptual and does not identify specific instances of the modifiable areal unit problem or its consequences, it calls attention to methods of data analysis as possible contributors to climate governance challenges. Among other areas, future analysis is needed to explore how data scaling and other aspects of data processing and analysis may affect our understanding of non-state actors' contribution to climate action. Research highlights: Data scaling could affect the efficacy and equity of climate action in the UK. Enabling local actors can help to overcome the effects of data scaling. Relationships between methods of data analysis and governance need more attention. Research is needed on data scaling and the climate actions of non-state actors is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current agri-food systems are unable to fulfill global demand and account for 33% of all greenhouse gas emissions. Conventional agriculture cannot produce more food because of the scarcity of arable land, the depletion of freshwater resources, and the increase in greenhouse gas emissions. Thus, it is important to investigate alternate farming methods. Algae farming is a feasible alternative that produces food, feed, and feedstock using wastelands and unconventional agricultural settings such as coastal regions, salt-affected soils, and urban/peri-urban environments. This review focuses on three emerging scenarios. First is seawater, which makes up 97.5% of the water on Earth. However, it is nevertheless used less often than freshwater. Second is a growing trend of people moving from rural to urban regions for improved employment prospects, living standards, and business chances. However, most rural migrants are essentially skilled in agriculture, which limits their applicability in metropolitan environments. The third scenario focuses on excellent crop yields and soil fertility; it is essential to maintain appropriate levels of organic matter and soil structure. In this case, algae have remarkable potential for osmoregulation-based salt tolerance and may provide valuable metabolites when cultivated in brackish or saltwater. Using brackish water, treated wastewater, and saltwater, algal culture systems may be established in arid/semi-arid, urban/peri-urban, and coastal areas to fulfill the increasing need for food, feed, and industrial feedstocks. It may also provide migrants from rural areas with work possibilities, which would allay environmental footprints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Snowdrifts on lake ice provide vital breeding habitats for the endangered Saimaa ringed seal. In this study, a lake ice model of Watershed Simulation and Forecasting System (WSFS-Ice) was developed for improved estimation of ice and snow conditions in Lake Saimaa during the pupping season of the Saimaa ringed seal. The WSFS-Ice model is based on energy balance, enabling reliable estimation of the ice cover evolution in current and future climate. In addition, a simple snowdrift model was used to simulate formation of snowdrifts, which are essential for the seals breeding success in Lake Saimaa. The model was calibrated against ice thickness, ice type and snow depth measurements. According to our results based on climate scenarios with intermediate representative concentration pathway (RCP4.5), the breeding habitat of the Saimaa ringed seal is significantly deteriorating during the twenty-first century. The mean depth of the snowdrifts is projected to decrease approximately to half from the 1981–2010 to 2070–99 period and at the same time the ice-covered period is reduced by one and a half months. During the mildest winters the ice cover is projected to melt even before the pupping season has ended. The results highlight the importance of climate change mitigation and active conservation measures to enhance seal population growth, enabling it to survive in a changing climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is key to achieve overall climate policy goals. Effective and efficient policy instruments are needed to incentivize farmers' adoption of on‐farm climate change mitigation practices. We compare action‐ and results‐based policy designs for GHG reduction in agriculture and account for farmers' heterogeneous behavioral characteristics such as individual farming preferences, reluctance to change and social interactions. An agent‐based bio‐economic modeling approach is used to simulate total GHG reduction, overall governmental spending and farm‐level marginal abatement cost of Swiss dairy and beef cattle farms under both action‐ and results‐based policy designs. We find that total governmental spending associated with the compared policy designs depends on the cost and benefits of the considered measures as well as behavioral characteristics of farmers. More precisely, if farmers are reluctant to change, additional incentives are needed to increase adoption of a win‐win measure. In such a case, targeting the payment on the cost of that particular measure (action‐based design) instead of paying a uniform amount for abated emissions (results‐based design) can lower governmental spending for agricultural climate change mitigation. Farm‐level marginal cost of reducing GHG emissions are lower with results‐based payments independent of the cost of measures. Moreover, we find that farmers' individual preferences and reluctance to change substantially lower the adoption of mitigation measures and hence overall GHG reduction potential of farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-carbon food consumption is defined as the selection of a diet that is done by people that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions due to excessive energy use. Greenhouse gases are the main cause of climate change. Thus, it is needed mitigation for climate change through education to make changes in mindset and habits. This study aims to investigate students' sustainability consciousness through low-carbon food consumption by using simple calculation applications. The research used is a research and development method with 53 pre-service teachers. The data collections are analyzed by simple calculation percentages. The results describe that the sustainability consciousness of preservice teachers has already in excellent results either in sustainability knowingness, sustainability attitude, and sustainability consciousness through low-carbon food consumption learning topics using simple calculation applications. it can be interpreted that learning the topic of low-carbon food consumption can lead pre-service teachers to make a change in their lifestyle starting from choosing the menu of their plates to reduce greenhouse gases indirectly as climate change mitigations. It can be concluded that low-carbon food consumption could promote preservice teachers' sustainable consciousness. This study also supports strategies facing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework