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Agriculture is a significant contributor to anthropogenic global warming. In recent years, agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in China, which is the largest emitter, has been decreasing. In order to identify whether or not Chinese agricultural development has affected GHG emission, we used the logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI) factor decomposition model to study the effect of productivity factors on GHG emission and their characteristics in four phases of Chinese agricultural development. The results indicate that land productivity is the most significantly promotion factor which contributes 1.12 Gt CO2e GHG emission growth. On the contrary, technological input intensity exerts an obvious mitigating effect with 1.57 Gt CO2e GHG emission reduction. The effects of productivity factors on GHG emission differ between household-based farming systems and large-scale management systems. A more nuanced perspective on the significant role of agricultural large-scale management in GHG emission could aid climate change mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is expected to intensify compound dry and hot events (CDHEs) in China, exacerbating socioeconomic exposure to CDHEs. Based on 23 global climate models (GCMs) data from Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 6 (CMIP6), this study analyzes and projects the socioeconomic exposure to CDHEs and its influencing factors under 1.5℃ and 2.0℃ global warming levels. The results show that the frequency of CDHEs is expected to be higher under 2.0℃ warming levels than that under 1.5℃ warming levels. Population exposures to CDHEs are projected to increase by 160 × 106 persons-months (about 280%) and 210 × 106 persons-months (310%) under 1.5℃ and 2.0℃ warming levels, respectively. The region with the highest increase in population exposure to CDHEs is East China, followed by Central China and South China; and the regions with the smallest increase in population exposure are Tibet, Inner Mongolia, and Xinjiang. GDP exposures are expected to increase by 24 times and 20 times under 1.5 °C warming levels for SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5 scenarios, while the values would be up to 38 times and 28 times under 2.0 °C warming levels. The climate effect (accounting for 80%) is the determinate factor that triggers the change of population exposure to CDHEs, followed by the interaction between the population and climate changes, while the influence of the population factor is the least. Interactive effect contributes the most to GDP exposure whereas climate change contributes the least. Across most regions of China, the warming level is the main uncertainty source, accounting for 46.1% and 70.5% of the population and GDP exposure, respectively. The results are beneficial for identifying hotspots of vulnerable regions exposed to CDHEs and provide beneficial information for conducting climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of climate change on crops and agricultural yield is an actual threat while being a challenging issue due to the high complexity of factors that intervene at the local scale of the crop. Assessing it, requires the use of coupled models climate-phenology, meanwhile methods to identify management and genotypes suitable for local future conditions, in order to sustain adaptation strategies. We present the implementation and use of a new integrated climate-phenology adaptation support modeling system based on regional CORDEX climate models and the CERES Maize model from DSSAT platform, with new modules for optimal management and genotype identification using a hybrid method: deterministic modeling and -ML/ genetic algorithms. It was run as a regional pilot over Romania, operating in real-time in interaction with users, performing agro-climate projections (combination of fertilization, sowing date, soil) and providing best crop management simulated under climate change projections. Multi-model ensemble simulations for two climate scenarios RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 and twelve management scenarios show new results for the region. For the actual genotype we find a projected mean decrease in yield in both climate scenarios for all sowing dates and fertilization levels tested, response shown to be sensitive to initial soil parameters. This response was linked to two factors: a shorter growing season by up to 10 % and a loss of fertilization efficiency in a warmer climate. A warning points to results showing a narrowing of agro-management opportunities for crop yield but in opposite it is shown a significant role of optimal genotype-range identification that may provide crop solutions under climate change even in extreme years. Identifying best genotype under warmer climate along sets of six cross-parameter simulations show systematic lower values of the maximal yields, but emphasizes genotype windows of increases in the intermediate yield values in scenarios compared to actual climate. The highest harvest sensitivity to genotype is shown to be to changes in the thermal time to juvenil respectively to maturity stage under warmer climate. The results sustain using a deterministic coupled modeling system combined with data-driven modeling for identifying optimal adaptation including fertilization paths that contribute to climate change mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People are increasingly exposed to extreme weather events with the escalation of global warming. Understanding how individuals face and respond to it is crucial for climate mitigation. In the present study, we surveyed a sample of 856 people in five metropolitan areas in China to examine how personal experiences of extreme weather events affect individuals' low-carbon behavior through consequential and moral processing of climate change. The results indicate that people with personal experience of extreme weather events show significantly better cognitive judgment, emotional reactions, and mitigation behavior than those without such experience. Furthermore, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to illustrate that personal experience can initiate a sense of collective morality about climate change and predict the adoption of mitigating behaviors. Additionally, it can be seen that cognitive processing precedes emotional processing in the context of climate change. The present findings provide some evidence