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Increasing temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns have major consequences for smallholder farmers, especially in the Global South. Our study examined spatial patterns and climatic drivers of farmers' perceptions of climate change, and how these perceptions translated into adaptation actions. We interviewed 56 farmers in southwestern Ethiopia and analyzed ERA5-Land reanalysis climate data from 1971 to 2020. The majority of farmers perceived the recorded temperature increase as well as a decrease and shift in the timing of rainfall. Perceived climate change varied with local climate factors and not with the rate of climate change itself. Farmers' adaptation practices showed associations with local temperature, but not with farmers' perceptions of climate change. Our findings highlight that even if farmers perceive climate change, perceptions are most common in areas where climate action is already urgent, and perceptions may not translate into adaptation. Thus, targeted and timely information and extension programs are crucial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antarctic meltwater discharge has been largely emphasized for its potential role in climate change mitigation, not only by reducing global warming, but also by stabilizing the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). Despite the tremendous impact of the AMOC on the climate system, its temporal evolution in response to the meltwater remains poorly understood. Here, we investigate the meltwater impacts on the AMOC based on the GFDL CM2.1 experiments and discover its fast weakening and slow strengthening to the Antarctic meltwater discharge. Cold ocean surface caused by meltwater spread throughout the globe and eventually strengthened the AMOC. However, in the early stages, the tropical temperature response could stimulate the Rossby wave teleconnection, modulating atmospheric circulation in the North Atlantic, and weakening convection and even the AMOC. This counterintuitive evolution implies a potential destabilizing effect of Antarctic meltwater, underscoring the importance of the atmospheric dynamics in the interaction between the two poles. Plain Language Summary: The climate system is made up of interactions between different subsystems, so that regional climate changes can have global effects. The freshwater discharge from Antarctica would increase in the future and result in regional cooling. Atmospheric and oceanic dynamics extend this local effect to the globe, reducing global surface temperature and strengthening the large‐scale ocean circulation in the Atlantic. These mitigating effects naturally put the spotlight on Antarctic meltwater. Our study however suggests that the mitigation effect depends on the time scale. Although the global mean temperature is always reduced, the ocean circulation in the Atlantic surprisingly slows down as an early response to Antarctic meltwater; fast atmospheric teleconnection enables it. This non‐monotonic evolution emphasizes the importance of the atmospheric teleconnection between the two poles, which should be carefully considered to understand the polar climate. Key Points: The response of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation to perennial meltwater‐induced cooling is investigated by GFDL CM2.1 experimentsBefore the cooling spreads out the Atlantic, tropical atmospheric teleconnection could weaken the Greenland ocean convectionThe fast and slow responses imply the importance of the atmospheric teleconnection to regulate polar climate [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Political polarization of Americans' support for climate policies often impedes the adoption of new, urgently needed climate solutions. However, recent polls suggest that younger conservatives favor adopting pro-climate policies to a greater degree than older conservatives, resulting in less political polarization among younger Americans relative to older Americans. To better understand these patterns, we analyzed Americans' support for various climate policies from 1982–2020, across 16 waves of historical, nationally representative survey data from the American National Election Studies (total N = 29,467). Regression models consistently show that, since 2012, younger Americans have been less politically polarized than older Americans on support for climate policies. Before 2012 and on non-climate policy topics, we did not find consistent statistical evidence for political polarization varying with age. These findings can inform policy debates about climate change and offer hope to environmentalists and policymakers who seek to build broad consensus for climate action at the policy level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global agriculture industry is facing never before faced issues in the form of soil degradation, water scarcity, rising greenhouse gas emissions, and climate change. Among the possible remedies, applying biochar to the soil has drawn interest as a viable strategy. Although a great deal of literature has been written about the benefits and drawbacks of applying biochar initially, there is still a significant amount of research on the effects of using biochar repeatedly. This study seeks to address this gap by examining the varied effects of both the initial application (at rates of 0 t.ha−1, 10 t.ha−1, and 20 t.ha−1) and the reapplication of biochar (at rates of 0, 10, and 20 t.ha−1), especially when combined with different levels of nitrogen fertilizer (0, 108, and 162 kg.ha−1). The investigation focuses on soil properties and CO2 emissions from Haplic Luvisol in the temperate climate zone (Slovakia). The results showed that biochar generally improved soil properties, such as soil pH (KCl) (p <0.05), shifting it from acidic towards moderately acidic, and generally led to a decrease in ammonium (NH4+) and nitrate (NO3-) content. The second level of fertilization, combined with different biochar treatments, yielded the most efficient results in physical properties such as soil temperature, bulk density (BD), and soil water content (SWC) compared to control treatments without biochar. Biochar application contributed to the reduction of both average daily CO2 emissions and cumulative CO2 emissions during the study period (April – October) in 2022 compared to the control without biochar application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study identified the practices of adaptation strategies to climate change in Jimma, Bedelle, Bonga, and Sokorru urban centers using a survey of 384 households, 55 key informant interviews, 4 focus group discussions, and field observations. A cross-sectional study design was employed from 2019 to 2021. The adaptive capacity of municipalities to reduce climate extreme events was rated as poor by the majority (51%), mostly reactive measures (76%). The climate hazards identified in four urban centers were riverine and flash floods, urban heat waves, landslides, and windstorms. The urban households practiced lifestyle modification, reduce paved surfaces, the use of air conditioner, planting trees, and multiple windows. The adaptation strategies practiced by municipalities include the relocation of prone areas, the support of basic amenities, the construction of protection walls, diversion ditches, the clearance of waterways and rivers, greenery, and park development. The adaptation actions were constrained by a lack of awareness, commitment, cooperation and coordination, adaptive capacity, and participation. Gray/physical infrastructures (costly but important) as adaptation actions were hampered by the low municipal capacity. We recommend that urban authorities should incorporate climate change adaptation strategies into urban planning and development proactively to ensure future resilient climate smart urban centers of southwest Ethiopia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Global climate change is one of the major challenges facing the world today, and forests play a crucial role as significant carbon sinks and providers of ecosystem services in mitigating climate change and protecting the environment. China, as one of the largest developing countries globally, owns 60% of its forest resources collectively. Evaluating the carbon sequestration cost of collective forests not only helps assess the contribution of China's forest resources to global climate change mitigation but also provides important evidence for formulating relevant policies and measures. Results: Over the past 30 years, the carbon sequestration cost of collective forests in China has shown an overall upward trend. Except for coastal provinces, southern collective forest areas, as well as some southwestern and northeastern regions, have the advantage of lower carbon sequestration costs. Furthermore, LSTM network predictions indicate that the carbon sequestration cost of collective forests in China will continue to rise. By 2030, the average carbon sequestration cost of collective forests is projected to reach 125 CNY per ton(= 16.06 Euros/t). Additionally, there is spatial correlation in the carbon sequestration cost of collective forests. Timber production, labor costs, and labor prices have negative spatial spillover effects on carbon sequestration costs, while land opportunity costs, forest accumulation, and rural resident consumption have positive spatial spillover effects. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate regional disparities in the spatial distribution of carbon sequestration costs of collective forests, with an undeniable upward trend in future cost growth. It is essential to focus on areas with lower carbon sequestration costs and formulate targeted carbon sink economic policies and management measures to maximize the carbon sequestration potential of collective forests and promote the sustainable development of forestry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concentration of chlorophyll‐a (CHL) is an important proxy for autotrophic biomass and primary production in the ocean. Quantifying trends and variability in CHL are essential to understanding how marine ecosystems are affected by climate change. Previous analyses have focused on assessing trends in CHL mean, but little is known about observed changes in CHL extremes and variance. Here we apply a quantile regression model to detect trends in CHL distribution over the period of 1997–2022 for several quantiles. We find that the magnitude of trends in upper quantiles of global CHL (>90th) are larger than those in lower quantiles (≤50th) and in the mean, suggesting a growing asymmetry in CHL distribution. On a regional scale, trends in different quantiles are statistically significant at high latitude, equatorial, and oligotrophic regions. Assessing changes in CHL distribution has potential to yield a more comprehensive understanding of climate change impacts on CHL. Plain Language Summary: The marine environment is essential to nature and society, as it provides food and other important services such as Earth's climate regulation and habitat for species. Marine primary productivity is increasingly stressed due to global climate change. Detecting the impact of climate change on primary producers should be a priority given their critical role in the climate system. Most studies focus on the impact of climate change by evaluating the mean state of primary productivity, but little is known about whether and how climate change is impacting variance and extremes. Here we assess changes in chlorophyll‐a (CHL), which is an important proxy for primary production of marine ecosystems. We quantify long‐term changes in different aspects of the CHL distribution (mean, variance, and extremes) using a quantile regression model. We find that CHL high extremes and variability are slightly intensified globally during the 26 years of observational record. Trends in regional scales, especially in high‐latitude and North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre, show that CHL high extremes have been increasing since 1997. Our results suggest that more emphasis should be put into understanding the impact of climate change on the variance and extremes of primary productivity for climate change adaptation and mitigation. Key Points: Long‐term changes are detected in different aspects of the distribution of chlorophyll‐a (not just the mean state)Oceanic chlorophyll‐a high extremes are changing faster than chlorophyll‐a mean globally during 1997–2022On a regional scale, chlorophyll‐a extremes trends are predominant at high latitude (+), equatorial (−), and oligotrophic regions (−) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The estimation of spatiotemporal variability of vegetation health and associated climatic variables is a prerequisite for efficient management of mountain ecosystems. The present study aimed to quantify the changing effect of different climatic parameters on vegetation health in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, from 2012 to 2021. The association between NDVI and three explanatory variables, i.e., temperature, precipitation, and wind speed, was analyzed using geostatistical model optimization and stationarity index analysis. Results showed that local model GWR presented optimal results owing to its ability to deal with spatial non-stationarity and stochasticity inherent in regression relationships. The most dominant climatic factor influencing vegetation dynamics in KPK was temperature, followed by wind speed and precipitation. However, there was a gradual decline in the influence of temperature in controlling vegetation dynamics after 2018, and precipitation emerged to be the major determinant. Moreover, the stationarity index was calculated at multi-scales to determine the operational scale range for each climatic variable. The scale-dependency of NDVI-T relationship exhibited highest spatial heterogeneity, up to a distance of 600 km. Overall, geostatistical modeling using earth observation datasets enabled insightful understanding of spatiotemporal variations in vegetation response to climate change, necessary for sustainable development and responsive climate action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Appropriately designed and implemented climate mitigation actions have multiple co-benefits (yet some trade-offs cannot be excluded) that result in substantial social and economic value beyond their direct impact on reducing energy consumption and GHG emissions. Despite their wider acknowledgement by the research community, decision makers and the public have incomplete information on these multiple effects. This paper has a twofold objective: First, through analytical bottom-up approaches, it assesses, in quantitative terms, the macroeconomic effects and the public health benefits attributed to a variety of mitigation actions under consideration in the context of the Greek Energy and Climate Plan. Second, it investigates, through a social survey, how citizens perceive climate change and value these multiple impacts of mitigation actions, and to what extent they are willing to pay for them and support the adoption of policy measures aiming at the green transition of the Greek economy. We show that mitigation actions bring about significant health benefits, particularly in cities, and generate significant positive macroeconomic effects, particularly if mitigation actions focus on the decarbonization of the building sector and on the exploitation of local renewable sources. We also argue that most people do not realize that climate mitigation actions can have wider benefits for society, such as tackling energy poverty, improving public health, and creating new jobs. Unwillingness to pay tends to be the prominent attitude. People who are more reluctant to cover a part of the cost of environmental protection are less likely to perceive that climate change is one of the main challenges at global and national level and support the adoption of climate mitigation policies. In this context, the national strategy for climate change should focus on effectively informing and engaging the public in climate mitigation strategies, strengthening the public trust in government institutions, promoting mutually acceptable solutions with the local communities, and providing incentives for changing citizens' behavior towards climate-related actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nature-based solutions (NbSs) are considered to form an innovative stormwater management approach that has living resolutions grounded in natural processes and structures. NbSs offer many other environmental benefits over traditional grey infrastructure, including reduced air pollution and climate change mitigation. This review predominantly centers on the hydrological aspect of NbSs and furnishes a condensed summary of the collective understanding about NbSs as an alternatives for stormwater management. In this study, which employed the CIMO (Context, Intervention, Mechanism, Outcome) framework, a corpus of 187 NbS-related publications (2000–2023) extracted from the Web of Science database were used, and we expounded upon the origins, objectives, and significance of NbSs in urban runoff and climate change, and the operational mechanisms of NbSs (including green roofs, permeable pavements, bioretention systems, and constructed wetlands), which are widely used in urban stormwater management, were also discussed. Additionally, the efficacy of NbSs in improving stormwater quality and quantity is discussed in depth in this study. In particular, the critical role of NbSs in reducing nutrients such as TSS, TN, TP, and COD and heavy metal pollutants such as Fe, Cu, Pb, and Zn is emphasized. Finally, the main barriers encountered in the promotion and application of NbSs in different countries and regions, including financial, technological and physical, regulatory, and public awareness, are listed, and future directions for improving and strategizing NbS implementation are proposed. This review gathered knowledge from diverse sources to provide an overview of NbSs, enhancing the comprehension of their mechanisms and applications. It underscores specific areas requiring future research attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article delves into local public diplomacy from the perspective of climate action. A cross-sectional analysis is made of the climate perspective in the international 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, considering the social, political, and economic challenges implied by human alteration of the environment. The websites of local municipal corporations in Portugal are analysed to identify the information referring to Agenda 2030 and its convergence in climate action. To this end, a content analysis method was designed based on the relationship of the Agenda’s sustainable development goals (SDGs) with their associated climate change goals. Attention is paid primarily to the websites’ fixed sections, and secondarily to their informational content and external portals. The method is applied to the websites of seven of Portugal’s municipalities. Conclusions are drawn concerning whether or not they provide information on climate change so that the effort directed by these local governments towards climate action can be determined. A comparison is made with the international case. This tool contributes to localizing the SDGs and prioritizing environmentally important components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the record-breaking wildfires that occurred in Canada in 2023, unprecedented quantities of air pollutants and greenhouse gases were released into the atmosphere. The wildfires had emitted more than 1.3 Pg CO2 and 0.14 Pg CO2 equivalent of other greenhouse gases (GHG) including CH4 and N2O as of 31 August. The wildfire-related GHG emissions constituted more than doubled Canada's planned cumulative anthropogenic emissions reductions in 10 years, which represents a significant challenge to climate mitigation efforts. The model simulations showed that the Canadian wildfires impacted not only the local air quality but also that of most areas in the northern hemisphere due to long-range transport, causing severe PM2.5 pollution in the northeastern United States and increasing daily mean PM2.5 concentration in northwestern China by up to 2 µg m−3. The observed maximum daily mean PM2.5 concentration in New York City reached 148.3 µg m−3, which was their worst air quality in more than 50 years, nearly 10 times that of the air quality guideline (i.e., 15 µg m−3) issued by the World Health Organization (WHO). Aside from the direct emissions from forest fires, the peat fires beneath the surface might smolder for several months or even longer and release substantial amounts of CO2. The substantial amounts of greenhouse gases from forest and peat fires might contribute to the positive feedback to the climate, potentially accelerating global warming. To better understand the comprehensive environmental effects of wildfires and their interactions with the climate system, more detailed research based on advanced observations and Earth System Models is essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing atmospheric CO2 causes substantial spatial and seasonal changes in air temperature and precipitation through its radiative (RAD) and vegetation physiological (PHY) effects. However, it remains poorly understood on how these two effects impact the integrated climate zone shifts over China. Here, we disentangle the RAD and PHY effects on the shifts of Köppen‐Geiger climate zones from pre‐industrial to 4 × CO2 in China using nine Earth system models. We find that climate zone changes over approximately 56.1% of China, and PHY