on Climate Change (COP28) brought together nearly 2000 health professionals to address the climate crisis as a public health threat. While the conference yielded significant outcomes such as advocating for a transition away from fossil fuels and establishing funds for vulnerable communities, urgent action to phase out fossil fuels and address the impact of militarization was lacking. The International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) highlighted the carbon footprint of the military-industrial complex and called for demilitarization, peace, and climate justice. The COP28 Declaration on Climate, Relief, Recovery, and Peace emphasized solutions and mobilization in regions affected by war and conflict. Urgent actions are needed to address military emissions, reduce military spending, phase out nuclear power, and join the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). The themes of health and relief, recovery, and peace provide a platform for medical professionals to advocate for demilitarization, climate justice, and health. [Extracted from the article]

It is important to understand how individuals in affluent societies reason around their own actions in relation to climate change. However, much of the research has focused on sceptics and those who have little interest in change. Studying those who want to contribute to a transition and why they fail is also of interest. This study is qualitative and deals with the internal reasoning of a self-selected sample of Swedes with sustainable values who argue in relation to a failed intention. Ca 400 responses were analysed. We used topos theory to identify thinking structures that guide the arguments used to deal with the cognitive dissonance that acting against knowledge and intention results in. The most common ways to argue were to imagine a climate account with possible deposits and withdrawals, or a budget which you strive to keep. Also common was to compare with something or someone that was "worse". Redirecting responsibility was also an argument, albeit complicating the issue of responsibility. The limits of reality were used as an excuse for action, whereas articulating the goal conflicts of a less emitting life made choices visible. Finally, the human condition of not always meeting your own standards was mentioned. These arguments only partly overlap common discourses of delay in the public sphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest management allows the sustained removal of significant amounts of carbon from the atmosphere. Within different activities in the forest, wood utilisation has the most significant man-made environmental impact which affects the carbon balance, which is important to know, to be able to accurately identify its role in climate change. This study aims to determine the carbon footprint of logging during utilisation based on scenario analysis in national default and theoretical assortment structures (11 additional scenarios for each forest stand) within the entire life cycle of raw wood products. Based on a common functional unit (100 m3 of cut wood), a comparative environmental life cycle analysis (LCA) for intermediate and final cutting was performed in shortwood forestry work systems in beech (Fagus spp.), oak (Quercus spp.), spruce (Picea spp.), black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), and hybrid poplar (Populus x euramericana) stands in Hungary. After obtaining the results, the present study calculated the carbon footprint order for the utilisation life cycle phases and the entire tree utilisation life cycle. The distribution of absolute carbon footprint (ACF: considered emitted CO2 from fossil and biotic origins together) by final cutting exhibited the following order: hybrid poplar (6%)—spruce (8%)—beech (26%)—oak (27%)—black locust (33%). The ACF ranking for the whole technological life cycle (intermediate and final cutting, 400 m3 of cut wood) was hybrid poplar– spruce—oak—beech–black locust. The carbon footprint rankings of the studied stands were expanded to the national level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Portugal's income tax system is very progressive and has a greater redistributive effect than the European Union average. This progressive income redistribution, however, comes at a cost to the environment. This note finds that—using Portuguese time series data over the period 1970–2018—income redistribution increases carbon dioxide emissions in the long run. This is consistent with the theoretical literature, which suggests that redistributing income increases consumption among the bottom class group (and thereby emissions). We propose some policy recommendations to help policymakers find a balance between social equity and climate goals. In addition, this note also shows that the most common proxy of income redistribution used in the empirical literature may be inappropriate and lead to false conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Rice production in Northeastern Vietnam is livelihood-oriented with a small farm size in the northern mountainous and midlands region. This study aims to determine the contribution of agronomic and input factors to the total carbon (C) footprint of rice production to identify solutions that can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in agriculture in this region. Methods: We used a life cycle assessment method for the C footprint of rice production from planting to harvesting. Agronomic parameters and input data in both spring and summer crops were collected through interviews conducted with 50 rice-farming households in the Quang Minh commune, Viet Yen district, Bac Giang province, using questionnaires. Additionally, in-depth interviews were conducted to gather information on energy used for land preparation and harvesting. Results and discussion: The C footprint per hectare and per tonne of grain of the summer rice crop (15.6 ± 3.3 t CO2-eq/ha, 2.34 ± 0.54 t CO2-eq/t) was significantly higher than that of the spring crop (9.5 ± 1.8 t CO2-eq/ha, 1.3 ± 0.26 t CO2-eq/t). GHG emissions were due mainly to direct methane emissions during rice growth, accounting for 89.5% of the total C footprint of the summer crop and 80.5% of that of the spring crop. Fertilizer emissions also contributed significantly, accounting for 5.4% and 10.4%, respectively, nearly 75% from N-fertilizer emissions. A higher C footprint (per grain basis) was generally associated with straw incorporation, continuous flooded irrigation, longer rice growth duration, and lower rice yield, indicating the importance of agronomic management of crop residues, water and nutrients, choice of varieties, and growing seasons. Small farm size did not lead to higher carbon intensity. Conclusions: The solutions to avoid direct incorporation of rice straw, to conduct intermittent irrigation, to reduce the amount of N-fertilizer, and to use short-duration