at the individual level for further moral philosophical discussions about climate change and offer insights for social solutions about promoting sustainable environmental behaviors. We point out that mechanisms of social cooperation among collectives and individuals used to deal with climate change deserve further research. We also discuss the implications and limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The seminal outcome of COP28 was the Global Stocktake (GST), which referenced transitioning for the first time among all the United Nations' climate agreements. While the GST's attempt at energy transition is welcomed, it is deficient. In this paper, the historical challenges of international climate policymaking and implementation has been explored. The challenges that undermined previous UN agreements will likely hinder the global stocktake. Moreover, the GST's failure to use more forceful language could be a fatal flaw. Furthermore, the GST did not sufficiently define key terms like net zero and energy transition. Likewise, it did not give due consideration to energy justice. The GST missed the opportunity to take strategic advantage of state actors while creating an ecosystem for non-state actors to contribute to the fight against climate change. The GST should have taken advantage of the avalanche of scientific knowledge available on energy transition to mandate timely climate mitigation plans. Subsequent GSTs must proactively address the shortcomings of the first GST if the current generation, which is touted as the generation with the last chance to combat climate change, hopes to achieve the primary goal of the Paris Agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI) has been proposed as a potential supplement to mitigate some climate impacts of anthropogenic warming. Using Community Earth System Model ensemble simulation results, we analyze the response of temperature and precipitation extremes to two different SAI strategies: one injects SO2 at the equator to stabilize global mean temperature and the other injects SO2 at multiple locations to stabilize global mean temperature as well as the interhemispheric and equator‐to‐pole temperature gradients. Our analysis shows that in the late 21st century, compared with the present‐day climate, both equatorial and multi‐location injection lead to reduced hot extremes in the tropics, corresponding to overcooling of the mean climate state. In mid‐to‐high latitude regions, in comparison to the present‐day climate, substantial decreases in cold extremes are observed under both equatorial and multi‐location injection, corresponding to residual winter warming of the mean climate state. Both equatorial and multi‐location injection reduce precipitation extremes in the tropics below the present‐day level, associated with the decrease in mean precipitation. Overall, for most regions, temperature and precipitation extremes show reduced change in response to multi‐location injection than to equatorial injection, corresponding to reduced mean climate change for multi‐location injection. In comparison with equatorial injection, in response to multi‐location injection, most land regions experience fewer years with significant change in cold extremes from the present‐day level, and most tropical regions experience fewer years with significant change in hot extremes. The design of SAI strategies to mitigate anthropogenic climate extremes merits further study. Plain Language Summary: Injecting SO2 into the stratosphere to deflect incoming sunlight back to space has been proposed as a possible means to counteract anthropogenic warming. Previous studies focused on the response of the mean climate change to SO2 injection. Here we analyze how SO2 injection would affect climate extremes using two sets of climate model simulations under a high‐CO2 scenario. In one set of simulations, SO2 is injected into the stratosphere at the equator to stabilize global mean warming at the present‐day level; in another set of simulations, SO2 is injected into the stratosphere at four different latitudes to stabilize global mean temperature, interhemispheric temperature gradient, and equator‐to‐pole temperature gradient at the same time. Our analysis shows that both equatorial injection and multi‐location injection can help reduce temperature and precipitation extreme events induced by global warming, but their effectiveness varies across different regions. In general, compared to equatorial injection, multi‐location injection can be more effective in stabilizing climate extremes at the present‐day level over most regions. This is consistent with the fact that multi‐location injection exhibits smaller changes in mean climate state than that of the equatorial injection relative to the present‐day state. Key Points: We examine the climate extreme response to two stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI) strategies: equatorial injection and multi‐location injectionThe response of climate extremes to SAI shows similar characteristics to mean climate responseMulti‐location injection is more effective in stabilizing climate extremes at the present‐day level [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many of the global challenges that confront humanity are interlinked in a dynamic complex network, with multiple feedback loops, nonlinear interactions and interdependencies that make it difficult, if not impossible, to consider individual threats in isolation.These challenges are mainly dealt with, however, by considering individual threats in isolation (at least in political terms). The mitigation of dual climate and biodiversity threats, for example, is linked to a univariate 1.5°C global warming boundary and a global area conservation target of 30% by 2030.The situation has been somewhat improved by efforts to account for interactions through multidimensional target setting, adaptive and open management and market‐based decision pathways.But the fundamental problem still remains—that complex systems such as those formed by the network of global threats have emergent properties that are more than the sum of their parts. We must learn how to deal with or live with these properties if we are to find effective ways to cope with the threats, individually and collectively.Here, we argue that recent progresses in complex systems research and related fields have enhanced our ability to analyse and model such entwined systems to the extent that it offers the promise of a new approach to sustainability. We discuss how this may be achieved, both in theory and in practice, and how human cultural factors play an important but neglected role that could prove vital to achieving success. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