contributes 15.2% of such changes at 4 × CO2. PHY shifts regional climate to warmer and wetter classifications, shrinking (−42.8%) the arid zone distributions and promoting (26.8%) the tropical zone northward extensions. Our findings highlight the critical role of vegetation in reshaping the overall climate zone distributions, yet introduce potential risk to climate mitigation and adaptation. Plain Language Summary: Ongoing rise in atmospheric CO2 not only alters the magnitudes of temperature and precipitation, but also shifts their spatial and seasonal variations, reshaping climate zone distributions. Vegetation amplifies global warming and modulates precipitation through its physiological response (PHY) to rising CO2, but how this process affects the local climate zone shifts is understudied, especially in China. Using nine CMIP6 Earth system models, we find that climate zone undergoes shifts across 56.1% of China at 4 × CO2, and PHY contributes 15.2% of such changes. PHY aids the northward expansions of tropical and temperate zones, and generally shifts the regions to warmer and wetter climate from pre‐industrial to 4 × CO2. Importantly, PHY diminishes (−42.8%) the arid zone coverage, indicating an important role of vegetation to alleviate water stress in those regions. Strong PHY contributions to the total climate zone area changes caused by rising CO2 emerges in Shandong, Shanxi, Ningxia, Guangdong and Guangxi at 4 × CO2. Our results clarify the climate zone shifts at 4 × CO2 and unravel the role of vegetation physiological response on shifting future climate zone distributions in China, providing new perspective on the role of vegetation in climate system. Key Points: Climate zone shifts across 56.1% of land area in China at 4 × CO2, 15.2% of which is contributed by vegetation CO2 physiological forcingCO2 physiological forcing shifts the regions to a warmer climate through lifting temperature, expanding tropical zone northwardVegetation acts to shrink arid zone as precipitation increases through CO2 physiological forcing [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examined whether people of different age groups respond differently to a true versus fake consensus statement concerning climate change. In total, 309 participants were randomly exposed to a true consensus statement about climate change and 311 were exposed to a false statement. Subsequently, respondents were asked to respond to items about attitudes, feelings, and behavioral intentions concerning climate change. Compared with younger people, older persons are significantly more concerned about climate change, more likely to report that climate change is real and more willing to take climate change action. Nevertheless, older persons also are more likely to be willing to post both fake and truthful information about climate change, thus, possibly serving as spreaders of both fake and truthful information. The findings suggest that it is younger people who will benefit from further education about climate change and older people who may benefit from education about the spread of information in social media. Our findings also suggest that simply providing individuals with consensus information has only limited impact on their climate change attitudes, feelings and behavioral intentions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Tree seedlings from populations native to drier regions are often assumed to be more drought tolerant than those from wetter provenances. However, intraspecific variation in drought tolerance has not been well‐characterized despite being critical for developing climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies, and for predicting the effects of drought on forests.We used a large‐scale common garden drought‐to‐death experiment to assess range‐wide variation in drought tolerance, measured by decline of photosynthetic efficiency, growth, and plastic responses to extreme summer drought in seedlings of 73 natural populations of the two main varieties of Douglas‐fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii and var. glauca).Local adaptation to drought was weak in var. glauca and nearly absent in menziesii. Var. glauca showed higher tolerance to drought but slower growth than var. menziesii. Clinal variation in drought tolerance and growth species‐wide was mainly associated with temperature rather than precipitation. A higher degree of plasticity for growth was observed in var. menziesii in response to extreme drought.Genetic variation for drought tolerance in seedlings within varieties is maintained primarily within populations. Selective breeding within populations may facilitate adaptation to drought more than assisted gene flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blue carbon has been proposed as a nature-based solution for climate change mitigation; however, a limited number of published works and data and knowledge gaps hinder the development of small island developing states' (SIDS) national blue carbon resources globally. This paper reviews the blue carbon ecosystems of Seychelles as a case study in the context of SIDS, comparing estimations by the Blue Carbon Lab and recent blue carbon (mangrove and seagrass) evaluations submitted to the Seychelles national government. Mangroves (2195 ha, 80% in Aldabra Atoll) and seagrasses (142,065 ha) dominate in Seychelles, with coral reefs having the potential for carbon sequestration (169,000 ha). Seychelles is on track to protecting its blue carbon, but these systems are threatened by rising sea levels, coastal squeeze, erosion, severe storms, and human activities. The importance of carbon inventories, accounting institutions, and continuous monitoring of blue carbon systems is discussed. Blue accounting is necessary for accurate accounting of carbon sequestration and carbon storage, generating carbon credits, and representing impactful reductions in greenhouse gases for NDCs. Challenges and opportunities include policy legislation regarding ownership rights, accreditation and certification for carbon credits, sustainable financing mechanisms like natural asset companies and blue tokens, local engagement for long-term success, and carbon market dynamics following COP27. The restoration and regulation of blue carbon resources for optimal ecosystem services delivery, carbon inventories, and blue carbon policy are recommended development priorities. Blue carbon ecosystems have the potential to contribute to NDCs of SIDS while simultaneously offering sustainable development pathways for local communities through the multiple ecosystem services they provide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One significant obstacle to gaining a widespread awareness of the ongoing climate change is the nature of its manifestations in relation to our perception: climate change effects are gradual, distributed, and sometimes seemingly contradictory. These features result in a lag in collective climate action and sometimes foster climate skepticism and climate denial. While the literature on climate change perception and belief has thoroughly explored its sociocultural and sociopolitical aspects, research on the potential contribution of psychophysiological factors remains scarce. In this perspective paper, we outline evidence and arguments for the involvement of psychophysiological systems such as thermoception, hygroreception, and interoception in modulating climate change awareness. We discuss psychophysiological mechanisms of climate change awareness in animals and humans, as well as possible sources of individual variance in climate change perception. We conclude by suggesting novel research questions which would be worthwhile to pursue in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The one-humped camel is well-adapted to low nutritive resources, arid environments and desert ecosystems. Salivary glands have an essential role in moistening and swallowing the ingested food and forestomach digestion regulation and in water body homeostasis. The present study aims to find out the morphological, histological and histochemical characterization of the salivary glands of the dromedary camel concerning the salivation process's role in challenging the arid conditions and to mitigate the climate change impacts. Representative samples of the salivary glands of healthy 16 adult one-humped camel (Camelus dromedaries) of both sexes were tested including mandibular glands, parotid glands, sublingual glands, buccal glands, lingual glands, labial glands and palatine ones. The samples were processed according to the following handling: gross examination, fixation, dehydration, clearing, wax impregnation, embedding, trimming, sectioning, slide mounting, hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) and a battery of histological and histochemical staining. The salivary glands demonstrated variable types of tubule-acinar and tubule-alveolar secretory portions surrounded by numerous myoepithelial cells and armed with interlobular and intralobular ducts rich with goblet cells. In addition, the glands showed variable secretory cells (mucous, serous, mucoserous and mixed seromucous) with variable secretory products mainly mucusubstances, neutral mucin, acidic mucosubstances, sialomucins, sulphomucins, and29T glycoproteins. Moreover, the glands collectively demonstrated activities for the following enzymes: dehydrogenases, phosphatases, esterases, carboxylases, aminopeptidases, peroxidases, cytochrome oxidases and carbonic anhydrases. furthermore, the glands exhibited alcianophilia and metachromasia. The findings of the present study indicate that the structure and the secretion of the salivary glands of the camel support an efficient salivation process and represent a strong challenge to growing water scarcity and expansion of xerophytes as the main pastoral resources for camels. In that sense, salivary glands in camels are one of the elements of his panoply adaptation to arid conditions and to mitigate the climate change impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate extremes and biotic interactions at the neighbourhood scale affect tropical forest dynamics with long‐term consequences for biodiversity, global carbon cycling and climate change mitigation. However, forest disturbance may change crowding intensity, and thus the relative contribution of climate extremes and neighbourhood interactions on tree growth, thereby influencing tropical forest resistance and resilience to climate change. Here, we aim to evaluate the separate and interactive effects of climate and neighbours on tree growth in old‐growth and disturbed tropical forests.We used 30 years of growth measurements for over 300 tropical tree species from 15 forest plots in French Guiana to investigate the separate and interactive effects of climate anomalies (in solar radiation, maximum temperature, vapour pressure deficit and climatic