rice varieties (especially for summer crop) with high yield potential along with optimal agronomic management practices should be highlighted. Greater adoption of these measures will contribute significantly to reducing the C footprint of rice production in Northeastern Vietnam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adaptation measures in the forestry sector are essential to mitigate climate change and to support sustainable development. Reducing emissions through improved forest management is a critical approach for climate change adaptation. Several previous investigations have estimated carbon stock for forest ecosystems. However, the drivers of this function are less understood, especially in the tropical context. Hence, this investigation intended to explore the factors affecting the carbon stock potential of dry Afromontane forest in southern Ethiopia. Employing a systematic sampling system, ten transects were laid out with 125-m intervals along the altitudinal gradient. The main plots (size 20 m × 20 m each and two subplots (each: 10 m × 10 m) were laid out in the opposite corner of the main plots and in total 46 main plots and 92 subplots were used for vegetation and dead wood data collection respectively. The plots were arranged on transects at 125 m interval to measure trees and shrubs, respectively. Moreover, a total of 230 sub-sub plots (1 m × 1 m) were arranged at the four corners and in the center of the main plots to collect herbs and litters for the assessment of non-woody carbon stocks. The altitude and topographic aspects of the sample plots were recorded using Garmin GPS and Silva compass, respectively. The carbon stock was calculated using allometric equations developed for the estimation of dry Afromontane forest carbon stocks. The effect of species type, altitude, and topographic aspects on above-ground and below-ground carbon stock was analyzed by using one-way ANOVA. The results revealed that the total above-ground and belowground carbon stock of dry Afromontane forest is 1943.2 tons/ha. The carbon stock of woody species stock increased with increasing altitudinal gradient but opposite trend was found for non-woody species. Moreover, the carbon stock of both woody and non-woody species significantly varied among topographic aspects and plant family types. The carbon stock was higher for Cupressaceae (811.5 tons/ha) followed by Podocarpaceae (630.9 tons/ha). The highest carbon stock of woody biomass was recorded in the southwest aspect (663.30 tones/ha), and the lowest carbon (141.8 tons/ha) was recorded in the northwest topographic aspect. In conclusion, the environmental and vegetation structure need to be considered in devising forest conservation strategy for climate change mitigation and adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disinformation represents one of the major obstacles to meaningful actions against climate change skepticism. This study, therefore, aimed to investigate climate change disinformation across types, agents, and media platforms as reported in selected online newspapers. A total of 124 news articles gathered from Malaysia's The Star and New Straits Times were subjected to content analysis. The articles were collected from the newspapers' digital archives between August 2015 and October 2021 using "climate change" and "disinformation" as keywords. Subsequently, data were analyzed using the Chi-square test and descriptive statistics. The study found that disinformation about climate change is more likely to be spread by politicians, organizations, and anonymous agencies compared with business tycoons, celebrities, and academics. Also, misleading and fabricated contents represent the most common types of disinformation spread by politicians. The findings suggest that politics and social media represent the most critical factors influencing climate change. The study, therefore, calls for the joint efforts of activists, media practitioners, and governments to mitigate disinformation about climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addresses the potential health benefits of climate change mitigation action. Carbon Reduction Benefits on Health tool and the MARket ALlocation model are used to evaluate the health co-benefits of the proposed energy sector policies and measures in North Macedonia's enhanced nationally determined contribution. The study hypothesises that implementing these policies and measures will reduce morbidity and mortality due to air pollution by 2030. The results indicate 629 prevented bronchitis cases, 2,788 fewer asthma symptom days among children, and 143 preventable deaths, leading to considerable welfare improvements and economic savings. The findings underscore the importance of considering health outcomes in climate policy decisions, emphasising the substantial public health benefits alongside climate gains as an incentive for emissions reduction. Sharing these findings with other countries will enhance efforts to limit the global temperature rise below 2 °C by the century's end. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BRICS countries comprise 41.87% of the world's population and generate over 42% of the global greenhouse gas emissions. As the largest political cluster in global climate governance, their positions and alignment in the post-Paris Agreement era would determine the future trajectory of climate governance for the international communities. This article aims to ascertain the respective positions of BRICS nations by examining their nationally determined contributions and targets for carbon peak and neutrality. Through this analysis, the article endeavors to consolidate a comprehensive BRICS decarbonization roadmap, providing stakeholders and policymakers with greater clarity. In addition, in-depth case studies from China and India, the two biggest emitters, offer valuable insights into their climate mitigation paths. This would inspire unity among the BRICS countries and encourage them to uphold the stability of their partnership in climate governance collectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper highlights how technology can contribute to reaching the 2015 Paris Agreement goals of net zero carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and global warming below 2°C in 2100. It uses the Advanced Climate Change Long-term model (ACCL), particularly adapted to quantify the consequences of energy price and technology shocks on CO2 emissions, temperature, climate damage and Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The simulations show that without climate policies the warming may be +5°C in 2100, with considerable climate damage. An acceleration in 'usual' technical progress not targeted at reducing CO2- even worsens global warming and climate damage. According to our estimates, the world does not achieve climate goals in 2100 without 'green' technologies. Intervening only via energy