Search

[Display omitted] A troubling feedback loop, where drier soil contributes to hotter climates, has been widely recognized. This study, drawing on climate model simulations, reveals that maintaining current global soil moisture levels could significantly alleviate 32.9% of land warming under low-emission scenarios. This action could also postpone reaching critical warming thresholds of 1.5 °C and 2.0 °C by at least a decade. Crucially, preserving soil moisture at current levels could prevent noticeable climate change impacts across 42% of the Earth's land, a stark deviation from projections suggesting widespread impacts before the 2060s. To combat soil drying, afforestation in mid-to-low latitude regions within the next three decades is proposed as an effective strategy to increase surface water availability. This underscores the substantial potential of nature-based solutions for managing soil moisture, benefiting both climate change mitigation and ecological enhancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chilean Climate Change Law excludes tree monocultures as a solution to the climate crisis, offering an opportunity for resilience and climate mitigation in Latin America. The Chilean experience with mega-fires in extensive, homogeneous forest plantations provides important lessons that could inform climate policies in other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This study was conducted to estimate the carbon stocks of the Geramo forest. • The biomass of 73 woody species (trees and shrubs) was estimated using appropriate allometric equations. • The four forest carbon pools (AGB, BGB, LHG and SOC) were considered to determine carbon stock density in this study. • The estimated total carbon stock of the Geramo forest was about 57,994 Mg h−1. • The estimated climate change mitigation potential of the study forest was about 212,838.1 Mg h−1. Forests play a vital role in the global carbon balance and combating global climate change by sequestering and retaining carbon from the atmosphere in their biomass and soil. Thus, this study aims to estimate the carbon stocks in the biomass and soil along with various environmental factors in the Geramo forest in southern Ethiopia. Ninety-six plots (20 × 20 m2) were laid at a distance of 250 m along 16 line transects that were laid 300 m apart. Five 1 × 1 m2 subplots (4 at the corner and 1 at the center) were laid inside each main plot for LHG and soil data collection. The results revealed that the estimated total carbon stocks and mean carbon stock densities of the study forest were 57994 Mg h−1and 604 ± 344 Mg h−1, respectively, with a mean CO 2 equivalent of 2217 ± 1262 Mg h−1. This result indicates the remarkable role of the Geramo forest in carbon stock and sequestration potential compared with other remnant forests in Ethiopia. Thus, the Geramo forest plays a crucial role in climate change mitigation through carbon sequestration, and hence, this forest can generate carbon credits as financial benefits to the nearby population in the future. The results also revealed that anthropogenic disturbances were negatively associated with the carbon stocks of the forest. Therefore, sustainable forest conservation activities are needed to conserve forest resources, protect the forest from growing anthropogenic disturbances, and sustain its current global climate change mitigation and adaptation benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is real and so are its unequal impacts on different geographies and societies. Food systems are estimated to produce a third of global greenhouse gas emissions, of which meat is a major contributor. An emerging challenge is feeding a growing population and fulfilling its protein needs, while limiting the climate footprint. Though more environment friendly alternative sources of proteins are becoming available, their acceptance will depend upon attitudes, beliefs, and behavioural choices. For Muslims, who comprise about a quarter of the world's population, religious guidance plays an important role in consumption patterns and food choices. This review looks at consumption practices among Muslims in the context of food system impacts on greenhouse gas emissions, and the need for optimal sources of protein for nutrition and achieving food security. It discusses what is permissible (halāl) or prohibited (harām) for Muslims and how that is determined based on two primary sources – the Qur'an and the Hadith – and other secondary sources relied upon by Muslim legists. It then reviews what is known about three alternative protein sources – plant-based diets, insects and cultured meat, and the Islamic ethical and legal position related to these foods. The findings show conflicting scholarly opinions and a limited understanding of Muslim attitudes to alternative protein sources. Better understanding will be required for enhancing food security, while limiting food related greenhouse gas emissions. • Greenhouse gas emissions from anthropogenic activities are drivers of climate change, with a third coming from food systems. • Balancing nutrition with the environmental costs of traditional protein sources is an emerging challenge. • Alternative proteins, which are eco-friendlier compared to meat, are becoming available and affordable. • Muslims make up a quarter of the world's population and rely on Islamic guidance for food consumption. • The attitudes of geographically diverse Muslim societies towards alternative proteins remains largely unexplored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture contributes to global climate change by producing 20–25% of greenhouse gases (GHGs). CO 2 is released from deforestation and land conversion, methane from rice paddy fields, and nitrous oxides from overfertilization. An increasing world population requires a change in the agro food systems, including a reduction in chemical fertilizers and pesticides as well as the production and access to food. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have created a global climate crisis which requires immediate interventions to mitigate the negative effects on all aspects of life on this planet. As current agriculture and land use contributes up to 25% of total GHG emissions, plant scientists take center stage in finding possible solutions for a transition to sustainable agriculture and land use. In this article, the PlantACT! (Plants for climate ACTion!) initiative of plant scientists lays out a road map of how and in which areas plant scientists can contribute to finding immediate, mid-term, and long-term solutions, and what changes are necessary to implement these solutions at the personal, institutional, and funding levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy security and climate change are among the top priority challenges for Turkey. High dependency on imported resources jeopardizes the economy, especially with high currency rate and conflicts in neighboring countries from where Turkey imports its energy. Besides, Turkey has already started to experience the impacts of climate change such as increasing temperature along with drought. Floating photovoltaics have proven themselves to be quite efficient in energy production, with evaporation reduction as a positive externality. The purpose of this article is to reveal the possible capacity of floating photovoltaics on constructed water reservoirs of Turkey and draw policy perspectives against existing or anticipated challenges. A total of 4,003 reservoirs were analyzed based on different water surface coverage scenarios. The results of the study proposed 125 TWh electricity generation, slightly above 40% of the nation-wide electricity demand, when 10% of suitable reservoirs were covered. This generation would be highly instrumental in reducing energy dependency and substituting renewables for conventional resource uses. Avoided CO 2 , thanks to this substitution, was calculated to be 77.1 Mton equivalent. This would obviously be favorable in light of the carbon emission reduction policy of the country and Paris Agreement requirements. Moreover, 1,242.1 hm3 freshwater was assessed to save resources from evaporation loss, which would help to mitigate the climate change pressure on water resources. • Turkey is 74% dependent to import energy resources. • A model proposing suitable reservoirs for floating photovoltaic is presented. • 125 TWh electricity can be generated if 10% of the reservoir surfaces are covered. • Water saving is 1,242 hm3: enough to supply 15 M people or hydroelectric as $32.3 M. • 77.6 million tons CO 2 equivalent is avoided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Many local authorities are preparing climate actions plans. • Policies to increase distributed energy generation such as PV are likely. • As capacities increase, PV can dominate system variability and predictability. • Predictive demand side response (DSR) may be too coarse to address this. • More granular techniques such as using system frequency may be required. Since 2018, over three quarters of UK local governments have signed climate emergency declarations signalling a new phase in local climate action. Many areas are developing climate action plans and considering what policies could be adopted to increase the use of distributed energy resources, such as building-integrated photo-voltaic (PV) generation. In this paper we demonstrate how city-scale backcasting can be used as a tool to go beyond technical feasibility and explore the policy, market and governance implications of decarbonisation pathways across the local and nation scales. Using urban PV as an example we model three scenarios for increasing installed capacity in the UK city of Bristol and demonstrate how, in each case, PV switches from being a minor 'negative load' on the energy system to being the dominant factor determining the volatility and predictability of the energy demand during daylight hours. Current approaches to integrating distributed energy resources into the wider system tend to focus on predictive modelling and half-hourly pricing to drive demand-side response. Our analysis indicates the risks of relying on these non-real time methods and suggests that more granular techniques such as triggering local DSR based on changes in electricity system frequency could better manage the variability of high levels of PV deployment at the local scale. We also demonstrate the importance of developing new local approaches to system integration that bring together network operators, local authorities and other local actors to deploy renewable generation and flexibility assets in coordination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Biogas upgrading is environmentally and energetically favourable over combustion. • Storage or utilisation of the captured CO 2 has larger savings than biogas upgrading. • Upgrading, CO 2 storage or utilisation perform well in all impact categories. • The energy system has a substantial impact on the environmental performance. • Methanation provides large climate change savings only in renewable energy systems. Biogas from anaerobic digestion is an important renewable energy source. Combining its utilisation with carbon capture and