water deficit) and neighbourhood crowding on individual tree growth. Contrasting old‐growth and selectively logged forests, we also examined how disturbance history affects tree growth sensitivity to climate and neighbours. Finally, for the most abundant 100 species, we evaluated the role of 12 functional traits pertaining to water relations, light and carbon use in mediating tree growth sensitivity to climate anomalies, neighbourhood crowding and their interactions.Climate anomalies tied to heat and drought stress and neighbourhood crowding independently reduced tree growth, and showed positive interactive effects which attenuated their separate effects on tree growth. Their separate and interactive effects were stronger in disturbed than undisturbed forests. Fast‐growing species (i.e. higher intrinsic growth rates) were more abundant in disturbed forests and more sensitive to climate anomalies and neighbourhood crowding. Traits related to water relations, light and carbon use captured species sensitivities to different climate anomalies and neighbourhood crowding levels but were weak predictors of their interactions.Synthesis: Our results demonstrate that climate anomalies and neighbourhood crowding can interact to shape tropical tree growth, suggesting that considering the biotic context may improve predictions of tropical forest dynamics facing altered climate regimes. Furthermore, species traits can capture tree growth sensitivity to the separate effects of climate and neighbours, suggesting that better representing leading functional dimensions in tropical tree strategies offers a promising way towards a better understanding of the underlying ecological mechanisms that govern tropical forest dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With its northern location, the exposure and vulnerability of Canada's forest ecosystems to climate change impacts are all too glaring. While there is now an extensive body of literature describing expected climate change impacts and potential responses, studies characterizing the implementation of adaptation and mitigation practices in forest management remain rare in the Canadian forest sector. Using a systematic literature review, we examined reports on forest management practices implemented in response to climate change, specifically focusing on governance and institutional arrangements that either support or limit climate change adaptation and mitigation responses. Our literature sample size of 24 documents suggests that the body of literature reporting on adaptation and mitigation practices in forest management is scarce. Governments remain the dominant actors providing funding and leading the implementation and reporting of climate change adaptation practices, primarily in response to national or international climate change commitments. Forest practices such as enhanced silviculture, assisted migration, and nature-based solutions were the most frequently reported. However, given the scarcity of literature, it is difficult to conclude the scope of climate change adaptation practice uptake in Canada. Barriers such as lack of information/data, inter-jurisdictional knowledge transfer, policy conflicts, forest tenure models, technical capacity gaps, and economic barriers to adaptation need to be overcome to strengthen climate change response in forest management. Better coordination of reporting at the provincial and national levels and improved information flows between private sector organizations and governments are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canada is recognized as a global leader in sustainable forest management. Canadian forests and the forest sector remain vital pillars of the Canadian economy and home to many rural and remote communities. However, climate change is an existential threat to the sustainability of forests and forest-dependent communities. While both direct and indirect threats posed by climate change to Canada's forest sector are now well understood, our understanding of specific forest practices that have emerged from the body of science to mitigate and adapt to climate change impacts is not well documented. Through a review of the scientific and grey literature, this study expands our knowledge and operational gaps associated with implementing climate change adaptation and mitigation practices in Canadian forests. The study found a dearth of literature specifically dedicated to reporting on the type of forest practices currently in use across Canada to address mitigation and adaptation. Most reports or studies were published in 2019 or later, with federal and provincial governments being the dominant actors in reporting and monitoring, research, and funding. Across the 15 terrestrial ecozones in Canada, forest practices linked to climate change were reported in 12 ecozones, with most practices reported in the Montane Cordillera located in western Canada. Common forest practices reported include fuel management, assisted migration, enhanced silvicultural activities, and carbon offset projects. We conclude that climate change adaptation/mitigation practices in Canada are in their early stages of implementation. Many practices remain in experimental stages (e.g., genetic trials) or are implemented at a relatively small scale in Canada (e.g., climate-based seed transfer and carbon reserves). The literature suggests that the most mainstream practices associated with climate change mitigation in Canada include tree planting for carbon sequestration and the designation of protected areas to enhance ecosystem resilience. We conclude that despite increasing reports linking climate change benefits with reported forest practices, the reporting in the scientific literature is scarce, poorly reported, and often not grounded in credible evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effectively reducing climate change requires marked, global behavior change. However, it is unclear which strategies are most likely to motivate people to change their climate beliefs and behaviors. Here, we tested 11 expert-crowdsourced interventions on four climate mitigation outcomes: beliefs, policy support, information sharing intention, and an effortful tree-planting behavioral task. Across 59,440 participants from 63 countries, the interventions' effectiveness was small, largely limited to nonclimate skeptics, and differed across outcomes: Beliefs were strengthened mostly by decreasing psychological distance (by 2.3%), policy support by writing a letter to a future-generation member (2.6%), information sharing by negative emotion induction (12.1%), and no intervention increased the more effortful behavior--several interventions even reduced tree planting. Last, the effects of each intervention differed depending on people's initial climate beliefs. These findings suggest that the impact of behavioral climate interventions varies across audiences and target behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current post-carbon transition trajectories are primarily focused on external solutions, while citizens' inner lives and roles in collective transformation and system change processes are largely overlooked. To address this gap, this study aims to explore the potential role of citizens as active agents of change. Specifically, it examines how citizens perceive and address climate change, the factors that can empower and motivate them to act, and how they imagine future transformation pathways and their own role within them. Based on a combined SenseMaker and Grounded Theory methodology, we explore citizens' perspectives and discuss their implications for improving current approaches and discourses, such as lifestyle environmentalism and post-growth. Our findings provide important insights into the interplay between people's motivation, sense of agency, and social paradigms, with direct implications for policy and practice. They show that the materialistic growth paradigm under which most people act does not support motivation and engagement in sustainability transformations. Secondly, although intrinsic motivation, along with values such as care and community, increase engagement and transformation, they are seldom reflected in current policy approaches and discourses. Thirdly, a sense of agency is key for lasting individual and collective engagement. Put together, the results indicate that empowering individual and collective agency requires challenging current societal and systemic values that lie at the root of today's crises. Supporting conditions that allow the emergence of new social paradigms through targeted actions at individual, collective, and system levels is thus crucial to tackling climate change and meeting policy targets [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present investigation elaborates on the level of game theory application for the applied and theoretical analyses of climate change and development studies. This editorial shows that the common good character of global climate alongside the increasing internalization of environmental externalities through national regulations and international environmental treaties jointly result in the increasing congruence between the context of climate change problems and the game theoretical method. Furthermore, the adoption of the Paris Accord by the overwhelming majority of developing countries as well as the disproportionate vulnerability of the Global South have led to an increasing shift in focus with regard to international development cooperation, from poverty alleviation and economic growth to green growth and circular economy solutions, within developing countries. The underutilization of game theory in the context of development studies is not satisfactory. This paper underlines the importance of implementing an impetus to researchers for scholarly discussions and applications of game theory in a discourse on the following topics: 1. economic growth; 2. climate change mitigation and adaptation; and 3. a broader socioeconomic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildfires are becoming more frequent due to the global climate change. Large amounts of greenhouse gases emitted by wildfires can lead to increases in extreme climate events. Accurately estimating the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from wildfires is important for mitigation of climate change. In this paper, we develop a novel method to estimate wildfire CO2 emissions from the relationship between local CO2 emissions and XCO2 anomalies. Our method uses the WRF-Chem assimilation system from OCO-2 XCO2 retrievals which coupled with Data Assimilation Research Testbed (DART). To validate our results, we conducted three experiments evaluating the wildfire CO2 emissions over the conterminous United States. The four-month average wildfire emissions from July to October in 2015∼2018 were estimated at 4.408 Tg C, 1.784 Tg