prices, e.g. a carbon tax, requires challenging hypotheses of international coordination and price increase for polluting energies. We assess a multi-lever climate strategy combining energy efficiency gains, carbon sequestration, and a decrease of 3% per year in the relative price of 'clean' electricity with a 1 to 1.5% annual rise in the relative price of polluting energy sources. None of these components alone is sufficient to reach climate objectives. Our last and most important finding is that our composite scenario achieves the climate goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Promoting plant-based diets as a response to climate crisis has clear implications for producers of animal derived foods, but surprisingly little research considers their perspectives on this. Our exploration focused on farming strongly associated with meat production in Wales, UK. Mindful of polarised debates around plant-based diets, we considered dietary transition as an opportunity to produce for new markets. The first aim was to identify whether transition towards plant-based diets might trigger transformation of livestock agriculture. Findings indicate a potential trigger event once livestock farmers are certain that consumer trends and climate mitigation require change. Livestock farmers who regard their meat as climate-friendly might resist transitions felt to unfairly disadvantage them. We then considered livestock farmers' likely capacity to produce plant crops, and how this transformational capacity might be enhanced. Participants highlighted forms of financial and environmental inflexibility, plus social norms regarding "good" Welsh farmers, combining to make transformation risky. Transformational capacity might be enhanced through levering occupational and place attachments by portraying plant crops as a revival of historic practices from traditional farming landscapes. Improved linking capacity will also be beneficial, as producing for new markets requires connections to new supply chains, and learning across divisions within rural communities. We present these preliminary insights to livestock farmers' attitudes and transformational capacity to inform future research with them to advance just agricultural transitions. Our study indicates potential to avoid confrontational discussion of dietary transition and we hope that others will pursue its focus on opportunities for farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bangladesh experiences different types of natural disasters almost every year which adversely affect human health. It is very essential to identify knowledge and implementation behavior as mitigation initiatives towards climate change in community settings of Bangladesh. This study was designed to explore this issue. It was an analytical type of cross-sectional study which was conducted among 450 adult people residing in Barisal district of Bangladesh. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using semi-structured questionnaire included socio-demographic information, knowledge and implementation behavior regarding mitigation initiatives towards climate change. Bivariate and multivariate techniques were adopted to analyze the data. The outcome reflected that a large proportion of the respondents had poor knowledge (55.1%) and poor implementation behavior (52.0%) on mitigation initiatives towards climate change. Poor knowledge was significantly more prominent among the people who were male (AOR = 1.56), Muslim (AOR = 2.55), respondents with >4 family members (AOR = 1.91) and with >3 children (AOR = 1.64) showed higher odds of poor knowledge. Poor implementation behavior was found significantly more leading among the female (AOR = 2.91), service-holder (AOR = 1.92) participants having higher monthly family incomes (AOR = 2.91), who had <1 child (AOR = 2.70), belonging ≤4 number of family members (AOR = 30.09). An alarming proportion of poor knowledge and implementation behavior were found regarding mitigation initiatives towards climate change in community settings of Bangladesh. Concerning demographic major predictors, it is essential to plan and implement sustainable and comprehensive health promotional program on climate change mitigation throughout the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dryland expansion causes widespread water scarcity and biodiversity loss. Although the drying influence of global warming is well established, the role of existing drylands in their own expansion is relatively unknown. In this work, by tracking the air flowing over drylands, we show that the warming and drying of that air contributes to dryland expansion in the downwind direction. As they dry, drylands contribute less moisture and more heat to downwind humid regions, reducing precipitation and increasing atmospheric water demand, which ultimately causes their aridification. In ~40% of the land area that recently transitioned from a humid region into a dryland, self-expansion accounted for ’50% of the observed aridification. Our results corroborate the urgent need for climate change mitigation measures in drylands to decelerate their own expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The National Health Service (NHS) has pledged to reach carbon net-zero by 2040. In alignment with this goal, a London hospital's anaesthesia department is actively reducing desflurane use and transitioning towards total intravenous anaesthesia (TIVA) as a sustainable alternative, contributing to environmentally responsible practices within the healthcare sector. Methods: We conducted a rapid qualitative appraisal through online interviews with 17 anaesthetic practitioners to explore their perspectives regarding this climate change mitigation strategy. Data analysis was undertaken through the use of rapid appraisal sheets and a framework analysis method. Results: Participants highlighted the disadvantages of TIVA, including the increased effort, heightened monitoring requirements, operational challenges, and a lack of clinical confidence associated with its use. Despite these reservations, participants acknowledged TIVA's potential to reduce postoperative nausea. There were perceptions that senior staff members might resist this change due to habits and scepticism over its impact on climate change. To facilitate greater TIVA adoption, participants recommended enhanced training, the implementation of a dashboard to raise awareness of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and the presence of strong climate change leadership within the department. Participants believed that a shift to TIVA should be followed by specific measures such as addressing waste management which is crucial for GHG reduction, emphasising the perceived link between waste and emissions. Conclusions: The evaluation examines stakeholder attitudes, perceptions, and behaviours, focusing on transitioning from desflurane to TIVA. The study highlights the importance