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

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

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

The radial growth of trees significantly contributes to climate change mitigation by sequestering carbon into woody biomass. Radial growth trends observed in European temperate forests during the recent period of climate warming vary between growth acceleration due to longer growing seasons and growth declines due to amplified drought stress. Assessing the spatial variation of growth trends is challenging due to the point relevance of available empirical data including forest inventories and tree-ring width chronologies. Here, we used a database of tree-ring width chronologies from 596 sites and spatial models to describe the growth trends of five tree species across the Czech Republic between 1990 and 2018. The resulting map highlights multiple sources of variation in growth trends including differences between species and prominent spatial gradients along elevation, latitude, and longitude. The knowledge of spatially explicit growth trends is essential for the adaptation of the forestry sector to ongoing climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the urgency to limit global warming has intensified, negative emissions technology such as direct air capture and carbon sequestration are increasingly considered in climate mitigation scenarios. When Iceland opened the commercial-grade direct air carbon capture and storage (DACCS) facility in 2021, this marked a breakthrough for DACCS technology as a scalable climate mitigation solution. This study investigates the adoption of DACCS in Iceland and the potential for diffusion into other contexts as a global decarbonization solution. We implement expert interviews to analyze the adoption of technology, and to identify the various requirements of scaling DACCS into local and global contexts. Using inductive thematic analysis, we characterize the diverging perspectives on the role of carbon dioxide removal as a climate mitigation solution and also identify pathways toward technology upscaling at national, regional, and global scales. Despite the successful technology demonstration of DACCS, we find that experts hold different mental models of climate mitigation generally, characterized as "nature vs. technology." We also find that experts clearly articulate the necessary conditions for the diffusion of DACCS more broadly, including explicit regulatory measures as guardrails against a "license to pollute" as well as bilateral governance structures that include financial investment. Finally, we find that the importance of public acceptance of the technology was noted among all expert groups. Limited data exist on the acceptance of DACCS paired with renewable energy and this is a future research recommendation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change mitigation depends on actions that affect the public interest and lead to widespread changes in public attitudes and behavior. With the global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, humanity faced a more imminent threat to its well-being and viability. This retrospective cross-sectional study examines how public interest in climate change was attenuated by the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic using Google Trends Search Volume Index (SVI), weather, and climate data on a United States state-level basis during the first two years of the pandemic from 2020 to 2022. To identify channels through which the COVID-19 pandemic affected information demand on climate change, a novel fixed effect regression model of public climate change interest was developed. The measure captures changes in the climate change SVI independent of weather and climate conditions, comprising pandemic-related changes in living circumstances such as COVID-19-related cases and deaths, mask mandates, and the proportion of the vaccinated population. Our results indicate that public interest in climate change was systematically attenuated by the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, this study provides an approach for identifying drivers of public interest in climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continued climate warming, together with the overall evaluation and implementation of a range of climate mitigation and adaptation approaches, has prompted increasing research into proposed solar climate intervention methods, such as stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI). SAI would use aerosols to reflect a small amount of incoming solar radiation away from Earth to stabilize or reduce future warming due to increasing greenhouse gas concentrations. Research into the possible risks and benefits of SAI relative to the risks from climate change is emerging. There is not yet, however, an adequate understanding of how SAI might impact human and natural systems. For instance, little to no research to date has examined how SAI might impact environmental conditions critical to the formation of severe convective weather over the United States (US). This study uses ensembles of Earth system model simulations of future climate change, with and without hypothetical SAI deployment, to examine possible future changes in thermodynamic and kinematic parameters critical to the formation of severe weather during convectively active seasons over the US Results show that simulated forced changes in thermodynamic parameters are significantly reduced under SAI relative to a climate change (SSP2‐4.5) world, while simulated changes in kinematic parameters are more difficult to distinguish. Also, unforced internal climate variability is likely to significantly modulate the projected forced climate changes over large regions of the US. Plain Language Summary: Human‐caused climate warming is projected to increase occurrences of environmental conditions which favor the formation of severe weather, such as thunderstorms. Stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI) is a form of climate intervention which aims to cool the planet by injecting sunlight‐reflecting particles into the stratosphere, a part of the upper atmosphere. This study investigates how SAI