C, 1.514 Tg C and 2.873 Tg C, respectively. Compared to the average of established inventories CT2019B, FINNv1.5 and GFASv1.2 fire emissions, our estimates fall within one standard deviation, except for 2017 due to lacking of OCO-2 XCO2 retrievals. These results suggest that the regional carbon assimilation system, such as WRF-Chem/DART, using OCO-2 XCO2 retrievals has a great potential for accurately tracking regional wildfire emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We quantify an elevated occurrence of abrupt changes in ocean environmental conditions under human‐induced climate forcing using Earth system model output through a novel analysis method that compares the temporal evolution of the forcings applied with the development of local ocean state changes for temperature, oxygen concentration, and carbonate ion concentration. Through a multi‐centennial Earth system model experiment, we show that such an increase is not fully reversible after excess greenhouse gas emissions go back to zero. The increase in occurrence of regional abrupt changes in marine environmental conditions has not yet been accounted for adequately in climate impact analyses that usually associate ecosystem shifts large‐scale variability or extreme events. Estimates for remaining greenhouse gas emission targets need thus to be more conservative. Plain Language Summary: The ocean warms up, gets more acidic, and loses oxygen under progressing anthropogenic climate change putting ecosystems under stress. Regionally, abrupt changes in temperature, acidity, and dissolved oxygen concentration can occur and may make it impossible for organisms to adjust to these new environmental conditions, thereby increasing the risk for deterioration of entire ecosystems. The study provides evidence for elevated occurrence of regional abrupt changes in marine environmental conditions that is not yet accounted for appropriately in climate impact analyses that usually associate ecosystem shifts with changes in large‐scale variability or extreme events. Therefore, the time window for effective climate mitigation to prevent unwanted marine ecosystem impacts may close sooner than previously expected. Key Points: There is an elevated occurrence of abrupt changes in key ocean state variables under human‐induced climate forcingThe occurrence of abrupt changes in the upper ocean peaks around the maximum of the rate of change in human‐induced forcingA multi‐centennial legacy is expected for abrupt shifts in environmental conditions, long after a stop of anthropogenic CO2 emissions [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: After almost 10 years, people wonder if green finance has been able to attain its objectives in terms of controlling climate change. Persistent global warming and climate deregulation manifested by melting glaciers, droughts and floods, are all of these determinants that have called into question the efficiency of green finance. Design/methodology/approach: Green finance is a way to support climate action through investments. It has proven that this is a viable financial instrument and that it can be used by governments and private companies to plan for the future of our planet. Findings: Based on an analysis of articles published in top international journals from 2016 to 2022, about the relationship between green technology and financial services in China, this paper aims to present an overview of green finance, its importance for the planet, its objectives and its instruments. Research limitations/implications: This study's contribution is to shed light on the aspects that may have limited its effectiveness, such as the absence of incentives, the absence of climate costs and above all the absence of finance green standards. Originality/value: The results have shown that there is still a significant gap in green finance before inclusive green growth can be achieved. Inclusive green growth. All stakeholders need to increase the level of investment in green finance. The green investment financing gap is the result of inconsistencies in sustainability and policies. Therefore, governments must intervene to impose appropriate policies and regulations to compel the financial sector to engage in sustainable development. All of these factors make the concept of green finance just an illusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in August 2022 was an important step forward in American climate policy. The Act is essential to the United States' goal of effective climate change mitigation efforts, and other countries have even begun to use it as a model for climate mitigation. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provides the framework by which the United States will transition away from fossil fuels and move towards an energy grid powered predominantly by renewable sources. For the first time, the Act addresses head-on the climate and environmental injustices that exist in the United States due to decades of structural inequities that have directly harmed people of color and low-income individuals. However, these environmental injustices are connected to housing injustice, which also disproportionately harms these same vulnerable groups. Low-income tenants often bear the brunt of all of these injustices, due to a lack of legal protection, stability, and resiliency in their homes. While there are crucial environmental justice provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act, its preeminent method to shift to renewable energy is the use of tax credits, which favor energy developers and leave tenants behind. Tax credits are likely to reinforce existing inequalities, and here, incentivize development that could lead to further gentrification. Without housing justice, there is no environmental justice nor climate justice. This Note proposes that in conjunction with the IRA, there needs to be a legislative push for localized, renter-protective policies that will create stability for low-income renters and allow the benefits of the IRA (like clean energy, greener neighborhoods, and cheaper energy prices), to be shared with the communities that need these benefits the most. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earth System Models (ESMs) project that the terrestrial carbon sink will continue to grow as atmospheric CO2 increases, but this projection is uncertain due to biases in the simulated climate and how ESMs represent ecosystem processes. In particular, the strength of the CO2‐fertilization effect, which is modulated by nutrient cycles, varies substantially across models. This study evaluates land carbon balance uncertainties for the Canadian Earth System Model (CanESM) by conducting simulations where the latest version of CanESM's land surface component is driven offline with raw and bias‐adjusted CanESM5 climate forcing data. To quantify the impact of nutrient limitation, we complete simulations where the nitrogen cycle is enabled or disabled. Results show that bias adjustment improves model performance across most ecosystem variables, primarily due to reduced biases in precipitation. Turning the nitrogen cycle on increases the global land carbon sink during the historical period (1995–2014) due to enhanced nitrogen deposition, placing it within the Global Carbon Budget uncertainty range. During the future period (2080–2099), the simulated land carbon sink increases in response to bias adjustment and decreases in response to the dynamic carbon‐nitrogen interaction, leading to a net decrease when both factors are acting together. The dominating impact of the nitrogen cycle demonstrates the importance of representing nutrient limitation in ESMs. Such efforts may produce more robust carbon balance projections in support of global climate change mitigation policies such as the 2015 Paris Agreement. Plain Language Summary: The implementation of global climate change policies relies on our ability to predict how the global carbon cycle will evolve in the future. Climate models project that the biosphere will continue to absorb more CO2 than it emits, keeping atmospheric CO2 levels lower than they would be otherwise. However, the strength of this net CO2 uptake varies considerably among models. This is because of differences in the simulated climate as well as the use of different methods for simulating plant growth. This study evaluates the importance of both factors by running one model with different climate data sets and model configurations. Our results show that the future net CO2 uptake by plants increases when removing biases in climatic conditions and decreases when accounting for the impact of soil nutrients on plant growth, leading to a net decrease when both factors are acting together. The dominating impact of the nutrients demonstrates the importance of representing nutrient limitation in climate models. Such efforts may produce more robust carbon balance projections in support of global climate change mitigation policies such as the 2015 Paris Agreement. Key Points: Bias adjustment of climate forcing improves model performance across most variables, primarily due to reduced biases in precipitationThe inclusion of the N cycle increases the simulated C sink during the historical period, placing it within the observed uncertainty rangeThe future C sink increases with bias adjustment and decreases with the N cycle, resulting in a net decrease when both factors are at play [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is a constant threat to global food security. In Sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA), extended dry spells, heavy rainfall, flooding, and tropical storms have driven a large percentage of the population to a severe food crisis. Climate‐smart agriculture (CSA) is a potential comprehensive solution whose adoption can mitigate climate change and its ramifications on the state of food security in the region. CSA combines innovation, the use of technology, extensive research, stakeholder involvement, and data to increase food production, optimize resource allocation and utilization, and enhance the region's ability to feed its population. The adoption of CSA has succeeded in increasing agricultural productivity in several parts of SSA and will help towards the building of resilience food systems across the region amid constant and unpredictable climate change and its far‐reaching impacts in the region. For the sustained and universal adoption of CSA within the region, there is a need for more stakeholder involvement in its development and adaptation to the needs of specific communities. Furthermore, it is necessary to leverage the positive impact of the approach by expanding its scope beyond climate change mitigation to prevention and control, and ultimately help in achieving the United Nations SDG 2 and 13. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To combat climate change, carbon dioxide must be prevented from entering the atmosphere or even removed from it. Biochar is one potential practice to sequester carbon, but its climate change mitigation potential depends on a multitude of parameters. Differentiating areas of low and high climate change mitigation through biochar addition is key to maximize its potential and effectively use the available feedstock for its production. This study models the realistic application of 1 metric tonne (t) per hectare (ha) of forest harvest residue derived biochar over the climatically and pedologically diverse agricultural area of British Columbia, Canada, and provides a framework and assumptions for reproducibility in other parts of the world. The model accounts for the direct (input of organic carbon) and indirect (enhanced plant biomass) effects of biochar on soil organic carbon stock, its impact on nitrous oxide emissions from soils, and the avoided emissions from the reduced lime requirement due to biochar's alkalinization potential. Impacts are modelled over 20‐year time horizon to account for the duration and magnitude variation over time of biochar effect on plant biomass and nitrous oxide emissions from soil and conform to the IPCC GWP 20‐year time horizon reporting. The results show that a single application of 1 t of biochar per ha−1 can mitigate between 3 and 5 t CO2e ha−1 over a 20‐year time frame. Applied to the 746,000 ha of agricultural land of British Columbia this translate to the mitigation of a total of 2.5 million metric tonnes (Mt) CO2e over a 20‐year time frame. Further, the results identify agricultural areas in the Lower Mainland region (the southwestern corner of British Columbia) as the area maximizing climate change mitigation potential through biochar addition due to a combination of relative high temperature, high precipitation, and crops with high nitrogen requirement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South eastern Australia is a global warming hotspot, and is also home to ~70% of Australia's population and one of Australia's largest fisheries—the South East Scalefish and Shark Fishery. This fishery spans shelf to deep waters, subtropical to temperate waters, employs many gears, and interacts with over 100 species. Despite following best practice fisheries management principles, including taking an ecosystem perspective to overall fisheries interactions, management interventions have failed to arrest or recover the decline of some focal species. Using an Atlantis ecosystem model developed for the fishery over the past 20 years, this paper presents simulations that suggest climate change may be a major contributor to the trajectories seen for a number of species—such as jackass morwong (Nemadactylus macropterus), blue warehou (Seriolella brama), and gemfish (Rexea solandri). This kind of climate influence poses many challenges for fisheries management into the future, raising questions about what to do when climate change undermines or overrides fisheries management actions and objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the moral dimensions of the planet's challenges by examining the intersection of environmental ethics, metaphorical expressions, and geography in the context of the escalating climate crisis. The study employs the jellyfish metaphor and geographical ethics to link theoretical ethical issues with real-world societal behaviours. The study emphasizes the need to contextualize metaphors like climate change and jellyfish resilience to make them more relevant in real-world situations. This approach represents a shift in societal attitudes toward sustainable coexistence, emphasizing the use of metaphors to promote environmental consciousness and ethical action. The study aims to strongly promote ethical behaviour and environmental awareness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the gradual deterioration of climate change, the World Trade Organization ("WTO") faces a dilemma: how much leeway can the institution give its members to pursue trade-restrictive climate action while safeguarding the strength and integrity of the international trading system? The nexus between trade and climate change has become increasingly recognized, with the first-ever "trade day" to be held at this year's COP28. This linkage gives rise to the question of how the General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs ("GATT"), laying the legal foundations for the WTO, accommodates members' mitigatory climate action. In this regard, the GATT strictly separates the agreement's primary rules from its two exceptions, (i) the General Exceptions in Article XX and (ii) the National Security Exceptions in Article XXI. If members pursue trade-restrictive measures to fight climate change, the GATT's regulatory scheme only analyzes whether these exceptions apply. The GATT's primary rules thus turn a blind eye towards members' pertinent policy considerations, such as building climate resilience. This analytical distinction between the primary rules and the exceptions is referred to as the rules-exceptions paradigm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over 200 health journals have issued a joint statement calling on the United Nations, political leaders, and health professionals to recognize that climate change and biodiversity loss are interconnected crises that must be addressed together. The statement emphasizes that the world's response to these challenges has been inadequate, treating them as separate issues. The impacts of these crises on human health are significant, including disruptions to social and economic systems, shortages of land, shelter, food, and water, and the exacerbation of poverty, migration, and conflict. The health community must advocate for the restoration of biodiversity and the mitigation of climate change, and political leaders must recognize the threats to health and the potential benefits of addressing these crises. The statement concludes by urging the World Health Organization to declare the climate and nature crisis as a global health emergency. [Extracted from the article]

The global climate warming caused by greenhouse gases poses a great threat to human living and biological ecosystems. To mitigate climate change, many measures have been taken to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Among them, the forest carbon sink (FCS) is considered as one of the most economical and effective carbon sequestration methods to realize carbon emission reductions in next 30 to 50 years. FCS projects are being implemented in many countries to increase their carbon sequestration and thereby to realize carbon emission reductions. However, there are some issues associated with implementation with such policies. Firstly, these projects mainly have focused only on carbon sequestration and have ignored the comprehensive ecological effects to obtain their best economical benefits. Secondly, implementing these projects fails to establish a sustainable and healthy forest industry because they place too much reliance on preferential policies from governments. Finally, the projects lack systematic technological standards and legislation to guarantee their smooth implementation. This editorial briefly discusses these issues for the suitable implementation of the FCS projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the challenges posed by climate change, particularly the rise in global average temperature and its implications, highlighting the need for intensified adaptation and mitigation efforts globally. It also emphasizes the significance of understanding the vulnerability scenario in the Indian Himalayan region and the initiatives taken under the National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem to assess ecosystem health and formulate sustainable development strategies.

Healthcare organisations have a significant carbon footprint due to their substantial energy consumption and waste generation. The existing literature has mostly focused on examining the isolated impact of specific green organisational practices on individual dimensions of environmental performance. Hence, policy makers and practitioners still lack a holistic view of how combinations of green organisational practices can mitigate the impact on climate change of healthcare organisations. Drawing on the practice-based view (PBV) of strategy, the study first examines the extent to which the adoption of imitable, individual green organisational practices impacts on the whole climate change mitigation performance of publicly owned hospitals. Second, it explores possible combinations of green organisational practices that can lead to high levels of climate change mitigation performance. Focusing on the illustrative case of publicly owned acute care hospitals in the English National Health Service and employing a two-stage Data Envelopment Analysis and a fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA), the analysis shows that the adoption of the practice of green energy procurement can, in isolation, positively lead to high climate change mitigation outcomes. Moreover, high performance levels can be achieved through multiple configurations of green organisational practices. Therefore, the findings suggest that the effectiveness of green organisational practices on climate change mitigation performance of hospitals depends on how practices are combined, rather than on their single effects, and indicate the presence of a complementary as well as a substitution effect between practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon neutrality strategies have a significant role in climate mitigation efforts. As global concerns regarding climate change continue to increase, achieving carbon neutrality has emerged as a paramount objective for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and limiting the adverse impacts of anthropogenic activities on the environment. This research investigates a wide range of scholarly works to conduct an in-depth analysis and synthesis of the relevant information about carbon neutrality strategies. The review introduces carbon neutrality principles and terminologies, highlighting their importance in climate mitigation. It then proceeds to explore the wide range of strategies employed across different sectors and industries, investigating their effectiveness, scalability, and potential challenges. A multidimensional analysis contrasts the United States Nationally Determined Contributions pathway 2023, China's Nationally Determined contributions 2023, and the EU Directive 2023/2413, assessing their economic, environmental, political, and social impacts. The study evaluates strategies' effectiveness, scalability, and innovation for transitioning to a sustainable, low-carbon future. It fills a gap by analyzing global approaches across the US, China, and the EU, which account for about 50% of the world's total GHG