of staff engagement, organisational support, and underscores the crucial role that healthcare practitioners and leadership play in fostering sustainability within the healthcare sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding mechanisms stabilizing ecosystem functions, such as primary production, is crucial for forecasting global environmental responses. While biological diversity is expected to enhance stability through compensatory reactions to environmental changes, empirical evidence is lacking, especially in old‐growth forests vital for biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation. Moreover, whether increased niche complementarity and stronger intraspecific than interspecific competition are key mechanisms promoting compensatory dynamics and stabilizing ecosystem functions in diverse forests remains unexplored. This study investigates productivity and stability in temperate old‐growth forests over 20 years at community and individual levels. Analysing 4380 trees in a 4‐ha plot in northern Japan with over 35 tree species, structural equation models evaluated the effects of biodiversity and average asynchrony in species fluctuations (compensatory dynamics) on productivity stability across 100 m2 grid quadrats. Functional traits and taxonomic diversity represented species complementarity and the insurance effect. Temporal growth correlations between conspecific and heterospecific neighbours and neighbourhood effects on growth performance indicated intra‐ and interspecific interactions at the individual level. Communities with greater stability exhibited higher diversity and asynchronous species fluctuations, suggesting that compensatory dynamics buffer community productivity against environmental variability. The inverse relationship between tree size variation and stability indicates that communities with less pronounced size and abundance hierarchies have more efficient compensatory mechanisms, ensuring stable forest functioning. The absence of negative temporal correlations in biomass production among heterospecific neighbours suggests the limited significance of interspecific competition in compensatory dynamics. Conversely, positive correlations among conspecific neighbours and their suppressed growth in dense conspecific patches highlight the importance of conspecific negative density‐dependent mechanisms in sustaining tree species diversity and ensuring stable productivity. Synthesis: The study underscores the critical role of tree species richness in stabilizing ecosystem functioning via asynchronous growth in one of the world's most diverse temperate forests. Stronger intraspecific than interspecific competition helps prevent single‐species dominance, maintaining diversity and productivity stability. Despite occasional destabilization from size‐asymmetric interspecific competition, species‐trait complementarity enhances stability by promoting overall biomass production. This study highlights the importance of overall diversity for the stability of forest productivity, with implications for nature conservation and ecosystem functionality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is the most active carbon pool in soils, which plays critical roles in soil carbon cycling, plant productivity, and global climate change. An accurate assessment of the quantity of DOC in the soil is essential for the detailed elucidation of ecosystem functions and services. Nevertheless, the global driving factors and distribution of soil DOC remain inadequately quantified due to the scarcity of large-scale data. Here, a comprehensive global database of 12807 soil DOC concentrations derived from 975 target papers in the literature was compiled. Detailed geographic locations, climate, and soil properties were also recorded as predictors of soil DOC. Machine learning techniques were employed to assess the relative importance of various predictors in the determination of soil DOC concentrations, which were subsequently extended for their prediction on a global scale. The worldwide soil DOC concentration spanned a wide range (0.04 to 7859 mg kg-1), averaging 222.78 mg kg-1. The 12 selected variables (including soil properties, month, climate, and ecosystem) explained 65 % of the variance in soil DOC concentrations. Elevation, soil clay, and soil organic carbon were three of the most important predictors. Global soil DOC concentration increased from the equator to the poles. The soil DOC stocks in the topsoil layer (0–30 cm) amounted to 12.17 Pg, with significant variations observed across different continents. These results are instrumental for informing strategies on soil management practices, ecosystem services, and the mitigation of climate change. Furthermore, our database can be combined with other carbon pools to explore the total soil carbon turnover and constrain Earth carbon models. The dataset is publicly available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.26379898 (Ren and Cai, 2024). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Policies to address climate change have been implemented worldwide in recent years. The core of these policies is to control greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which primarily stem from the consumption of fossil fuels. Consequently, the implementation of climate policies can affect other energy-related issues, such as energy poverty, a critical element of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This paper uses cross-country data from 2000 to 2020 to study the possible policy spillovers from climate actions to energy poverty. We show that a spillover effect does exist. In other words, a higher number of climate policies is associated with a lower level of energy poverty. The spillover is realized through improvements in energy efficiency, the promotion of renewable energy, and support for innovations. In addition, legislative policies are found to have stronger spillover effects. While the overall policy effects are positive for executive policies, regulations tend to have negative impacts on energy development. There is also evidence demonstrating heterogeneous effects between long-term and short-term policies, and between developed and developing countries. Discovering this spillover effect gives extra motivation for countries to adopt climate policies and actively seek synergies in achieving broader sustainable goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Grasslands are essential for providing vital resources in the livestock sector and delivering invaluable ecosystem services such as biodiversity and soil carbon (C) sequestration. Despite their critical importance, these ecosystems face escalating threats from human disturbances, human degradation, and climate change, compromising their ability to effectively stock C. Restoring degraded grasslands emerges as a pragmatic and cost-effective approach to tackling climate change. However, the