storage (CCS) or carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) may improve climate change performance. This study uses life cycle assessment to evaluate the environmental impacts of 17 biogas management technology configurations (TCs). The technologies include biogas combustion, upgrading to natural gas quality, CCS, direct utilisation of CO 2 and methanation. The focus is mainly on energy balances and climate change impacts, and the results are subjected to sensitivity-, uncertainty-, and energy system analysis. The TCs with CCS and CCU provide the largest climate change savings (-1400 to - 2100 kg CO 2 -eq/1000 Nm3 biogas). Specifically, the methanation TCs provide the highest savings, but they also depend strongly on the energy sources. When combustion and upgrading TCs are amended with CCS, the resulting climate change savings are robust across the energy systems. The biogas upgrading TCs exhibit substantial climate change savings, mainly due to the natural gas substitution. Combustion TCs without CCS have the lowest climate change savings and the highest quantified uncertainties. The biogas upgrading TCs with storage or direct utilisation of CO 2 provide a good compromise between climate change savings and energy recovery. In the remaining impact categories, the CCU TCs generally perform best, followed by the upgrading TCs and finally, the combustion TCs. The CCS TCs consistently perform worse than their counterparts without CCS, opposite to the climate change results. Overall, amending biogas utilisation with CCS or CCU can contribute to climate change mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limiting climate change to within the 2 °C limit requires net zero emissions of CO2 by 2050. However, the window of opportunity is closing fast. Geoengineering as the intentional and large-scale manipulation of the environment and the climate is increasingly discussed as a complement to ongoing mitigation efforts. As a particular geoengineering approach, space-based geoengineering proposes blocking or dissipating a fraction of incoming sunlight via a large number of occulting membranes, located close to the Lagrange 1 point between the Sun and the Earth. However, the mass of these sunshades, around 107–108 tons, and their deployment cost and effort render them about 10³ times more costly than terrestrial geoengineering alternatives. In this article, affordable sunshades, to be positioned close to L1 of the Earth-Sun system, are proposed, which are between 102 to 10³ times lighter than the lightest existing sunshade concepts. This is achieved via a nearly zero-radiation pressure design based on transparent refractive surfaces manufactured with ultra-thin polymeric films and SiO 2 nanotubes. The lightest sunshade proposed in this article has a total mass of approximately 5.5 × 105 tons and its deployment requires between 859 and 399 annual launches during a ten year period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) have significant influence on the global economic and environmental trajectories. They have carbon intensive economic systems, which contribute significantly to total global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, leading to climate change. However, BRICS have joined the race to net-zero emissions by 2050 in the quest for a climate neutral and sustainable global economy. The journey, however, is not without challenges and opportunities. The proliferation of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) had mixed reactions from scientists regarding its implications on net-zero trajectories. While statistical data show a correlation between COVID-19 and a decrease in total emissions, it is envisaged that COVID-19 compromised the efforts to develop carbon neutral economies. Hence, there is still need for more scientific examination of COVID-19's impact on net-zero ambitions, especially in the emerging economies. This study focuses on India and South Africa's trajectories. Statistical analysis of secondary data from authentic interactive web-based dashboards for COVID-19 data repositories, namely Our World in Data and Climate Action Tracker was performed in conjunction with the document analysis approach following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology. Some of the COVID-19 challenges as indicated by the results of the study include curtailing the technology transfer staircase in the energy sector, retaliatory emissions for recovery and resource diversion. The opportunities presented by COVID-19 in the quest for carbon neutrality include behavioural changes in investment, production and consumption patterns with a focus on low carbon options. Governments and stakeholders need to focus on addressing the barriers whilst riding on the opportunities presented by the pandemic to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) ratio of 0.45 has been applied in numerous ecological studies to convert global solar radiation (H) to PAR by ordinary multiplication. The ratio is essentially useful and convenient, particularly when in situ measurement of climate data sets are not readily available due to inadequate instrumentation network and experience required. Up till now, there is no general agreement on whether the ratio is 0.45 and how the solar fluxes are distributed in Nigeria or around the world. Numerous empirical ratios have been reported in literature. This study proposed five (5) machine learning models (bagging, boosting, artificial neural network (MLP), automatic regression integrated moving average (ARIMA), controlled ARIMA), and 5 Physics-based models (Physics-based Gumbel model (PGM), popularly applied ratio (PCR), observed PAR ratio (POR), empirical, and PGM-CARIMA hybrid models. The 10 models were used to predict PAR using generalized datasets in Nigeria and the PGM-CARIMA model emerged as the best performing fit based on the R2, RMSE, MAPE, and BIC error metric indicators. PGM-CARIMA reported a better estimate for predicting PAR compared to POR and PCR with a relative error ranging from 0.00002 to 0.0503% compared to POR and PCR which recorded 4.657% and 6.178%. This implies that the use of PGM-CARIMA is more suitable for predicting the PAR ratio as it introduces a lower marginal error of approximately 0.00002–0.0503% when applied for the calculation of net primary productivity (NNP) and of climate change with a significant reduction from 6.17% and 4.65% was achieved in using the ratio of PCR and POR, respectively. Using the proposed PGM-CARIMA evolutionary hybrid model, we demonstrated that the annual mean of the ratio yielded a range of 0.4377 to 0.4712 in Nigeria. The authors also proposed the Physics-based classical climate change model (PCM) to assess the impact of climate change on PAR productivity in Nigeria. The findings revealed that changes in PAR productivity as a result of the impact of climate change may accelerate food production and crop yields in Southern Nigeria and depreciate overall food production and crop yields in Northern Nigeria in 2030, 2040, and 2021–2040. The results of the climate analysis also revealed that north-central Nigeria often referred to as the nation's food basket is most negatively impacted by the impact of climate change externalities over the periods studied. The authors recommended mitigation and adaptation plans such as delayed planting dates, intercropping, routine planting of tropical forages, especially livestock that feed on plants, could be key to climate change mitigation, also, expansion of the planting area as well as the incorporation of improved seedlings that are highly resistant to extreme temperatures will accelerate food security across the country within the periods studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] China is playing an increasing role in global climate change mitigation, and local authorities need more city-specific information on the emissions trends and patterns when designing low-carbon policies. This study provides the most comprehensive CO 2 emission inventories of 287 Chinese cities from 2001 to 2019. The emission inventories are compiled for 47 economic sectors and include energy-related emissions for 17 types of fossil fuels and process-related emissions from cement production. We further investigate the state of the emission peak in each city and reveal hidden driving forces. The results show that 38 cities have proactively peaked their emissions for at least five years and another 21 cities also have emission decline, but passively. The 38 proactively peaked cities achieved emission decline mainly by efficiency improvements and structural changes in energy use, while the 21 passively emission declined cities reduced emissions at the cost of economic recession or population loss. We propose that those passively emission declined cities need to face up to the reasons that caused the emission to decline, and fully exploit the opportunities provided by industrial innovation and green investment brought by low-carbon targets to achieve economic recovery and carbon mitigation goals. Proactively peaked cities need to seek strategies to maintain the downward trend in emissions and avoid an emission rebound and thus provide successful models for cities with still growing emissions to achieve an emission peak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global climate action is the grand challenge of the 21st century. Large reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are needed, with net-zero CO 2 emissions by mid-century a requirement for many scenarios that restrain global warming below 1.5 °C by 2100. This will require massive deployment of renewables such as ground-based solar and wind, increased long-distance grid transmission capacity, and electrification of much of the global economy. Increased electrification, coupled with rising standards of living in developing countries, will drive ever-larger electricity demand to 2050 and beyond. And the intermittency, land-use, and transmission requirements of ground-based solar and wind present challenges to large-scale deployment to meet Net Zero targets. Space-based solar power (SSP) presents an enticing alternative, and with full reusability of upcoming heavy launch vehicles and modular SSP architectures, the economics of deployment are expected to become favorable in the coming decades. Efforts exist today to deploy demonstrators this decade, with initial production systems by 2050. However, deploying SSP at the scale required to address rising, global electricity demand will itself require orders-of-magnitude greater launch frequencies. If heavy launch frequency does not increase quickly enough, due to environmental concerns, launch site competition, or other bottlenecks, the dropping cost of launch will not be sufficient to enable SSP for global impact this century. A space elevator (SE) development program like that proposed by the International Space Elevator Consortium (ISEC) offers an alternative delivery mechanism for scaling SSP beyond 2050, hedging the risk of reliance on a single delivery system while reducing the time required for large-scale SSP deployment. To de-risk possible futures in which SSP is a major part of the global energy mix this century, a dual space access architecture is proposed, leveraging the strengths of heavy launch and SEs together. Such an architecture would secure the future for green energy on Earth, in 2050 and beyond. • Net-zero CO 2 emissions by 2050 required for many climate scenarios with < 1. 