emissions. It evaluates the novel application of diverse strategies, from renewable energy transitions to innovative policy measures, highlighting their potential to mitigate climate change effectively. By providing a multidimensional analysis of these strategies' impacts, the research not only enhances understanding of effective carbon neutrality tactics but also underscores the importance of international cooperation in realizing a sustainable, low-carbon future. • Identifies and analyzes carbon neutrality strategies, emphasizing the need for diverse US, Chinese, and EU approaches. • Evaluate renewable energy, carbon capture, and policy tools for carbon reduction effectiveness, scalability, and innovation. • Highlights the study's novelty in synthesizing current knowledge on carbon neutrality, addressing a significant research gap. • Concludes with strategic ideas for international collaboration and policy development for low-carbon futures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extent to which populations will successfully adapt to continued warming temperatures will be a crucial factor in determining future health burdens. Previous health impact assessments of future temperature-related mortality burdens mostly disregard adaptation or make simplistic assumptions. We apply a novel evidence-based approach to model adaptation that takes into account the fact that adaptation potential is likely to vary at different temperatures. Temporal changes in age-specific mortality risk associated with low and high temperatures were characterised for Scotland between 1974 and 2018 using temperature-specific RR ratios to reflect past changes in adaptive capacity. Three scenarios of future adaption were constructed consistent with the SSPs. These adaptation projections were combined with climate and population projections to estimate the mortality burdens attributable to high (above the 90th percentile of the historical temperature distribution) and low (below the 10th percentile) temperatures up to 2080 under five RCP-SSP scenarios. A decomposition analysis was conducted to attribute the change in the mortality burden into adaptation, climate and population. In 1980–2000, the heat burden (21 deaths/year) was smaller than the colder burden (312 deaths/year). In the 2060–2080 period, the heat burden was projected to be the highest under RCP8.5-SSP5 (1285 deaths/year), and the cold burden was the highest under RCP4.5-SSP4 (320 deaths/year). The net burden was lowest under RCP2.6-SSP1 and highest under RCP8.5-SSP5. Improvements in adaptation was the largest factor reducing the cold burden under RCP2.6-SSP1 whilst temperature increase was the biggest factor contributing to the high heat burdens under RCP8.5-SSP5. Ambient heat will become a more important health determinant than cold in Scotland under all climate change and socio-economic scenarios. Adaptive capacity will not fully counter projected increases in heat deaths, underscoring the need for more ambitious climate mitigation measures for Scotland and elsewhere. • A novel evidence-based approach is used to reflect adaptation to extreme temperatures. • Future health burdens associated with extreme temperatures are affected by adaptation. • The projected deaths related to extreme heat are higher than cold in Scotland by 2080. • More than half of the increase in the heat burden by 2080 is attributable to global warming. • The net temperature burden is lowest under RCP2.6-SSP1 and highest under RCP8.5-SSP5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The IPCC's 6th assessment report (AR6) has provided a wide range of variables and scenarios that meet climate targets of varying ambition. Many variables reported in the AR6 affect human welfare through climate change and mitigation, including but not limited to economic output, the natural environment, human health, and food and energy supply. In some of these dimensions, trade-offs exist between better performance in welfare-relevant dimensions and reaching more ambitious climate targets. Here, we apply recent advances in the theoretical multidimensional measurement of welfare, like the Human Development Index, to the AR6 database. The welfare metric is based on a welfare function approach, simple to apply, and intuitive. We apply a range of specifications of the welfare metric, aiming to derive robust rankings of climate policy targets that perform best in terms of the multidimensional welfare index. Across a large range of weights on welfare-relevant variables, we find that lower temperature is associated with higher welfare in 2100 unless there is a high weight on food supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structural racism in the United States has resulted in neighborhoods with higher proportions of non-Hispanic Black (Black) or Hispanic/Latine residents having more features that intensify, and less that cool, the local-heat environment. This study identifies areas of New York City (NYC) where racial/ethnic heat exposure disparities are concentrated. We analyzed data from the 2013–2017 American Community Survey, U.S Landsat-8 Analysis Ready Data on summer surface temperatures, and NYC Land Cover Dataset at the census tract-level (n = 2098). Four cross-sectional regression modeling strategies were used to estimate the overall City-wide association, and associations across smaller intra-city areas, between tract-level percent of Black and percent Hispanic/Latine residents and summer day surface temperature, adjusting for altitude, shoreline, and nature-cover: overall NYC linear, borough-specific linear, Community District-specific linear, and geographically weighted regression models. All three linear regressions identified associations between neighborhood racial and ethnic composition and summer day surface temperatures. The geographically weighted regression models, which address the issue of spatial autocorrelation, identified specific locations (such as northwest Bronx, central Brooklyn, and uptown Manhattan) within which racial and ethnic disparities for heat exposures are concentrated. Through examining the overall effects and geographic effect measure modification across spatial scales, the results of this study identify specific geographic areas for intervention to mitigate heat exposure disparities experienced by Black and Hispanic/Latine NYC residents. • Examines the current racial and ethnic extreme heat exposure disparities in NYC • Four-pronged approach to identifying geographic areas for climate change mitigation intervention • High quality data derived from remote sensing technologies housed on satellites (Landsat) or on planes flown over NYC (LiDAR). • Analyzes data across several levels of organization that are relevant to a variety of stakeholders [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tackling climate change remains a critical challenge for society. Achieving climate neutrality requires a massive expansion of renewable energies such as wind and photovoltaics (PV). Agriculture plays a key role in this context, especially as the expansion of ground-mounted PV systems often leads to land-use conflicts. Agrivoltaics (AV), which combines agricultural and electricity production, can be a solution, but the synergies are particularly dependent on local agronomic conditions. There is also a knowledge gap in how AV expansion impacts greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at the landscape level and how it contributes to regional emission reduction targets. In this study, we analysed the economic and climate change mitigation impacts of AV expansion pathways in the German state Baden-Württemberg using an integrated land use model and life cycle assessment under the assumption of general rentability of electricity production by AV. We found that implementing AV on 1%–5% of the regions's arable and grassland area reduced the total agricultural gross margin by a maximum of approximately 0.5%. Concurrently, AV implementation reduced GHG emissions by about 1.2 million to 5.9 million metric tons of CO 2 equivalent (Mt CO 2 -eq). Even if this reduction is almost exclusively accounted for in the energy sector, in absolute terms it amounts to more than the current GHG emissions from Baden-Württemberg's agricultural sector (about 4.4 Mt CO 2 -eq in 2021). In the 5% expansion scenario, almost 90% of the installations were installed on grassland, but this share dropped to 72% when considering landscape quality constraints. Although we found considerable regional disparity, our findings still suggest that AV is an essential component for regional emission reduction targets. These results are particularly relevant for policymakers in spatial planning, agricultural and energy policy. • We analysed impacts of Agrivoltaics (AV) on regional greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. • Spatial placement was optimised from agricultural and landscape quality perspective. • AV on 5% of Baden-Württemberg's agricultural land reduced up to 5.5 Mt CO 2 -eq. • AV systems were mostly implemented on grassland. • From an agricultural perspective, AV can be a cost-effective GHG mitigation measure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlocking the full potential of ponds (small water bodies) and pondscapes (network of ponds) as Nature-based Solutions (NbS) is critical pursuit for enhancing ecosystems and societal resilience to climate change and other societal challenges. Despite scattered initiatives for pond/pondscape creation, restoration and management—each considered here a distinct NbS—there is a significant knowledge gap in utilising ponds/pondscapes as effective NbS. We aimed to assess these NbS in terms of their objectives, outcomes, effectiveness, multifunctionality, delivery of potentially conflicting effects, and the implementation process while considering their Nature's Contributions to People (NCPs, i.e., benefits to society). We compiled data on 183 NbS actions implemented across 93 ponds/pondscapes from 24 countries, predominantly from Europe, via a questionnaire distributed to experienced stakeholders implementing NbS in ponds/pondscapes. One single pond/pondscape may imply more than one NbS action. Two-thirds were in rural areas, and one-third in urban settings. Our analysis revealed that Creation of habitat for biodiversity was a primary delivery objective (targeted NCP) in the implementation of most NbS in ponds/pondscapes, often also combined with other NCPs such as Learning and inspiration , Regulation of water quantity , and Physical and psychological experiences , showcasing their intended multifunctionality. Implemented NbS primarily focused on climate change adaptation (especially Regulation of hazards and extreme events , and water quantity) rather than mitigation, with less emphasis on measures like direct greenhouse gas emissions reduction or enhancing carbon sinks. The costs associated with