might impact future projections of the environmental conditions which favor the formation of severe weather. One set of climate models simulations show that future increases of the occurrence of temperature driven environmental characteristics that favor the formation of severe weather could be avoided if SAI were to be implemented. These simulations also show that future projections of environmental characteristics that favor the formation of severe weather that are dynamically driven may not be significantly impacted by the implementation of SAI. Climate variability that is not human‐driven may also significantly impact future projections of the environmental conditions which favor severe weather formation, whether or not SAI has been implemented. Key Points: Thermodynamic parameters relevant to severe weather formation are projected to increase in magnitude over the US due to climate changeStratospheric aerosol injection may prevent many of these projected increasesInternal decadal‐scale climate variability is likely to impact future projections of regional changes in convective weather environments [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is a complex issue that has far-reaching impacts on global health security. It is not limited to global warming but also leads to the emergence of infectious diseases, displacement of people, economic losses, food insecurity, and mental health issues. Vulnerable communities, particularly in low-middle-income countries, are disproportionately affected by climate change. The manifestations of climate change include global warming, air pollution, human diseases, food insecurity, and socioeconomic impacts. Mitigation strategies involve evaluating vulnerabilities, developing early warning systems, reinforcing climate resilience, promoting health promotion interventions, and implementing climate action plans. Multisectoral collaboration and international cooperation are crucial for addressing climate change and its impact on health. [Extracted from the article]

The effect of climate change on flora and fauna has been widely discussed for years. However, its consequences on microorganisms are generally poorly considered. The main effect of climate change on microbiota is related to biodiversity changes in different regions of the planet, mainly due to variations in temperature. These alterations are resulting in a worldwide (re)distribution of pathogens, which was not considered a few years ago. They mainly affect different food chain sectors (such as agriculture, livestock and fishing), as well as human health. Hence, the spread of numerous animal and plant pathogens has been observed in recent years from south to north (especially in America, Europe and Asia), leading to the spread of numerous plant and animal diseases, which results in economic and ecological losses. In addition, global warming that accompanies climate change could also be related to emerging antibiotic resistance. However, the mitigation of climate change goes hand in hand with microorganisms, which can help us through different natural and industrial processes. Thus, this manuscript presents the direct and indirect effects of climate change on microorganisms described up to date and how they act on this worldwide phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limiting climate warming to below 2°C requires more intense mitigation efforts. Alongside the steep reductions in fossil fuel emissions needed, natural climate solutions (NCS) act as an additional first step toward achieving China's emission reduction goals. We first quantified the historical contribution of NCS as 0.34 PgCO2 equivalent (PgCO2e) yr−1 through the implemented national ecological restoration projects as well as positive management measures. Based on successful practices, we then designed 21 pathways to quantify the potential of NCS in increasing terrestrial carbon sinks or reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in forest, grassland, cropland, and wetland ecosystems. We show that the maximum mitigation potential of NCS between 2020 and 2060 under guaranteed food and fiber security is 1.95 (1.54–2.38) PgCO2e yr−1 (95% CI), which can offset nearly 20% of the annual net emissions. Historically, forest ecosystems have contributed the most to carbon sequestration; however, future projections show cropland ecosystems will account for the largest proportion (47.6%), followed by forest ecosystems. Approximately 47% (0.91 PgCO2e yr−1) of the maximum represents cost‐effective mitigation potential that can be realized at ≤100 USD/MgCO2e. Conservation tillage is the most cost‐effective option in China, achieving a maximum contribution of 181.60 TgCO2e yr−1. In addition, a series of cropland management measures have contributed 1.14 PgCO2e in the past two decades. Our study highlights the high effectiveness of cropland pathways in reducing carbon emissions and emphasizes the key role of cropland ecosystems in mitigating climate change. Plain Language Summary: As global warming continues, natural climate solutions (NCS) are one of the most effective ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. As the largest emitter of CO2, China has significant climate mitigation potential. However, there is a huge gap in the results of NCS in China, which is mainly reflected in the insufficient attention paid to the cropland ecosystems (e.g., cropland management measures such as no‐tillage and straw return were put into practice as early as 2000, but these effective pathways were not considered in current studies). In this study, we designed feasible NCS pathways in line with China's national conditions based on successful ecological restoration experiences at home and abroad, and evaluated the historical carbon sink contributions and future mitigation potential of each pathway. By comparing the mitigation potential of forest, cropland, grassland, and wetland ecosystems, we reveal the key role of cropland ecosystems in mitigating climate change. This study is critical to understanding that effective cropland management measures will contribute the greatest climate mitigation potential. Key Points: We design 21 pathways to quantify the historical contribution and potential of natural climate solutions (NCS) in mitigating of climate warmingThe maximum mitigation potential of NCS between 2020 and 2060 can offset nearly 20% of the annual net emissionsHistorically, forest NCS have contributed the most; however, future projections show