successful implementation of grassland management toward this goal, faces significant challenges. A systematic mapping approach will help to compile a comprehensive global inventory of studies investigating the impact of differing grassland management practices on soil carbon. In addition, the potential for trade-offs with other greenhouse gas emissions further underlines the value of a systematic assessment. This approach aims to identify knowledge clusters (i.e., well-represented subtopics that are amenable to full synthesis) for potential systematic reviews and pinpoint knowledge gaps requiring further primary research efforts, all contributing to a better understanding of the evidence surrounding this topic. Methods: Following systematic evidence synthesis standards, we developed the question to address in the systematic map protocol using the PICO framework. We established a preliminary search string by combining search terms for the Population (Grasslands), Intervention (management) and Outcome (soil carbon) categories, as well as with one additional group (Study types—to focus on farm and field experiments). We will conduct a comprehensive literature search of relevant peer-reviewed and grey literature using Web of Science, Scopus, CABI platforms, Google Scholar, and specialised websites (e.g., Agrotrop). Searches will be conducted in the English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, and Mongolian languages, as per the linguistic capabilities of the research team. The comprehensiveness of the search will be assessed by comparing the literature collected to a test-list of forty relevant articles. The repeatability of the literature screening process will be ensured by a list of inclusion/exclusion criteria and inter-reviewer consistency statistical tests. Data extraction will be organised into four complementary sections (article information, PICO categories, study characteristics, measurable parameters), on which we will perform queries to produce the tables, figures and evidence maps that will compose the systematic map. The results will identify and describe knowledge gaps and clusters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing water scarcity jeopardizes crop production for global food security, a problem poised to worsen under climate change–induced drought. Amending soils with locally derived biochar from pyrolyzed agricultural residues may enhance soil moisture retention and resilience, in addition to climate change mitigation. However, prior studies on the hydrologic benefits of biochar focused on optimal moisture, not water‐limited conditions where biochar's large wettable surface area could aid plants and microbes. We hypothesized that biochars differing in feedstocks would positively augment soil moisture and respiration, with overall impacts most beneficial under drier conditions. Using water vapor sorption isotherms, we used film theory to estimate the specific surface area (SSA) of biochars. We then modeled and tested the moisture retention of a coarse‐textured soil amended with biochar. Additionally, a 109‐day lab incubation experiment was also conducted to examine biochar effects on respiration across a moisture range spanning optimal to wilting point. Among seven tested biochars, almond shell biochar significantly increased soil moisture and yield the second highest SSA. Despite drying treatments, the amended soil maintained higher respiration than the control, indicating enhanced biological activity. The results demonstrate biochars counter drying effects in coarse soils through physical and biological mechanisms linked to increased sorptive capacity. Our findings contribute to the development of sustainable water and waste management strategies tailored to the needs of California Central Valley, where the potential for biochar application is substantial. Above all, our research fills a crucial gap by providing context‐specific insights that can inform the effective utilization of locally produced biochars in the face of increasing water scarcity and excess biomass challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change negative impacts on food production systems have forced large scale food producers to make available less healthy products. Although available on the markets, tomatoes are no more tasting as they used to be and providing fewer nutrients compared to then. This study investigates and compares the quality and yield of organic tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) produced in an insect net covered photovoltaic greenhouse against ambient production. Plant's physical characteristics were measured, yields and nutrient content were found at harvest, and environmental conditions (temperature, relative humidity, solar irradiance and CO2) were recorded. Plants grew as high as 160 cm inside the greenhouse under an average afternoon temperature of 30.71 °C and a vapor pressure deficit (VPD) of 1.88 kPa against outside plant growth of 72 cm height under averages of 36.04 °C and 3.05 kPa. Although, inside greenhouse tomatoes were physically more attractive and firm with two times healthier tomatoes (98%), 52.39% higher content in protein, 13.31% more minerals and 13.19% more dry matter than outside tomatoes, the yield from outside environment was 4.57 times higher than that of inside due to probably the used crop variety adapted to the harsh climate. Using a crop variety optimum for greenhouse, increasing ventilation and using better fertilizers with enough irrigation could help increase productivity while keeping high fruit quality inside the greenhouse, leading to healthier fruits for food security in the Sahel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecosystem restoration is inherently a complex activity with inevitable tradeoffs in environmental and societal outcomes. These tradeoffs can potentially be large when policies and practices are focused on single outcomes versus joint achievement of multiple outcomes. Few studies have assessed the tradeoffs in Nature's Contributions to People (NCP) and the distributional equity of NCP from forest restoration strategies. Here, we optimized a defined forest restoration area across India with systematic conservation planning to assess the tradeoffs between three NCP: i) climate change mitigation NCP, ii) biodiversity value NCP (habitat created for forest-dependent mammals), and iii) societal NCP (human direct use of restored forests for livelihoods, housing construction material, and energy). We show that restoration plans aimed at a single-NCP tend not to deliver other NCP outcomes efficiently. In contrast, integrated spatial forest restoration plans aimed at achievement of multiple outcomes deliver on average 83.3% (43.2 to 100%) of climate change mitigation NCP, 89.9% (63.8 to 100%) of biodiversity value NCP, and 93.9% (64.5 to 100%) of societal NCP delivered by single-objective plans. Integrated plans deliver NCP more