pond's NbS varied significantly depending on factors such as project scope, objectives, location, socio-economic-cultural system, and specific implementation requirements. The creation of ponds/pondscapes often entailed the highest financial investment, much more than their restoration or their management. In conclusion, our study underscores the multifunctionality of ponds/pondscapes and provides insights about their significant potential as cost-effective NbS for enhancing ecosystem and societal resilience to climate change and biodiversity. It underscores the importance of further research to fully understand and measure the diverse range of NbS they offer, particularly in the context of climate change mitigation. Standardised measurements of the NCP provided by these NbS in ponds/pondscapes are essential for validating managers' claims and exploring their role in addressing climate change. Cascading Benefits of Natural-Based Solutions (NbS) in Ponds and Pondscapes: Ponds and pondscapes serve as multifunctional NbS, delivering multiple Nature's Contributions to People (NCPs) to address climate-related challenges and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They regulate the water quantity, mitigating flood risks, and ensuring water availability during droughts. Furthermore, these NbS indirectly support climate change adaptation by preserving microclimates, buffering temperature fluctuations, and providing vital habitats for diverse species, enhancing ecosystem resilience. Simultaneously, these actions offer recreational, cultural, educational, and well-being benefits to local communities impacted by climate change. Despite their potential, the capacity of ponds and pondscapes for climate change mitigation through carbon sequestration and storage remains unknown, requiring further exploration. [Display omitted] • Global study of 183 Nature-based Solutions in ponds/pondscapes in 24 countries. • Pondscapes' Nature-based Solutions are multifunctional and prioritise biodiversity. • Emphasis on climate change adaptation rather than mitigation. • Ponds/pondscapes offer cost-effective Nature-based Solutions. • Need for standardised measures to validate claims and explore climate mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution is a leading health risk factor for children under- 5 years, especially in developing countries. South Asia is a PM 2.5 hotspot, where climate change, a potential factor affecting PM2.5 pollution, adds a major challenge. However, limited evidence is available on under-5 mortality attributable to PM2.5 under different climate change scenarios. This study aimed to project under-5 mortality attributable to long-term exposure to ambient PM 2.5 u nder seven air pollution and climate change mitigation scenarios in South Asia. We used a concentration-risk function obtained from a previous review to project under-5 mortality attributable to ambient PM 2.5. With a theoretical minimum risk exposure level of 2.4 μg/m3, this risk function was linked to gridded annual PM2.5 concentrations from atmospheric modeling to project under-5 mortality from 2010 to 2049 under different climate change mitigation scenarios. The scenarios were developed from the Aim/Endues global model based on end-of-pipe (removing the emission of air pollutants at the source, EoP) and 2 °C target measures. Our results showed that, in 2010–2014, about 306.8 thousand under-5 deaths attributable to PM 2.5 occurred in South Asia under the Reference (business as usual) scenario. The number of deaths was projected to increase in 2045–2049 by 36.6% under the same scenario and 7.7% under the scenario where EoP measures would be partially implemented by developing countries (EoPmid), and was projected to decrease under other scenarios, with the most significant decrease (81.2%) under the scenario where EoP measures would be fully enhanced by all countries along with the measures to achieve 2 °C target (EoPmaxCCSBLD) across South Asia. Country-specific projections of under-5 mortality varied by country. The current emission control strategy would not be sufficient to reduce the number of deaths in South Asia. Robust climate change mitigation and air pollution control policy implementation is required. • Exposure to high PM2.5 concentration would increase under-5 mortality in South Asia. • This would aggravate in future in the context of global climate change. • Current air pollution control measures are not enough to reduce under-5 mortality. • Robust mitigation policies are required to reduce the burden of under-5 mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Implementation costs are a more relevant constraint to afforestation than opportunity costs. • Financial incentives for afforestation are constrained by market access and market prices. • Carbon-neutral and food multi-oriented land policies need further exploration. • Collaboration among global carbon markets can enhance CO 2 removal efficiency. Afforestation is a promising nature-based climate solution for mitigating climate change, but it is subject to a complex web of biophysical, cost-benefit, market, and policy processes. Although its biophysical feasibility has been established, the cost, market, and policy constraints that affect climate change mitigation through afforestation are still unclear. Here, we estimate such cost, market, and policy constraints on the basis of biophysical feasibility. Our findings reveal that implementation costs are a more relevant constraint than opportunity costs on mitigating climate change through afforestation. The China Certified Emission Reduction market currently provides only a 0.308 % incentive for climate change mitigation through afforestation, due to market access constraints. The current market prices of China Certified Emission Reduction, China Carbon Emissions Trading Exchange, and Nature Based Carbon Offset in Voluntary Carbon Market constrain 88.15 %, 87.95 %, and 85.75 % of CO 2 removal actions through afforestation, compared to the carbon price scenario (US$62.97 tCO 2 -1) of the EU Emissions Trading System. Moreover, land policy under the scenarios of prohibiting conversion of cultivated land to forest and forest restoration in degraded areas exhibit 8.87–29.59 % and 65.16–74.10 % constraints, respectively, on mitigating climate change through afforestation compared to land-use freedom conversion scenarios from 2020 to 2060. Thus, enhancing the incentive price of CO 2 removal, addressing the market access barrier, strengthening cooperation between global carbon markets, and exploring carbon–neutral and food multi-oriented land policies can be valuable sources of mitigation efforts over the next 40 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The nexus between forest-based climate mitigation and health is poorly researched. • This scoping review identified exposure pathways and health co-benefits from forests. • There is potential for synergies between forest management and health benefits. • Interdisciplinary efforts are required for advancement of research and understanding. Climate change is a pressing global challenge with profound implications for human health. Forest-based climate change mitigation strategies, such as afforestation, reforestation, and sustainable forest management, offer promising solutions to mitigate climate change and simultaneously yield substantial co-benefits for human health. The objective of this scoping review was to examine research trends related to the interdisciplinary nexus between forests as carbon sinks and human health co-benefits. We developed a conceptual framework model, supporting the inclusion of exposure pathways, such as recreational opportunities or aesthetic experiences, in the co-benefit context. We used a scoping review methodology to identify the proportion of European research on forest-based mitigation strategies that acknowledge the interconnection between mitigation strategies and human impacts. We also aimed to assess whether synergies and trade-offs between forest-based carbon sink capacity and human co-benefits has been analysed and quantified. From the initial 4,062 records retrieved, 349 reports analysed European forest management principles and factors related to climate change mitigation capacity. Of those, 97 studies acknowledged human co-benefits and 13 studies quantified the impacts on exposure pathways or health co-benefits and were included for full review. Our analysis demonstrates that there is potential for synergies related to optimising carbon sink capacity together with human co-benefits, but there is currently a lack of holistic research approaches assessing these interrelationships. We suggest enhanced interdisciplinary efforts, using for example multideterminant modelling approaches, to advance evidence and understanding of the forest and health nexus in the context of climate change mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitigation actions in all sectors of society, including sports, to limit global warming have become an increasingly hot topic in public discussions and sports management. However, so far, there has been a lack of understanding and practical examples of how these organizations, especially in team sports, can holistically assess and reduce their climate impacts to achieve carbon neutrality. This paper presents a carbon footprint assessment, implemented actions for GHG emission reduction, and offers the example of a professional Finnish ice hockey team that achieved carbon neutrality. The study is based on a life cycle assessment method. The Results show that the team's carbon footprint was reduced from 350 tCO 2eq by more than 50% between seasons 2018–2019 and 2021–2022 in the assessed categories. The most GHG emission reductions were achieved in the team's and spectators' mobility and ice hall energy consumption. Furthermore, the team compensated for their remaining emissions to achieve carbon neutrality. Multiple possibilities for further GHG emission reductions were recognized. The majority of the GHG emissions were linked to the Scope 3 category, indicating that co-operation with partners and stakeholders was a key to success in attaining carbon neutrality. This paper also discusses the possible limitations and challenges that sport organizations face in assessing climate impacts and reducing GHG emissions, as well as the prospects of overcoming them. Since there are many opportunities for sports to contribute to climate change mitigation, relevant targets and actions to reduce GHG emissions should be integrated into all sport organizations' management. [Display omitted] • This the first assessment of professional ice hockey team's carbon footprint. • Multiple actions led to a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. • Concludes how sport organizations can manage their environmental impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]