cropland will account for the largest proportion [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a result of recurring natural disasters caused by climate change, firms are under enormous pressure to reconsider their environmental footprints. However, whether or not investors reward firms' climate change actions remains a topic of considerable debate. Using a sample of S&P 500 companies over the period 2005–2020, we hypothesise and find a significant negative relationship between climate change actions and the cost of debt, indicating that investors indeed reward corporate climate efforts in the form of lower cost funds. This relationship exists in both environmentally sensitive and non‐sensitive industries and remains negative and statistically significant even after controlling for the impact of the ongoing pandemic (COVID‐19). The findings are robust to the use of alternative measures for our variables, alternative estimation methods and after controlling for endogeneity issues. We interpret our findings within the decision‐usefulness and stakeholder‐agency theories that suggest that non‐financial information on firms' environmental performance is becoming increasingly important when borrowers' creditworthiness is assessed. Our study offers important regulatory and academic policy implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elevated surface concentrations of ozone and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) can lead to poor air quality and detrimental impacts on human health. These pollutants are also termed Near‐Term Climate Forcers (NTCFs) as they can also influence the Earth's radiative balance on timescales shorter than long‐lived greenhouse gases. Here we use the Earth system model, UKESM1, to simulate the change in surface ozone and PM2.5 concentrations from different NTCF mitigation scenarios, conducted as part of the Aerosol and Chemistry Model Intercomparison Project (AerChemMIP). These are then combined with relative risk estimates and projected changes in population demographics, to estimate the mortality burden attributable to long‐term exposure to ambient air pollution. Scenarios that involve the strong mitigation of air pollutant emissions yield large future benefits to human health (25%), particularly across Asia for black carbon (7%), when compared to the future reference pathway. However, if anthropogenic emissions follow the reference pathway, then impacts to human health worsen over South Asia in the short term (11%) and across Africa (20%) in the longer term. Future climate change impacts on air pollutants can offset some of the health benefits achieved by emission mitigation measures over Europe for PM2.5 and East Asia for ozone. In addition, differences in the future chemical environment over regions are important considerations for mitigation measures to achieve the largest benefit to human health. Future policy measures to mitigate climate warming need to also consider the impact on air quality and human health across different regions to achieve the maximum co‐benefits. Plain Language Summary: Ground level ozone (O3) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) are two major air pollutants that are associated with adverse effects to human health. In addition, changes in their atmospheric concentrations can also influence the rate of climate change on a timeframe shorter than that for long‐lived greenhouse gases. In this study we use a global Earth system model to simulate the change in concentrations of surface O3 and PM2.5 across numerous future mitigation scenarios, which are then used to quantify the impact on the air pollution health burden. A large reduction in the air pollutant health burden of the population, particularly across Asia, is calculated in scenarios that have large reductions in air pollutant sources. However, impacts on health can increase across large parts of Africa in a scenario where emissions of air pollutants are not reduced. Future climate warming increases the exposure to air pollutants across regions such as Europe and East Asia, with a detrimental impact on human health. Measures to limit future climate warming and improve regional air pollutant health burdens are interconnected and important to consider together when designing future policies. Key Points: Strong mitigation of aerosols and ozone precursors leads to large future benefits to the air pollution health burden, particularly over AsiaFuture climate change can offset the health benefits of a reduced air pollution health burden from emissions mitigation over Europe and East AsiaIt is important to consider future chemical environments when designing measures to maximize benefits to climate, air quality, and health [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: The UNFCCC COP 27 in Sharm El-Sheikh confirmed that climate policies too heavily rely on climate mitigation by forests rather than on de-fossilizing the energy system, to keep global warming within the safe 1.5 °C. Reliable mitigation by forests would imply healthy productive forests well adapted to climate change, and this is no longer the case. The current trend in loss of forest vitality shows that the adaptation of forests is urgently needed, but measures are being insufficiently adopted by foresters on the ground. In this letter, we wonder about the reasons for this inaction paralyzing climate-smart forestry and propose a way forward using a diversity-based no-regret approach in line with available knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mountains are among the natural systems most affected by climate change, and mountain mammals are considered particularly imperiled, given their high degree of specialization to narrow tolerance bands of environmental conditions. Climate change mitigation policies, such as the Paris Agreement, are essential to stem climate change impacts on natural systems. But how significant is the Paris Agreement to the survival of mountain mammals? We investigated how alternative emission scenarios may determine change in the realized climatic niche of mountain carnivores and ungulates in 2050. We based our predictions of future change in species niches based on how species have responded to past environmental changes, focusing on the probabilities of niche shrink and niche stability. We found that achieving the Paris Agreement's commitments would substantially reduce climate instability for mountain species. Specifically, limiting global warming to below 1.5°C