evenly across the restoration area when compared to other plans that identify certain regions such as the Western Ghats and north-eastern India. Last, 38 to 41% of the people impacted by integrated spatial plans belong to socioeconomically disadvantaged groups, greater than their overall representation in India's population. Moving ahead, effective policy design and evaluation integrating ecosystem protection and restoration strategies can benefit from the blueprint we provide in this study for India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rubisco (D-ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase) is the most abundant enzyme in the world, constituting up to half of the soluble protein content in plant leaves. Such is its ubiquity that its chemical fingerprint can be detected in the geological record spanning billions of years. Rubisco catalyses the conversion of inorganic CO 2 into organic sugars, which underpin almost all of the biosphere, including our entire food chain. Due to its central role in the global carbon cycle, rubisco has been the subject of intense research for over 50 years. Rubisco is often considered inefficient due to its slow rate of carboxylation compared with other central metabolism enzymes, and its promiscuous oxygenase activity, which competes with the productive carboxylation reaction. It is hoped that engineering improved CO 2 fixation will have significant advantages in agriculture and climate change mitigation. However, rubisco has proven difficult to engineer, with decades of efforts yielding limited results. Recent research has focused on reconstructing the evolutionary trajectory of rubisco to help elucidate its cryptic origins. Such evolutionary studies have led to a better understanding of both the origins of more complex rubisco forms and the broader relationship between rubisco's structure and function. Taylor-Kearney et al. discuss the evolution and origins of the enzyme rubisco. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Societal Impact Statement Summary Free‐air CO2 enrichment (FACE) experiments provide essential data on forest responses to increasing atmospheric CO2 for evaluations of climate change impacts on humanity. Understanding and reducing the uncertainty in the experimental results is critical to ensure scientific and public confidence in the models and policy initiatives that derive therefrom. One source of uncertainty is the estimation of tree biomass using mathematical relationships between biomass and easily obtained and non‐destructive measurements (allometry). We evaluated the robustness of the allometric relationships established at the beginning of a FACE experiment and discuss the challenges and opportunities for the new generation of FACE experiments. Long‐term field experiments to elucidate forest responses to rising atmospheric CO2 concentration require allometric equations to estimate tree biomass from non‐destructive measurements of tree size. We analyzed whether the allometric equations established at the beginning of a free‐air CO2 enrichment (FACE) experiment in a Liquidambar styraciflua plantation were still valid at the end of the 12 year experiment. Aboveground woody biomass was initially predicted by an equation that included bole diameter, taper, and height, assuming that including taper and height as predictors would accommodate changes in tree structure that might occur over time and in response to elevated CO2. At the conclusion of the FACE experiment, we harvested 23 trees, measured dimensions and dry mass of boles and branches, and extracted and measured the woody root mass of 10 trees. Although 10 of the harvested trees were larger than the trees used to establish the allometric relationship, measured aboveground woody biomass was well predicted by the original allometry. The initial linear equation between bole basal area and woody root biomass underestimated final root biomass by 28%, but root biomass was just 21% of total wood mass, and errors in aboveground and belowground estimates were offsetting. The allometry established at the beginning of the experiment provided valid predictions of tree biomass throughout the experiment. New allometric approaches using terrestrial laser scanning should reduce an important source of uncertainty in decade‐long forest experiments and in assessments of centuries‐long forest biomass accretion used in evaluating carbon offsets and climate mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our case-oriented analysis of the drivers of climate change highlights the barriers and pathways to climate action. We employ Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA), specifically fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA), to trace the ways in which combinations of climate change drivers helps us develop a better understanding of climate change, with a special emphasis on nation-states making a disproportionate contribution to this problem. World Bank data is used to analyze 179 countries allowing us to explore how population, gross domestic product per capita (Treadmill of Production), and military spending as a percentage of GDP (Treadmill of Destruction) provide different recipes for understanding two climate change outcomes as they relate to UN Sustainable Development Goals (particularly SDGs 10 and 13). Our analysis yields new insights, illuminating two distinct recipes, thereby indicating that a focus on mechanisms provides new ways of understanding social processes and their connection to carbon emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nature-based solutions (NBS) can deliver many benefits to human wellbeing, including some crucial to climate adaptation. We quantitatively assess the global potential of NBS strategies of protection, restoration, and agroforestry by modeling global climate change mitigation and local ecosystem services (water availability, sediment retention, runoff, pollination, nitrogen retention, green water storage, and coastal protection). The strategies with the most potential to help people do not necessarily deliver the most climate change mitigation: per area of conservation action, agroforestry provides substantial benefits (>20% increase in at least one local ecosystem service) to three times more people on average than reforestation while providing less than one tenth the carbon sequestration per unit area. Each strategy delivers a different suite of ecosystem service benefits; for instance, avoided forest conversion provides a strong increase in nitrogen retention (100% increase to 72 million people if fully implemented globally) while agroforestry increases pollination services (100% increase to 3.0 billion people if fully implemented globally). One common disservice shared by all the NBS strategies modeled here is that increased woody biomass increases transpiration, reducing annual runoff and in some watersheds negatively impacting local water