5 °C warming. • Massive deployment of renewables and scale-ups of long-distance transmission required. • Space-based solar power (SSP) is becoming economically viable as an enticing alternative. • Reusable heavy launch must scale-up rapidly to deploy SSP at scale for net-zero. • A space elevator development program would de-risk delivery of SSP at scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change poses a significant threat to humanity and human activity is largely responsible for it. Clinical microbiology laboratories have their unintended shares in carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions. The aim of this study is to estimate CO 2 emission of a clinical microbiology laboratory and to propose initiatives to reduce the emissions. CO 2 emission of instruments was estimated based on their electricity consumption. CO 2 emitted in producing consumables was estimated by weighing the consumables needed to perform major tests in a large academic hospital. A systematic literature review was performed to identify studies on the impact of clinical microbiology laboratories on the environment. A short survey was sent to four major manufacturers of agar plates on initiatives to reduce the environmental impact of their products. Opinion was given on activities that can reduce CO 2 emission in laboratories. The study shows that the largest amount of CO 2 emission in the microbiological laboratories comes from consumables and personnel commuting. For example, the production and transportation of agar plates needed to culture samples for a year in a hospital with 1320 beds result in 16 590 kg CO 2 is emitted. All survey participants mentioned that they were committed to reduce environmental impact of their products. The initiatives to reduce CO 2 emission can be performed at the laboratory and at policy level, such as reducing the number of tests to only the necessary amount to reduce consumables. The calculations contribute to map CO 2 -related emissions in clinical microbiology laboratory activities, and the proposed initiatives to reduce the CO 2 may serve as starting point for further discussions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change has led to a multitude of ecological disruptions and downstream reproductive health consequences that impair our reproductive capacity and, in turn, harm the health and survival of future generations. Atmospheric changes, driven by anthropogenic emissions, expose global populations to droughts, heat waves, rising sea levels, and extreme weather events-posing major threats to public health and exacerbating environmental health disparities. Existing evidence demonstrates the potential for climate-driven events to impact reproductive health outcomes, yet very few studies have explored this relationship. Recently, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics released position statements regarding reproductive health and environmental exposures. Unfortunately, such initiatives have yielded little action within the health care system. To address this stagnation, health care workers must meld research findings into actionable preventive medicine strategies and transition to a more action-oriented approach to address the climate crisis. The objective of this article is to elucidate the urgency of the climate crisis in relation to reproductive health and push the health care workers to recognize their intrinsic opportunity as leaders in climate action at local, state, national, and international levels. We call on health care organizations and health care workers to leverage their inherent positions as climate action leaders to increase climate resilience and mitigate climate-related adverse reproductive health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural climate solutions (NCS) offer immediate and cost-effective ways to tackle the climate crisis by transforming atmospheric carbon to soil carbon or avoiding greenhouse gas emissions. However, the climate mitigation potential and economic costs of NCS for cropping systems in China remain inconclusive. The major objectives of this study are (i) to estimate the NGHG reduction potential across Chinese main cropping systems caused by NCS, (ii) to quantify the economic costs of adopting optimal management with different abatement potentials. The Denitrification-Decomposition (DNDC) model was used to estimate the NGHG, including SOC sequestration, N 2 O emissions, and CH 4 emissions. After calibration, we ran the DNDC model with derived data at municipality-level. We estimated the NGHG under current management, adopting optimal management individually, and integrated optimal management to project the maximum NGHG reduction potential caused by NCS. We used the marginal abatement cost method to estimate the economic cost. The four natural climate solutions, N fertilization management (NFM), straw returning management (SRM), tillage management (TM), and rice irrigation management (RIM) can reduce national NGHG in main cropping systems by approximately 118.8 Tg CO 2 -eq, 116.3 Tg CO 2 -eq, 35.2 Tg CO 2 -eq, and 74.4 Tg CO 2 -eq, respectively. The integrated optimal management may potentially reduce NGHG by 256.9 Tg CO 2 -eq, equivalent to 90.2% of current NGHG, and 80% of which can be realized at the price of CN¥ 285 (Mg CO 2 -eq)−1. We further identify the priority NCS for different crops and regions and conclude that nitrogen fertilization management should be the priority NCS at the national level. Our findings highlight the great potential of NGHG reduction by adopting NCS precisely and the importance of optimizing agricultural management as a whole, and they will help policy makers to develop smart-agriculture in China. [Display omitted] • Estimating net greenhouse gas emissions (NGHG) reduction potentials of agriculture. • IPCC recommended tier 3 method was applied for seven cropping systems in China. • The integrated optimal management may potentially reduce NGHG by 256.9 Tg CO 2 -eq. • 80% of NGHG mitigation can be realized at the price of CN¥ 285 (Mg CO 2 -eq)−1. • The priority NCS was identified for different crops and regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was undertaken to evaluate how future uncertain climate-related hydrological responses and low and highflow frequencies affect local hydrology up to the 2100, depending on different Global Circulation Models (GCM) and different Concentration Scenarios (CS). To this end, daily total precipitation and daily mean temperature data were used for RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 CSs by employing GCMs (GFDL-ESM2M, HadGEM2-ES and MPI-ESM-MR). In the study, the years 1971–2000 were chosen as the baseline period. Future streamflow predictions were modeled by machine learning. The models were calibrated with baseline period data and future streamflow values were predicted by using the best Streamflow Prediction Model during the 2055s (2041–2070) and 2085s (2071–2100) periods. Flow Duration Curves from the streamflow predictions were obtained and by using them, discharges corresponding to 95% probability of exceedance for lowflow and 5% probability of exceedance for highflow were calculated. According to the findings, it is predicted that there will be decrease of approximately 21% in lowflow discharges and approximately 30% in highflow discharges. This prediction has suggested water resources managers to implement mitigation measures to climate change in Eastern Black Sea Basin and most probably in Türkiye, especially in the context of continuity of aquatic life and sustainable water supply. It is expected that the paper will take a very important place in estimating and evaluating the expected changes in basin hydrology in the coming years, especially in the highflows and lowflows, which are the key concepts in hydroelectric power generation and in flood management. • Development of streamflow prediction model for climatic projection data. • Streamflow estimation using limited input data in small catchment. • Obtaining far future streamflow for water resources pre-planning. • Discussion of the impact of climate change on daily streamflow extremes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The storage of soil organic carbon (SOC) within grassland ecosystems significantly contributes to global carbon sequestration. Understanding long-term trends of SOC in grasslands is imperative for promoting climate change adaptation and mitigation endeavors. However, accurately forecasting how climate change will impact SOC dynamics remains challenging. Using the DNDC (Denitrification and Decomposition) model, we carried out simulations in this research to determine the reaction of SOC to climate change in the grasslands of Northern Xinjiang, considering four different scenarios from the phase 6 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6). The simulation revealed that the dynamics of SOC varied considerably across the scenarios. Specifically, under the SSP370 scenario, SOC was predicted to decrease by 9.78 ± 0.74 Tg C, while under the SSP126, SSP245, and SSP585 scenarios, SOC was predicted to increase by 2.42 ± 0.32, 1.03 ± 0.25, and 13.40 ± 0.94 Tg C, respectively. Furthermore, the spatial distribution of the primary climate factor causing SOC variations exhibited significant variation. According to our projections, there will be significant variation in SOC changes among different types of grassland under future climate scenarios. Alpine meadow and alpine steppe are expected to experience greater carbon loss compared to other types of grasslands under future climate scenarios. Consequently, the capacity of alpine grasslands to sequester carbon is projected to decrease. This underscores the necessity of enhancing the ability of alpine grasslands to sequester carbon, given that the response of grassland ecosystem may further accelerate the rate of climate change. • The changes of SOC in Northern Xinjiang grasslands were predicted under future climate scenarios. • The response of different types of grassland to future climate change was compared. • Under the SSP370 scenario, SOC in the surface layer of the grassland showed a decreasing trend. • Alpine meadow and alpine steppe are expected to lose more carbon than other types of grassland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban forests are gaining recognition as a nature-based solution to climate change and other social-environmental issues in cities. Yet, the integration of urban forests may conflict with other climate measures such as urban densification, which may create hostile growing conditions for trees and lead to tree decline or loss. While previous studies have identified conflicts between densification and urban forests, there is a lack of research mapping the relationships among climate action, urban planning, and urban forest policies. This study involved semi-structured interviews with 14 key informants in Metro Vancouver, Canada, a rapidly-densifying region. Twenty-six trade-offs and 24 synergies were identified in five areas/sectors, such as (re)development and infrastructure. While strategic policies often highlighted synergies, policy implementation processes and outcomes often encountered trade-offs due to factors such as limited budgets and low political priority. Notably, most trade-offs and synergies were found in the same areas - (re)development and infrastructure - and shared the same contributing factors, such as political priority of urban forestry, suggesting areas of opportunity to transform trade-offs into synergies through appropriate planning and monitoring. The study also highlighted the need for further research on the interactions and impacts among municipal policies for more effective implementation and outcomes. • The study is among the first attempts to explore policy interactions on climate action, urban planning, and urban forest. • Semi-structured interviews were conducted with key informants with relevant expertise in cities of Metro Vancouver, Canada. • Results revealed key trade-offs and synergies among policies and practices, especially in development and infrastructure. • Connections between trade-offs and synergies suggest opportunities for compact, climate-proofed, and green cities. [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]