would reduce the probability of niche shrinkage by 4% compared with a high‐emission scenario. Globally, carnivores showed greater niche shrinkage than ungulates, whereas ungulates were more likely to shift their niches (i.e., face a level of climate change that allows adaptation). Twenty‐three species threatened by climate change according to the IUCN Red List had greater niche contraction than other species we analyzed (3% higher on average). We therefore argue that climate mitigation policies must be coupled with rapid species‐specific conservation intervention and sustainable land‐use policies to avoid high risk of loss of already vulnerable species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concern about climate change is often rooted in sympathy, compassion, and care for nature, living beings, and future generations. Feeling sympathy for others temporarily forms a bond between them and us: we focus on what we have in common and feel a sense of common destiny. Thus, we temporarily experience communal sharing relationships. A sudden intensification in communal sharing evokes an emotion termed kama muta, which may be felt through tearing up, a warm feeling in the chest, or goosebumps. We conducted four pre-registered studies (n=1,049) to test the relationship between kama muta and pro-environmental attitudes, intentions, and behavior. In each study, participants first reported their attitudes about climate change. Then, they received climate change-related messages. In Study 1, they saw one of the two moving video clips about environmental concerns. In Study 2, participants listened to a more or less moving version of a story about a typhoon in the Philippines. In Study 3, they listened to a different, also moving version of this story or an unrelated talk. In Study 4, they watched either a factual or a moving video about climate change. Participants then indicated their emotional responses. Finally, they indicated their intentions for climate mitigation actions. In addition, we measured time spent reading about climate-related information (Studies 1, 2, and 4) and donating money (Study 4). Across all studies, we found that feelings of kama muta correlated positively with pro-environmental intentions (r=0.48 [0.34, 0.62]) and behavior (r=0.10 [0.0004, 0.20]). However, we did not obtain evidence for an experimental effect of the type of message (moving or neutral) on pro-environmental intentions (d=0.04 [-0.09, 0.18]), though this relationship was significantly mediated by felt kama muta across Studies 2-4. The relationship was not moderated by prior climate attitudes, which had a main effect on intentions. We also found an indirect effect of condition through kama muta on donation behavior. In sum, our results contribute to the question of whether kama muta evoked by climate-change messages can be a motivating force in efforts at climate-change mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constraining an increase in global mean temperature below 2°C compared to pre‐industrial levels is critical to limiting dangerous and cascading impacts of anthropogenic climate change. Understanding future climatic changes and their spatial heterogeneity at 2°C warming is thus important for policy makers to prepare actionable adaptation and mitigation plans by identifying where and to what extent lives and livelihoods will be impacted. This study uses the recently released NASA Earth eXchange Global Daily Downscaled Projections (NEX‐GDDP) CMIP6 data to provide a broad overview of projected changes in six key climate variables and two climate impact indicators at a time when warming exceeds 2°C. Analysis of global mean temperature changes indicates the 2040s as the decade when most CMIP6 models reach 2°C warming with respect to a pre‐industrial period (1850–1900). During the 2040s, we find that global mean temperature, precipitation, relative humidity, downwelling shortwave and longwave radiation, and wind speed over land under the high emission scenario are projected to change by +2.8°C, +22.4 mm/year, −0.73%, −2.23 , +15.9 W/m2, and −0.04 m/s, respectively. Many of the future changes are expected to exacerbate climate impacts including heat stress and fire danger. Our analysis shows geographic patterns of policy‐relevant climatic changes, as parts of the globe will experience significant climate impacts even if the goal to keep warming below 2°C goal is achieved. Our results highlight the urgent need for further studies focused on identifying key hotspots and advancing region‐specific actionable adaptation and mitigation plans. Plain Language Summary: Robust understanding of the spatial patterns of climatic change as the world approaches 2°C warming is a priority for policy makers preparing actionable adaptation and mitigation plans. The recently released NASA Earth eXchange Global Daily Downscaled Projections (NEX‐GDDP) data is a unique tool for assessing these changes with unbiased projections at 16‐64 times finer spatial scale than the ones originally available. Our work uses the NEX‐GDDP data to answer a simple but important question, "What does global land climate look like at 2°C warming?" We find that the Earth will likely reach 2°C of global warming by the 2040s. In the 2040s, our analysis shows significant changes in six key climate variables (mean air temperature, precipitation, relative humidity, downwelling shortwave and longwave radiation, and wind speed) but with geographically varying magnitude and direction of changes. These changes collectively result in increasing risks of heat stress and fire which already manifest as life‐threatening impacts resulting from climate change. Many of the projected changes are expected to exacerbate climate impacts, and our fine scale spatial analysis reveals that parts of the globe (e.g., countries in lower latitude) will experience significant climate impacts even if pledges to limit warming to less than 2°C are achieved. This study provides a comprehensive assessment of projected climate changes under 2°C warming and highlights the urgent need for further studies focused on identifying key hotspots and advancing region‐specific actionable adaptation and mitigation plans. Key Points: CMIP6 models show that the Earth likely will reach 2°C of global warming by the 2040s without significant policy changesGeographic pattern of changes in key climate indicators portend unfavorable conditions of habitability for large populationsDownscaled climate projections provide