availability. In addition, the places with the greatest potential for climate change mitigation are not necessarily the ones with the most people. For instance, reforestation in Latin America has the greatest climate change mitigation potential, but the greatest ecosystem service benefits are in Africa. Focusing on nations with high climate mitigation potential as well as high local ecosystem service potential, such as Nigeria in the case of reforestation, India for agroforestry, and the Republic of Congo for avoided forest conversion, can help identify win-win sites for implementation. We find that concentrating implementation of these three conservation strategies in critical places, covering 5.8 million km2, could benefit 2.0 billion people with increased local ecosystem services provision. These critical places cover only 35% of the possible area of implementation but would provide 80% of the benefits that are possible globally for the selected set of ecosystem services under the NBS scenarios examined here. We conclude that targeting these critical places for protection, restoration, and agroforestry interventions will be key to achieving adaptation and human wellbeing goals while also increasing nature-based carbon mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Since 1990, there has been a global decline in forest areas. Between 2010 and 2020, the greatest annual net loss of forests was on the African continent. Despite South African indigenous forests and trees being protected under the National Forests Act of 1998 (Act No. 84 of 1998), the country has also shown an increased annual net loss of forests. Although the Vhembe District Municipality in South Africa has lost forest owing to humaninduced deforestation and other land use activities, sacred forests have not been affected. According to traditional beliefs, exploitation of such indigenous patches of sacred forests is taboo. This study aims to explore the role of taboos in the protection of the remaining patches of sacred forest. Methods: The study relies on data collected between December 2022 and December 2023. Semi-structured interviewswere conductedwith key informants (n = 61) and local communities in Tshidzivhe and Duthuni villages (n = 60). Observations were used as a further data collection tool. The interview questions were prepared to assess the role of taboos in the protection and management of sacred forests. Data collected through interviews were analysed using thematic content analysis, while field observations helped to corroborate the results from the interviews. Results and discussion: The study identified two main taboos - one that restricts entry into the sacred forests (i.e. preventing entry into the sacred forests, and harvesting, hunting and hiking in these areas), and another that prohibits noise or activities that disrespect sacred forests. The study found that believers and nonbelievers alike, for fear of retribution by the spirits, still obey these taboos and their relatedmyths. This has allowed these areas to develop dense stands of closed-canopy evergreen forest that support more diverse flora and fauna than found in surrounding areas. Although sacred forests are not meant for biodiversity conservation, they offer opportunities to be integrated into global conservation targets of "30x30" and "Half-Earth" by 2030. They also offer the opportunity of serving as carbon sinks which is key to climate change mitigation. Recommendations for protecting sacred forests and associated taboos are drawn up based on these results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migration, from rural to urban settings is a common phenomenon in Latin America, due to social, economic, political, and other factors. Young people in search of economic and educational opportunities, financial, and social stability, have been migrating to larger urban centers, thus crafting important shifts in rural labor, generational transfer, and domestic economies. Through a systematic literature review of scientific literature, and documents from public institutions and international organizations, published between 2012 and 2022, this article addresses rural-urban migration of youth in Colombia and Guatemala's cattle sector, particularly identifying (i) driving factors, (ii) their impacts on cattle farming, and (iii) public policies implemented to counteract prejudicial effects. Results show that unemployment, lack of educational opportunities, and insecurity are the main reasons for youth migration to cities or abroad, with Mexico, the United States, and Spain being the most common destinations. Additionally, impacts on the cattle sector include shortage of labor and a perfectible generational transfer, hindering the modernization of the industry and investments in climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies. Despite various implemented public policies, the results are partial, and the issue of accelerated youth migration remains relevant. Consequently, without more effective measures adopted by national governments, the cattle sector will lag behind its regional and international competitors, deterring the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. As the main contribution of the study, the analysis of migration is highlighted based on its effects on a specific economic sector and not focused on its causes, as evidenced in a wide range of literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper assesses four relevant climate actions in Indian agricultural sector through the lens of United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to understand how climate actions (SDG 13) are linked with other SDGs and their targets and what measures can be taken to scale up these actions. Four board categories of climate actions are considered for this exercise: shift to less-flooded paddy water management practices; minimizing overuse of nitrogen-based fertilizer, system of rice intensification and climate smart agricultural practices. A mixed method has been followed: first, scoping review of literature between 2010 and 2022 is undertaken to capture the growing body of literature and then a normalized weighted score is used to understand the net strength of the linkages. Scoping review helped in identifying 100 studies spanned across Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) and the eastern part of Peninsular India. Findings from the scoring method suggest that these practices have linkages with 15 SDGs and as many as 43 SDG targets. Almost all linkages are positive (synergy) but there are a few negative linkages (trade-offs) as well. Trade-offs include exacerbating inequalities including gender, high upfront cost, requirement of skilled labor, lack of access to information and finance. This paper provides a detailed description of these trade-offs and suggests measures to tackle and minimize them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]