• The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) faces an increasing water erosion throughout the 21st century. • Effect of improved vegetation on water erosion control in the QTP is impaired under climate change. • Climate change mitigation is more essential than improving vegetation to address the QTP erosion. Water erosion is a wide ecosystem degradation threat for the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) region and surrounding areas. Climate wetting and vegetation greening in the QTP could have complex impacts on water erosion. However, there is limited information about the erosion dynamics under climate change and the effects of vegetation improvement on erosion control in this alpine region. By calibrating the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model, we estimated water erosion in the QTP and simulated future changes using different Shared Socioeconomic Pathway-Representative Concentration Pathway (SSP) scenarios. We showed intensified erosion and that the benefits of vegetation improvement to erosion control was impaired under climate change. Under the SSP585 scenario, annual water erosion in the QTP was predicted to increase by 0.35 t∙ha−1∙yr−1 and be dominated by an accelerative rise of rainfall erosivity (R factor of RUSLE). Compared with historical observations, the C factor of RUSLE under the SSP585 scenario was believed to reduce by 4.35 % on average during the 2081–2100 period, but predicted soil loss will increase by more than 90 %. Although more considerable vegetation improvement could occur under high climate forcing, there may also be more intensified rainfall erosivity and water erosion across the QTP than those under SSP126 and SSP245 scenarios. Our results suggest that mitigating climate change rather than vegetation improvement is essential to address climate-dominated ecosystem degradation threats such as water erosion in the QTP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high moisture content and the potential presence of hazardous organic compounds (HOCs) and metals (HMs) in sewage sludge (SS) pose technical and regulatory challenges for its circular economy valorisation. Thermal treatments are expected to reduce the volume of SS while producing energy and eliminating HOCs. In this study, we integrate quantitative analysis of SS concentration of 12 HMs and 61 HOCs, including organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) and per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), with life-cycle assessment to estimate removal efficiency of pollutants, climate change mitigation benefits and toxicological effects of existing and alternative SS treatments (involving pyrolysis, incineration, and/or anaerobic digestion). Conventional SS treatment leaves between 24 % and 40 % of OPFRs unabated, while almost no degradation occurs for PFAS. Thermal treatments can degrade more than 93% of target OPFRs and 95 % of target PFAS (with the rest released to effluents). The different treatments affect how HMs are emitted across environmental compartments. Conventional treatments also show higher climate change impacts than thermal treatments. Overall, thermal treatments can effectively reduce the HOCs emitted to the environment while delivering negative emissions (from about −56 to −111 kg CO 2 -eq per tonne of sludge, when pyrolysis is involved) and producing renewable energy from heat integration and valorization. [Display omitted] • A wide range of novel characterization factors for PFAS and OPFRs are estimated. • Pyrolysis and incineration degrade from 94 % to 99 % of PFAS, OPFRs and BPA. • HMs are the dominant pollutants affecting human health and freshwater ecotoxicity. • Direct pyrolysis is the best option to deliver negative emissions and abate HOCs. • Conventional treatments leave about 40 % of OPFRs unabated, and no PFAS degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effectively addressing climate change in line with the Paris Agreement and the EU Climate Law requires the establishment of governance structures with the participation and coordination of all levels of government and where the local level plays a key role. This is evident with the emergence of city-to-city networks of urban policymakers and supporting initiatives such as the EU 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how approximately 400 European cities are shaping their governance structures to tackle the complexities of achieving climate neutrality, highlighting the key elements on which cities focus their efforts. This study analyses data collected through the Expression of Interest survey of the European Commission's 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission, which contains inputs directly provided by local authorities responsible for implementing climate policies. The results reveal the significant progress cities have made in adapting their governance approaches to effectively address climate challenges through for instance the institutionalisation of climate change, and the introduction of enabling and participative forms of governing with the involvement of key stakeholders in the decision-making processes. It also highlights the challenges cities face concerning climate financing and the need to unlock private investments. • Network analysis of European cities' legal powers in climate-related sectors • Urban climate governance models necessitate continuous adjustments. • European cities face challenges when financing climate actions. • Stakeholders' collaboration is essential for urban climate transitions. [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]

Planning power system (PS) towards renewable energy is crucial for reducing carbon dioxide (CO 2) emission as well as mitigating climate change. However, the inherent uncertainty and hierarchical structure of PS pose intractable challenges to the planning process. This study develops a multi-GCM-based interval bi-level programming (MIBP) method that can balance two-level decision-making conflict between CO 2 -emisison reduction and system cost minimization. MIBP can also deal with uncertainties expressed as interval values in objective functions and constraints. Then, a MIBP-PS model is formulated to plan PS for China (2021–2050), where the upper-level objective is to minimize CO 2 emission and the lower-level objective is to minimize the system cost. The major findings are: (i) the CO 2 emission for PS would reach peak value before 2030 and then reduce by [10.2, 20.4]% in 2050, which is mainly owing to the curtailment of fossil fuel; (ii) compared with the conventional model, CO 2 emission from MIBP-PS model could decrease by [3.1, 4.8]%, which shows the superiority of the developed model; (iii) the fossil-fuel power would be gradually replaced by renewable energy, and the proportion of coal-fired power would decrease by 38.8% by 2050, especially small coal-fired facilities (i.e., below 0.3 GW) should be gradually phased down. [Display omitted] [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]

The agrarian society of the Himalayan landscape is experiencing the continuous growing ill impact of climate change. The impacts are compounding due to shifting agriculture, which has jeopardized the ecological balance mainly by reducing the cultivation fallow cycles. Pnar, a hill tribe of the Assam state, Indian sub-Himalayan region, has transitioned shifting agriculture to Piper agroforestry (Piper betle L.), providing them numerous tangible and non-tangible benefits. Over the past three decades, there has been a notable transition from shifting agriculture to Piper agroforestry, driven by the rising demand in the market. Understanding climate change impact on agroforestry is crucial to addressing the climate crisis and to provision the adaptation of the tribe for the successful promotion of Piper agroforestry. To assess the cause and nature of vulnerability in the study region, we surveyed 171 randomly selected households across 15 randomly selected tribe villages using the household-level questionnaire. The present study showed that the villages with lower land holdings, higher loss of crop productivity due to extreme events, disease infestation and lower livelihood diversification were more vulnerable to climate change. The prominent diseases "leaf spot" and "root rot" were identified as a serious concern among the Piper farmers responsible for a decline in crop yield; the severity of losses in productivity leads to economic instability among households. Villages with prominent farm management strategies and greater decision-making abilities contributed explicitly to lower vulnerability. In contrast, villages with lower adaptive strategies were found specifically due to poor social networking and inadequate household infrastructure besides poor literacy levels. Additionally, the lack of multi-cropping farming and livestock management was a major cause of high climate sensitivity. Therefore, appropriate state government support is required to invest in crop diversification, better decision-making capability of tribes through education, and improved infrastructure besides diversifying the rural economy to enhance the adaptive capacity of the farmers to reduce their climate vulnerability and achieve agriculture-livestock-forestry nexus. The sustainable Piper agroforestry farm management practices represent climate-smart agriculture, favouring high tree species diversity while reducing the farmers' vulnerability to climate change. [Display omitted] • Assessing the climate vulnerability of Piper agroforestry farmers is vital for climate action and underlying adaptive strategies. • We followed the IPCC framework for climate vulnerability assessment. • Villages, namely Nagathal and Munchicherra, show greater sensitivity; Aulicherra and Dholaikhal exhibit higher climate