finer scale spatial patterns that enable region‐specific climate adaptation and mitigation strategies [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming has become one of the major threats to the security of human survival, security, and sustainable development. Agricultural production has been widely suspected as one of the main sources of anthropogenic carbon emissions. Analyzing the changing characteristics and influencing factors of agricultural carbon emissions is of great significance for the mitigation of global climate change and the sustainable development in agriculture. Taking China, a large agricultural country, as an example, this study used the empirical model to quantify carbon emissions from agricultural inputs from 1991 to 2019, and analyzed the driving factors using ridge regression. We found that agricultural carbon emissions in China have been on the rise in the past 30 years, but at a markedly slower pace. From 2008 to 2019, the average annual growth rate of agricultural carbon emissions was 1.47%, down significantly from 2.92% between 1991 and 2007. The carbon emissions per unit of planting area showed an overall increasing trend, which grew from 179.35 t ce/km2 to 246.26 t ce/km2, with an average annual growth rate of 1.13%. The carbon emissions per unit of agricultural output mainly showed a decreasing trend, which decreased from 0.52 kg ce/CNY to 0.06 kg ce/CNY, with an average annual rate of change of −7.42%. China's agricultural carbon emissions were closely related to macro-policies. Fertilizer inputs, agricultural industry structure, and energy use intensity were significantly positively correlated with carbon emission intensity. The degree of urban feedback to rural areas, public investment in agriculture, and large-scale planting were significantly negatively correlated with carbon emission intensity, but the impacts of these factors had a "lag effect". In order to reduce carbon emissions from agriculture and promote development in green agriculture, we suggest that the government should further increase the degree of urban feedback to rural and public investment in the agricultural sector. In addition, large-scale agricultural production should be encouraged to increase resource efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land use change and global warming pose significant threats to biodiversity and affect species distribution throughout the planet. Both factors operate at different scales, so even spatial features that allow to evaluate these factors properly are relevant to the early identification of extinction risks, especially in highland ecosystems. This study aims to model the ecological niche of Polylepis incana Kunth and its future distribution areas based on bioclimatic variables in the Ecuadorian Andes, as to promote conservation strategies. By analyzing high-resolution climate data employing MaxEnt and QGIS software, the appropriate habitat for P. incana was modeled, and the main climatic variables that best predict its potential distribution were identified. In addition, by employing herbal data we evaluated the status of the species in the predicted habitats and related them to species distribution models. The results show that the suitable habitat for P. incana is ~11393 km² along the Ecuadorian Andes; out of the total area, 84009.90 ha correspond to the optimal site's category. The two most influential variables contributed 91.70% to the model. Also, 5.53% of the total area --distributed among 9 protected areas in the Eastern and Western mountain range-- was optimal to host this species. Furthermore, it is determined that, for the normal development of the species in relation to bioclimatic variables, the threshold ranges from 4.2 to 10.40 °C and from 138 to 332 mm of precipitation, with high nitrogen re-translocation values in the soil. This study provides valuable information that will undoubtedly help Ecuadorian local populations, authorities and researchers to generate highland-ecosystem conservation actions as a climate change combat mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture is threatened by ever increasing temperatures and this trend is predicted to continue for the near and distant future. The negative impact of rising temperatures on agri-food systems is also compounded by the erratic and highly variable rainfall in most parts of southern Africa. Minimum and maximum temperatures' variability and trend analysis were undertaken using daily time series data derived from 23 meteorological stations spread across Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe. The modified Mann–Kendall and Theil–Sen slope models were used to assess temperature trends and their magnitudes. Temperature varied with location and minimum temperature was more variable than maximum temperature. Semi-arid regions had higher variation in minimum temperature compared to humid and coastal environments. The results showed an upward trend in minimum (0.01–0.83 °C over a 33–38 year period) and maximum (0.01–0.09 °C over a 38–57 year period) temperatures at 9 and15 locations, respectively. A downward trend in minimum temperature (0.03–0.20 °C over 38–41 years) occurred in South Africa at two locations and Dedza (Malawi), while a non-significant decline in maximum temperature (0.01 °C over 54 years) occurred at one location in coastal dry sub-humid Mozambique. The results confirm the increase in temperature over 33–79 years, and highlight the importance of including temperature when designing climate change adaption and mitigation strategies in southern Africa and similar environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The risk of floods has increased in South Asia due to high vulnerability and exposure. The August 2022 Pakistan flood shows a glimpse of the enormity and devastation that can further rise under the warming climate. The deluge caused by the floods in 2022, which badly hit the country's southern provinces, is incomparable to any recent events in terms of the vast spatial and temporal scale. The flood event is ranked second in human mortality, while this was the top event that displaced about 33 million people in Pakistan. Using observations and climate projections, we examine the causes and implications of the 2022 flood in Pakistan. Multiday (∼15 days) extreme precipitation on wet antecedent soil moisture conditions was the primary driver of the flood in August 2022. The extreme precipitation in August was caused by two atmospheric