adaptability. • Disease outbreaks in Piper agroforestry pose risks, causing economic disparities. • Piper agroforestry can be considered a nature-based solution for land restoration, economic crisis management, and environmental benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We consider the requirement of taking climate action for authorities in urban mobility planning. • Three alternative small-scale projects that the city planners can develop and implement are used. • Twelve societal dynamics criteria are grouped as technical, environmental, economic, and political. • We propose an improvement of WASPAS by Einstein norms in a fuzzy environment over triangular fuzzy numbers. • The results show that the best plan should be inclusive, equitable and economically efficient. The twin challenges posed by biodiversity loss and climate change compel public authorities to transform their traditional policies to take climate action via urban mobility planning. However, the interests of the stakeholders may differ so that the development and the implementation of the required action become challenging. In this study, we trace how an optimal action plan should take the societal dynamics into account and how the actions taken can reshape the societal dynamics. To illustrate and analyze the complex forces that drive the decision-making process in urban mobility planning, we develop a scenario, which bunches three small-scale urban mobility planning alternatives that are frequently proposed in the literature and practiced in cities. Alternatives are assessed under twelve criteria reflecting economic, environmental, technical, and political dimensions of the decision problem. In solving the problem, we propose an improvement of the Weighted Aggregated Sum Product Assessment (WASPAS) approach by applying Einstein norms in a fuzzy environment over triangular fuzzy numbers to evaluate and rank the prioritization of climate change mitigation strategies. The proposed method comprises two stages. In the first stage, the weight coefficients of the criteria are calculated. In the second stage, the fuzzy Einstein WASPAS approach is applied to select the most suitable alternative among the three alternatives. Testing and validation of the model are done through a comparison with existing decision making methods in the literature. The results show that the best plan should be inclusive and equitable as well as economically efficient. Although the economic dimension is highly significant to the decision-making process, choosing the most suitable urban mobility planning option requires the consideration of other societal dynamics, too. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar-powered irrigation system, a low-cost option, ensures varieties of co-benefits both in the domains of climate mitigation and adaptation, and thus has been incorporated as a part of climate project. However, its co-benefits in climate adaptation have not been sufficiently explored, which may result in a lack of insights about co-benefits and prevent wider roll-out and scaling-up. This paper aims at exploring co-benefits of solar-powered irrigation, an adaptation measure, taking a project in a drought-prone area of the northwest part of Bangladesh as a case. Using both interviews and focused group discussion, this research finds that besides generating co-benefits in climate mitigation, there are substantial adaptation co-benefits in various forms including vulnerability reduction and enhancement of resilience. However, many of the co-benefits in climate adaptation are indirect and less visible and realizable in the long-term, such as informal social group formation, improved financial strength, and employment opportunity. Making co-benefits more visible among various stakeholders, and launching a feed-in option may help to scale up solar-powered irrigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the results of a systematic literature review following the PRISMA protocol and answering the research question of how climate change or energy security considerations affect public attitudes towards nuclear energy. 82 articles published in English since 2011 and indexed in scientific databases were selected for the review. After providing quantitative bibliometric information, we conduct thematic analysis to describe qualitatively the main research themes traceable in the literature, using individual articles to illustrate research trends and tendencies. By synthesizing existing social scientific knowledge, we conclude that public support for nuclear energy is generally negatively associated with climate change concerns and positively associated with concerns for energy security. Moreover, the higher the perceived benefits of nuclear energy for energy security and, to a lesser extent, for the mitigation of climate change, the more open or (sometimes reluctantly) favorable attitudes towards nuclear energy are. However, differences between countries have also been observed. We critically discuss existing gaps regarding the objects of study, methods, and role of theory to outline needful research avenues in future. The review contributes to a broader – inter- and transdisciplinary – debate on nuclear energy technologies as a possible means of coping with global climate change and energy security challenges. • Climate change researched more than energy security as a determinant of attitudes. • The public concerned about climate unconvinced nuclear presents a solution. • Energy security often persuades as an argument for nuclear energy. • Social research into emerging nuclear technologies is underdeveloped. • The research field needs methodological integration and stronger theorizing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The building sector is critical in climate change mitigation by reducing its energy consumption. At the same time, warming climate requires adaptation measures from buildings, making it necessary to study the future thermal energy demand of buildings. This paper studies the impact of climate change on the thermal energy demand of buildings in a heating dominated climate of Finland, under "representative concentration pathway" (RCP) climate scenarios in near- (2030), medium- (2050) and long-term (2080) horizon. Additionally, the impact of the thermal performance level of the buildings is investigated. The thermal energy demand calculation is based on overarching standards from the European "energy performance of buildings" directive. The weather scenarios present both typical and extreme weather years, applied through morphing and future weather data from the Finnish Meteorological Institute. The results show that annual thermal energy demand in Finland in 2080 can decrease up to 74.6 kWh/m 2. In addition, the decrease in heating demand will be higher than the increase in cooling demand. Cooling can become the dominant peak in long-term evaluations, especially in South Finland (Vantaa) with passive buildings under RCP8.5 climate scenario. Renovation is the most efficient action to decrease energy intensity, the earliest it is done the better. [Display omitted] • Thermal energy demand of detached houses in Finland is studied under RCP climate scenarios. • Thermal energy demand is expected to decrease in Finland in long-term. • RCP scenario affects when the highest average annual thermal energy change occurs. • Cooling can become the dominant thermal peak demand source for passive buildings. • Renovating building to newer standards remains beneficial, though less with time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To motivate public participation in climate change mitigation, both "carrot" policies that create positive incentives for mitigated carbon and "stick" policies that create negative incentives for emitted carbon have been widely applied. Given the joint deployment of these measures, a key question is whether they are compatible with each other. Focusing on the Low-Carbon Reward Scheme (LCRS) and carbon taxes, two prominent proposals on China's climate policy agenda, this study evaluates how one incentive policy affects public support for the other. The results of a large survey experiment with Hangzhou residents indicate a two-way crowding-out effect, wherein introducing the LCRS diminished support for the tax, albeit primarily among LCRS proponents, and introducing the tax reduced support for the LCRS. Aligning with the proposed account, crowding out was driven by a decrease in policy effectiveness and fairness perceptions. These findings reveal a contradictory relationship between carrot and stick policies at the citizen level and illuminate the underlying mechanism. • Both carrot and stick policies are applied to motivate climate mitigation behaviors. • We identify a two-way crowding-out effect between these policies in public opinion. • Introducing a stick (carbon tax) reduces support for a carrot (low-carbon reward). • Introducing a carrot reduces support for a stick among people favoring the carrot. • Crowding out is driven by weakened policy effectiveness and fairness perceptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electricity demand is a crucial factor in energy system planning. Understanding future electricity demand is vital for developing effective energy and climate policies, as well as establishing a resilient and sustainable energy system. In light of these considerations, the escalating challenges posed by climate change are anticipated to have a substantial impact on electricity demand. This study, therefore, provides a comprehensive analysis delving into the dynamic nature of Temperature Response Functions (TRFs) of electricity demand across Europe. By examining various factors influencing electricity demand in residential buildings, such as thermal insulation, heating electrification, space cooling, and passive cooling, we aim to understand their collective impact on shaping future Temperature Response Functions. To project electricity demand, our study incorporates these factors into our scenario assumptions. Through a comprehensive investigation of these scenarios, our findings reveal distinctive regional influences of these factors. In regions where heating demand prevails, an initial increase in electricity demand is anticipated due to increased electrification rates. However, improved building thermal insulation is expected to substantially reduce winter electricity demand in the long run. Conversely, in regions with pronounced cooling demand, a notable escalation in electricity demand is foreseen due to increased space cooling penetration rate. Nevertheless, the application of effective passive cooling measurements is expected to mitigate and markedly diminish this increase. By highlighting the differential influences of these factors on electricity demand across Europe, our findings can offer valuable insights and guidelines first for energy system modelers for considering the change in Temperature Response Functions and second for policymakers to develop effective climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies. • Examination of the dynamic characteristics of Temperature Response Functions (TRFs). • Space and passive cooling, electric heating, insulation effects on electricity demand. • Projection of TRFs and electricity demand for 36 European countries until 2100. • Thermal insulation and passive cooling are essential for reducing electricity demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cities face twin challenges of changing climate and urban heat island (UHI) effect, with the environmental implications of urbanization still unclear. This study employs the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model to examine the impacts of urbanization in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) during warm and cold seasons in past (2000) and near-future (2030) scenarios [i.e., under shared socioeconomic pathways (SSP): SSP1-26, SSP2-45, and SSP5-85]. Datasets from the World Urban Database and Access Portal Tools (WUDAPT) were incorporated into the WRF model to improve the representation of urbanization effects on weather patterns. Our findings indicate that urban expansion significantly increases urban temperatures and decreases wind speed across selected climate change scenarios. The spatially averaged urban temperatures in the fine resolution domain for 2030 could rise by 0.9 °C (warm season) and 2.4 °C (cold season), respectively, and urban wind speed decreases by ∼ 3 m/s under the SSP5-85 scenario. In cold season, the UHI effect could last over 20 h, while urban area may experience cooler nighttime temperatures than rural areas in warm season. Moreover, the future scenario predicts higher daytime O 3 levels due to the warming effects of climate change and urbanization, but lower nighttime levels in warm season, attributed to intensified south-easterly sea breeze and background winds, when compared to the past scenario. This study highlights the importance of incorporating urbanization and climate change in future urban atmospheric environment studies, and underscores that urban climate change adaptation and mitigation should consider extra impacts on built-environment caused by urbanization. • Climate change and urbanization impacts on meteorological and O 3 fields were explored in GBA. • Urbanization and climate change are expected to raised temperatures by 0.9 °C in warm season over the study area. • Urbanization and climate change are expected to raised temperatures by 2.4 °C in cold season over the study area. • Urbanization is expected to reduce wind speed by 3 m/s and intensify sea breeze penetration over the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Climate change triggers shrub encroachment into alpine grasslands and snowbeds. • Back from the future aims restore the encroached vegetation through shrub removal. • A multicriteria research protocol is proposed to assess the experiment feasibility. • The data obtained assessed the full comparability of control and manipulation zones. • The protocol allows assess the experiment feasibility and its long-term monitoring. Climate change triggers changes of vegetation floristic composition, physiognomy and even the onset of new successional pathways, requiring adequate, robust and replicable methodological approaches to properly track these changes. In tundra ecosystems woody plants are encroaching into grasslands and snowbeds, inducing their gradual regression. "Back from the Future" is a pilot project performing selective shrub removal from grasslands and snowbeds in the Italian Central Alps to contrast climate-driven shrub encroachment and promote the recovery and active conservation of vegetation communities. Here we propose a multi-criteria research protocol providing a quantitative tool for: a) the set-up of the manipulation experiment; b) the assessment of the full comparability of manipulation and control areas; c) the long-term monitoring of the efficiency of the manipulation experiment. The experiment was carried out in three study sites (Braulio, Cedec, Sforzellina) across an elevation gradient from the subalpine to the nival belts in the Italian Central Alps. At each study site we identified a control and a manipulation zone to assess the efficiency of the manipulation experiment compared to the natural ecosystem dynamics. The multi-criteria research protocol integrates different sampling approaches: mapping and morphological characterization of trees and shrubs; phytosociological survey of permanent plots; grid-point intercept survey of permanent plots; line-intercept survey along transects; allometric shrub measurements along transects. Our data show that this protocol is applicable to different vegetation types, across different elevation belts, and is suitable to match different targets and/or bioindicators of change. Indeed, the limitations of each selected method when individually applied can be overcome by their combination. Our data demonstrate the full comparability of the control and manipulation zone at each of the three study sites in terms of species richness, floristic composition, species coverage, shrub characteristics and volume. Our results supported the feasibility of this protocol as tool for the set-up of the experiment, to assess the full comparability of control and manipulation zones, and perform a detailed monitoring of the effects and the feasibility of the restoration action and the success and efficiency of this pilot project. The protocol elaborated in the frame of this pilot project could be exported beyond the local context and applied to similar mountain regions, especially in the European Alps, for the planning, set up and monitoring of good land management practices aiming to climate change mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Alpine study sites with a long close-to-nature forestry (CNF) history were studied. • Alternative climate change and CNF management scenarios were simulated. • CNF performs well in ensuring multiple forest ecosystem services and biodiversity. • Climate change requires adaptation of CNF by fostering climate-adapted tree species. • High multifunctionality, including biodiversity, needs diversified management. Close-to-nature forestry (CNF) has a long tradition in European Alpine forest management, playing a crucial role in ensuring the continuous provision of biodiversity and forest ecosystem services, including protection against natural hazards. However, climate change is causing huge uncertainties about the future applicability of CNF in the Alpine region. The question arises as to whether current CNF practices are still suitable for adapting forests to climate change impacts while also meeting the increasing societal demands regarding Alpine forests, including their potential contribution to climate change mitigation. To answer this question, we simulated forest development using the ForClim forest model at two Alpine study sites, together representing a large biogeographic gradient from high-elevation inner Alpine forests (Switzerland) to lower-elevation south-eastern Alpine forests (Slovenia). The simulations considered three climate scenarios (historical climate, SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5) and six alternative management strategies, including both current CNF management practices and climate-adapted versions. Using an indicator based multi-criteria decision analysis framework, we assessed the joint impacts of climate and management on biodiversity and key ecosystem services of the investigated regions, including carbon sequestration (CS) inside and outside the forest ecosystem boundary. The joint effects of climate change and CNF varied, both among and within the study sites along the biogeographical gradient. While CS was more resistant to climate change under current CNF at the south-eastern Alpine site, it was more sensitive at the inner Alpine site, where CS potentials decreased at lower elevations. This adverse effect could be partly mitigated by fostering the use of climate-adapted tree species. However, current CNF and adaptations of it did not meet multiple management objectives equally well: while protection from gravitation hazards and timber production also benefited from this silvicultural practice, biodiversity benefited from CNF variants with low-intensity or no management. In conclusion, CNF has a high potential to continue fulfilling its crucial role in European Alpine forests. A differentiated approach will be needed in the future, however, to identify forest stands where adaptive measures are required, especially at sites particularly vulnerable to climate change. In combination with less intensively managed or unmanaged areas, CNF provides a management portfolio that will help European Alpine forests to meet the demands of future society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While cities have been widely considered to be key sites of ambitious and transformative climate action, it is time to question whether they have adequate tools and mandates to reach their goals in time. In this paper we provide a comprehensive assessment of planned measures in major cities, assessing the distribution of persuasive (soft) versus direct regulatory (hard) and material measures using an urban systems perspective. Examining 1079 climate measures of 19 cities in the global C40 network we find that the majority of measures can be considered as soft measures , focused on raising awareness, incentivising businesses, engaging citizens, and developing new plans. Our cases suggest that cities in the Global South are more focused on hard and material measures and less prone to voluntarism than cities in the Global North. Generally, showing that strategies for sustainability transformations in cities are heavily reliant on voluntarism and persuasion, the article expresses concern for the ability of cities to meet its ambitious targets. The research literature on urban climate governance should expand from its current focus on collaborative, network-based and experimental governance, to reconsider the roles of regulation and control in meeting climate targets. • Provides a comprehensive assessment of planned climate measures in 19 major cities • Analyses 1079 climate measures and categorises into soft, hard and material modes • We find that the majority of measures (more than half) can be considered as soft. • We critically discuss the viability of ambitious climate targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

• Substitution factors for forest products for the Canadian context were developed. • Substitution factors ranging from 0.51 to 0.91 tC/tC were found. • They will lead to more accurate assessments of the forest GHG mitigation potential. • These factors will help governments to manage forest and fight climate change. Evaluating the climate change mitigation potential of the forest sector requires a holistic approach based on forest carbon (C) sequestration, C storage in harvested wood products (HWP) and substitution on markets. High uncertainty is associated with substitution factors, that express avoided fossil greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the use of forest-based products in replacement of GHG-intensive materials and fossil fuels. Few studies have focused on the development of substitution factors in Canada, resulting in the use of unrepresentative generic data. Here, we provide a framework to reduce uncertainties related to substitution factors for primary wood products in a Canadian context. A life cycle assessment framework is used to quantify fossil GHG emissions for a baseline and a wood-intensive scenario. For solid product substitution, we focused on the construction sector and analyzed a range of innovative wood buildings with steel and reinforced concrete as alternative materials. We found non-weighted averages of 0.80 tC/tC for sawnwood and 0.81 tC/tC for panels. For energy substitution, we analyzed cases with different specifications on biomass product, facility type and alternative fossil fuel source in non-residential heat production and biofuel transportation sectors. We found a non-weighted average of 0.80 tC/tC for non-residential heat production and 0.51 tC/tC for biofuel transportation, that can be interpreted as 0.91 tC/tC for heavy fuel oil, 0.69 tC/tC for light fuel oil and 0.68 tC/tC for natural gas substitution. These results provide a benchmark for substitution factors in Canada, to help guide forest management strategies for climate change mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice, as a main crop, contributes to food security in Asia. However, its by-product, rice straw, poses challenges as it is often disposed of unsustainably. This research investigates the environmental performance of a 1000 m3 rice straw biogas pilot plant in Laguna, Philippines. A lifecycle assessment identified the climate change impact of the biogas system, straw burning and soil incorporation. In addition to GWP100, the global temperature potential's dynamic climate effects were assessed, including integrated radiative forcing and instantaneous temperature effects. The timeframe of the biogenic emission fluxes of rice production is particularly relevant as the sequestered CO 2 during plant growth is partly released as methane and CO 2 , depending on the straw management practices. Straw burning had the highest net emission impact. However, straw incorporation has the highest short-term radiative forcing and temperature increase. The biogas system provided significant short- and long-term GHG emission reduction of up to 68 % when biogas replaced burning or soil incorporation and the use of fossil fuels. Still, considerable uncertainties remain about fugitive methane emissions, handling and post-processing of the digestate. While single GHG emission figures on a GWP100 basis are useful for informing decision-making, this single-metric approach limits understanding of rice production's short- and long-term impacts. Additionally, our assessment emphasises the necessity for governance frameworks that promote sustainable practices in rice farming, as banning rice straw burning may result in less favourable outcomes from soil incorporation, whereas integrating biogas offers a solution benefiting rice-growing communities and global sustainability efforts. • Biogas from rice straw reduces emissions by up to 69 %. • Soil incorporation of straw has highest short-term (20 years) temperature increase. • Assessing more than one metric and timeframe supports more informed decision-making. • Governance frameworks enabling bioenergy integration support SDG 3, 7 and 13. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economists agree that carbon taxes are the most effective solution for climate change mitigation. But where do fossil fuel companies stand on carbon taxes? I analyse how the 100 largest oil and gas companies communicate on carbon taxes. Surprisingly, I find that 54% of companies that have a policy on carbon taxes support them (78% for the 50 largest). This is puzzling as an effective carbon tax should reduce the revenues and reserve value of fossil fuel companies. To understand this paradox, I offer non-mutually exclusive reasons why fossil fuel companies might support carbon taxes. Oil and gas companies could use a carbon tax to get rid of the competition from coal, create a level playing field and remove regulatory uncertainty. Or they think that these taxes will not affect them because demand for oil and gas is inelastic or that international coordination will fail and lead to leakages. Finally, it could be that this is simply a communication exercise. A carbon tax helps them shift the responsibility from fossil fuel companies to customers, voters and elected officials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • CO 2 fluxes were measured in three subtropical mangroves for 16 site years. • VPD stress inhibits mangrove productivity during both exposed and inundated periods. • Meteorological factors and VPD have interactive effects on mangrove productivity. • Tides have independent effects on mangrove productivity through salinity changes. • The threshold effect range of VPD stress on mangrove productivity is 2.50–2.95 kPa. Subtropical mangroves have great potential to sequester atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2) and thus significantly contribute to climate change mitigation. Meanwhile, the carbon cycling processes in subtropical mangroves are vulnerable to the changing climatic conditions, such as the warming-induced vapor pressure deficit (VPD) increases. However, the impacts of VPD on net ecosystem production (NEP) in subtropical mangroves remain poorly understood due to a lack of detailed assessment of NEP responses to VPD among different mangrove forests over a long-term observational period. In this study, we deployed eddy-covariance systems to measure net ecosystem CO 2 exchange at three subtropical mangrove forests for 16 site-years, comprising two natural and one artificial forests. We employed a state-of-the-art data-driven modeling approach (i.e., Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) framework based on extreme gradient boosting model), which enabled us to explore the interactive effects of meteorological and tidal factors (e.g. salinity) with VPD on the mangrove NEP. We revealed that air temperature, global solar radiation (GR) and wind speed have significant interactions on the response of NEP to VPD stress in subtropical mangroves. For instance, when GR was high, the SHAP interaction values of VPD and GR on NEP decreased with increasing VPD, but when GR was low, the trends were the opposite. However, instead of identifying interactive effects between tidal salinity and VPD on mangrove NEP, we came across potential independent influence of salinity on the same. SHAP analysis was also able to disentangle the impact of VPD from other abiotic drivers. Thus, we evaluated the threshold effect of VPD stress on NEP loss in subtropical mangroves and observed a range of 2.50–2.95 kPa. Above this range, VPD stress leveled off. The subtropical mangrove responses to VPD should be therefore considered in the dynamic global vegetation models to increase the accuracy in carbon cycle simulations in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Europe, increasing the area of legume crops has been identified as a key measure to achieve the objectives set by the European Green Deal and transition toward more sustainable food systems. Although the role of grain legumes in climate change mitigation has been closely examined, little research has focused on how climate change will challenge the development of these crops. This article systematically reviews recent simulation studies to assess the impact of climate change on grain legume performances in Europe and the effect of adaptation strategies. Forty papers using process-based, ecological niche, or statistical models were selected to simulate the response of eight grain legume species to future climate (2020–2100) in Europe. The lack of data on adaptation strategies in Europe was compensated for by enlarging the study area to climatically similar regions. The review highlights a notable imbalance between research about soybean versus other grain legumes, with soybean representing approximately 80% of selected studies. Studies focused on soybean found good agreement, with yield or suitability gains found in northern Europe and a higher probability of yield losses in southern and south-eastern Europe. While a similar spatial pattern may be expected for other grain legumes, the scarcity of data makes this result more uncertain. The review also shows that several adaptation strategies have the potential to mitigate the negative impact of climate change on grain legume performances or enhance its positive impact. The most promising strategies tested include irrigation, change in sowing date, and cultivar choice. In addition, we identify several knowledge gaps that, if addressed, would support legume development in Europe. In particular, key species such as field pea, faba bean, lentil, and chickpea remain blind spots, despite their prominent role in European environmental, agricultural, and nutritional policies. Other knowledge gaps include a lack of accounting for crop response to elevated CO 2 , ozone, and future biotic pressure, and a limited range of adaptation strategies tested and indicators assessed. Implementing multi-criteria analyses that involve stakeholders would help identify relevant inputs and outputs for future simulations. • We review 40 papers assessing grain legume response to climate change in Europe. • Grain legumes other than soybean are blind spots despite their role in policies. • For soybean, yield gains are expected in the north and yield losses in the south. • Adaptation strategies can mitigate the impact of climate change on grain legumes. • We identify several knowledge gaps, including a lack of data on key legume species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agroforestry, a sustainable land-use system that integrates trees with crops and/or livestock, is recognized as an effective strategy for synergizing climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts in India. However, the prevalence of limited land under agroforestry indicates the presence of significant constraints hindering its widespread implementation. To address this challenge, the State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC) represents a potentially potent policy tool for driving the expansion of agroforestry at the sub-national level. The aim of this study was to examine (i) how the SAPCCs recognized and reported the benefits of agroforestry for climate change adaptation and mitigation, and (ii) what policy approaches are put forth to operationalize agroforestry in India. For this study, the information on agroforestry was coded using a hybrid approach (a combination of deductive and inductive coding) followed by thematic analysis and peer debriefing (for validation of the generated codes and themes). Many of the mitigation and adaptation benefits of agroforestry are reflected in the SAPCCs. However, the predominant focus of these SAPCCs has been on tree-based agroforestry, with insufficient attention given to the crop-tree-livestock nexus, which could offer greater scope for reducing agricultural emissions. Furthermore, existing constraints to the expansion of agroforestry have not been adequately addressed, and the strategies proposed lack the necessary precision to enable effective implementation on the ground. These shortcomings are further compounded by the absence of accurate budgetary estimates, thereby hindering the ability to execute meaningful actions at the grassroots level. The results of this study could offer valuable perspectives on how the potential benefits of agroforestry may be harnessed more prudently to realize mitigation and adaptation outcomes in India while aligning with the country's Nationally Determined Contributions and building sustainable livelihood. [Display omitted] • India's sub-national climate change action plans acknowledge agroforestry's potential for climate change adaptation and mitigation. • However, the plans primarily focus on adding trees to expand agroforestry and overlook the potential of agrosilvopastoral systems. • The existing constraints of agroforestry adoption in India are not sufficiently addressed, and budget estimates vary significantly among states. • To address these issues, the plans require revision to incorporate specific actions and a clear implementation roadmap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crop residue burning is a common practice in many parts of the world that causes air pollution and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Regenerative practices that return residues to the soil offer a 'no burn' pathway for addressing air pollution while building soil organic carbon (SOC). Nevertheless, GHG emissions in rice-based agricultural systems are complex and difficult to anticipate, particularly in production contexts with highly variable hydrologic conditions. Here we predict long-term net GHG fluxes for four rice residue management strategies in the context of rice-wheat cropping systems in Eastern India: burning, soil incorporation, livestock fodder, and biochar. Estimations were based on a combination of Tier 1, 2, and 3 modelling approaches, including 100-year DNDC simulations across three representative soil hydrologic categories (i.e., dry, median, and wet). Overall, residue burning resulted in total direct GHG fluxes of 2.5, 6.1, and 8.7 Mg CO 2 -e in the dry, median, and wet hydrologic categories, respectively. Relative to emissions from burning (positive values indicate an increase) for the same dry to wet hydrologic categories, soil incorporation resulted in a −0.2, 1.8, or 3.1 Mg CO 2 -e change in emissions whereas use of residues for livestock fodder increased emissions by 2.0, 2.1, or 2.3 Mg CO 2 -e. Biochar reduced emissions relative to burning by 2.9 Mg CO 2 -e in all hydrologic categories. This study showed that the production environment has a controlling effect on methane and, therefore, net GHG balance. For example, wetter sites had 2.8–4.0 times greater CH 4 emissions, on average, than dry sites when rice residues were returned to the soil. To effectively mitigate burning without undermining climate change mitigation goals, our results suggest that geographically-target approaches should be used in the rice-based systems of Eastern India to incentivize the adoption of regenerative 'no burn' residue management practices. • Efforts to build SOC for climate change mitigation, while simultaneously avoiding burning, may have unintended consequences. • Tier 1, 2, and 3 modelling approaches were used to compare no-burn rice residue pathways. • Field hydrology had a dominant effect on methane emissions. • Soil incorporation of residues increased emissions relative to open burning, except in comparatively dry fields. • Biochar is estimated to have the lowest GHG emissions of the evaluated 'no burn' alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malaysia is actively addressing environmental responsibilities by pledging a 45 % reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, aided by a large-scale solar photovoltaic initiative. Nonetheless, the unprecedented meteorological events due to climate change such as extreme temperatures and precipitation may reduce the large-scale solar performance and lead to infrastructure damage. The primary objective of this study is to conduct a screening-level analysis from both technical and economic perspectives, in order to assess the effects of extreme temperature and precipitation on large scale solar in Malaysia. This study hypothesized that extreme temperature and precipitation reduce large scale solar performance and increase infrastructure damage. The results demonstrate that both extreme temperature and precipitation increase the power and efficiency loss over time. In general, infrastructure damages caused by extreme temperature and precipitation can result in degradation, a shortened lifespan, and ultimately a collapse. In this study, the costs of physical damage were estimated using the modified levelized cost of energy, and it was found that the cost of physical damage in extreme temperature conditions was approximately 30 % greater than the cost in extreme precipitation conditions, which was nine times greater than in normal condition. Compared to a no-adaptation scenario, it is possible to reduce the additional costs due to extreme temperature and precipitation by up to 53 % and 49 %, respectively. Enhancements, additional analysis, and validation of these findings could aid in the readiness for climate change mitigation efforts, not only for solar power systems but also for other types of energy systems. [Display omitted] • Generic screening-level analysis for assessing techno-economic impact of solar. • Extreme temperature and precipitation reduce solar performance and increase damage. • Study employs modified levelized cost of energy to estimate physical damage costs. • A proactive adaptation strategy reduced the additional cost for both scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local governments are expected now more than ever to lead climate action planning as climate change intensifies and urbanization increases rapidly. However, studies indicate limitations in the comprehensiveness and level of integration of adaptation and mitigation in existing climate action plans. To develop suitable climate action plans that are comprehensive and consistent with globally accepted standards and benchmarks, this study proposed an Urban Climate Action Planning framework and pilot-tested it with 257 urban climate action plans. Overall, 43 criteria are included in the framework across three stages of climate planning. The pilot test revealed that more than half of the sampled plans have a medium level of suitability, with 39% having a weak level of suitability. About 51% of plans from Europe have a weak level of suitability. Surprisingly, none of the plans sampled from Africa and Latin America achieved a weak level of suitability despite lacking a significant share of global climate research and development funding. A Kruskal-Wallis test shows a statistically significant association between stages of climate planning and (a) city types (p-value of 0.004326) and (b) year of adoption or publication of climate plans and suitability scores (p-value of 0.0001027). Urban climate action plans adopted or published more recently (2018–2022) are likely more suitable than those adopted or published earlier. The sampled urban climate action plans from the Global South had higher average suitability scores than those from the Global North. The study presents key findings and considerations for urban climate action planning and future research. [Display omitted] • A framework for assessing the suitability of Climate Action Plans (CAPs) is proposed. • The framework is used to pilot-test the suitability of 257 urban CAPs. • Suitability analysis is done across city types, regions, and the global divide. • Most sampled plans achieved a medium level of suitability. • The CAPs lack criteria related to implementation and monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is growing pressure for cities to plan for and take action on climate change in equitable and just ways. Scholars, however, continue to debate what justice looks like in practice, and cities struggle to plan for and implement climate justice. This article investigates the case of San Francisco, a forerunner in climate action and a city experiencing profound inequality. Our research employs an analytical framework that assesses how and to what extent climate justice is incorporated into climate adaptation planning. This study analyzes 20 years of adaptation efforts in San Francisco and is informed by interviews with city planners and agency staff. Our research has found that San Francisco's approach to climate planning has shifted in recent years from focusing primarily on technology and science to addressing concerns of justice and the needs of residents. While San Francisco has made efforts to develop climate justice plans, further inquiry is needed to study the challenges of fully integrating climate justice into implementation. The insights gained from this case of San Francisco and our analytical framework can inform future urban climate action plans and further the debate around climate justice in cities from the Global North. • Cities, such as San Francisco (United States), are increasingly incorporating climate justice into adaptation planning. • Local government leadership, funding, and regulation lay the groundwork for climate justice in adaptation planning. • We present a framework to examine how and the extent to which climate justice is incorporated into adaptation planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon emission reduction in China matters to global climate change mitigation. China has been experiencing extensive land changes, which profoundly influence terrestrial ecosystem carbon storage (TECS) and carbon emissions. Scholars have predicted influences of land changes on TECS in China with scenarios obtained from global integrated assessment models (IAMs), which lack national details. Moreover, universally existing variations in land-use intensity have not been considered when estimating influences on TECS. This study simulated changes of land-use intensity of China from 2000 to 2050 using CLUMondo under China-specified policies for sustainable development modeled by a national IAM named Threshold21-China. We proposed a more precise TECS estimation method by distinguishing land-vegetation and land-soil types. Results demonstrated that under scenario with preceding policies, the total TECS can increase by 865.5 Tg C from 2000 to 2050. Through implementing preceding policies, TECS loss by conversions from cultivated land to artificial surfaces can decline by 82 Tg C, and new TECS accumulated by increased and densified forests can increase by 73 Tg C. Mountainous and rapidly urbanizing regions are sensitively influenced and need more restrict land change management policies. This study demonstrates the significance of sustainable development policies for TECS conservation and indicates specific critical regions. • Introducing national IAM into land change simulation. • Considering land-use intensities in land change simulation. • Proposing an improved TECS estimation method. • Estimating influences of land changes on China's TECS. • TECS accumulation could be improved under sustainable policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]