rivers that passed over southern Pakistan. Streamflow simulations from the multiple hydrological models show that multiday extreme precipitation was the primary driver of floods. Several flood‐affected stations experienced anomalously higher flow than the upstream stations. The 2022 Pakistan flood highlights the adaptation challenges South Asia is facing along with the substantial need for climate mitigation to reduce the risk of such events. Plain Language Summary: The Pakistan flood of 2022 received a considerable attention. However, the causes and implications of the events have not been examined. Using observations, satellite data, and reanalysis products, we show that the event was caused by multiday extreme rainfall on wet antecedent conditions. The extreme rainfall was associated with the two atmospheric rivers that transported significant moisture from the Arabian Sea. The flood was primarily driven by the extreme precipitation and other factors (glacier‐melt) played a secondary role. Extreme precipitation is projected to increase in a warming climate, which highlight the strong need of adaptation and mitigation. Key Points: The southern provinces of Pakistan received more than 350% of average precipitation in July and August based on the 2001–2021 meanExtreme precipitation event in August is associated with atmospheric riversMultiday extreme precipitation was the primary driver of floods [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Understanding and patterning the possible causal variables of global warming is attributed to the development of effective prevention and mitigation strategies for climate change. Therefore, we aimed to pattern and visualize the possible causal variables of global warming and measure the causality between them. Methods: We patterned and visualized the time series (103 years, from 1918 to 2020) of global surface temperature (GTemp) data with the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, human population (Pop), and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of South Korea using a self-organizing map (SOM) and examined the causable local feature of global warming using the Granger causality (GC) test. The time-series data were trained and mapped in 4 × 4 SOM grids, and causality networks between variables were examined using multivariate Granger test statistics. Results: SOM patterned 103 years of data, and a dominant cluster contained continuous time-series data from 2007 to 2020. Similarly, the CO2 emissions of South Korea were obtained as a predictable unidirectional causal variable for GTemp from GC analysis. Based on data from the past 34 years, significant causality (p-value = 0.01) was observed with the integrated effect of Pop, GDP, and CO2 on GTemp. Conclusion: This study patterned the time-series data using SOM and examined the causal relationship between variables using the GC test. The study framework could be used as a reference by future scholars, ecologists, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate warming is considered to be among the most serious of anthropogenic stresses to the environment, because it not only has direct effects on biodiversity, but it also exacerbates the harmful effects of other human‐mediated threats. The associated consequences are potentially severe, particularly in terms of threats to species preservation, as well as in the preservation of an array of ecosystem services provided by biodiversity. Among the most affected groups of animals are insects—central components of many ecosystems—for which climate change has pervasive effects from individuals to communities. In this contribution to the scientists' warning series, we summarize the effect of the gradual global surface temperature increase on insects, in terms of physiology, behavior, phenology, distribution, and species interactions, as well as the effect of increased frequency and duration of extreme events such as hot and cold spells, fires, droughts, and floods on these parameters. We warn that, if no action is taken to better understand and reduce the action of climate change on insects, we will drastically reduce our ability to build a sustainable future based on healthy, functional ecosystems. We discuss perspectives on relevant ways to conserve insects in the face of climate change, and we offer several key recommendations on management approaches that can be adopted, on policies that should be pursued, and on the involvement of the general public in the protection effort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in the thermal comfort condition of the living environment of human beings are one of the main concerns related to global warming. While previous studies largely focused on mean temperature and warm/cold extremes, changes in thermal comfort conditions (both comfort and discomfort conditions) have not been adequately revealed. Based on climate projections from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 6 (CMIP6), future thermal comfort conditions over global land using net effective temperature index that considers the aggregate effects of temperature, relative humidity, and wind on human thermal perception were investigated. The focus was on the projected changes in thermal comfort conditions in different regions based on gross domestic product per capita, an indicator of adaptive capacity. An inequitable impact of escalating global warming on thermal comfort conditions emerges: in high‐income regions (mostly distributed in cool mid‐high latitudes), a diminishing number of cold‐uncomfortable days and an increasing number of comfort days collectively would contribute to an improvement in thermal comfort conditions; however, in low‐income regions (mostly distributed in warmer low latitudes), thermal comfort conditions are expected to worsen as a result of a dramatic increase in the number of warm‐uncomfortable days that greatly exceeds the decrease in the number of cold‐uncomfortable days and a decrease in the number of comfortable days. Moreover, analysis accounting for population exposure suggests that the overall impact of future changes in thermal comfort conditions on the global population is negative. Therefore, prioritized support for climate mitigation and adaptation to developing nations is justified and urgently needed. Plain Language Summary: In the context of global warming, the number of warm‐uncomfortable (cold‐uncomfortable) days is expected to increase (decrease). There are various possibilities in the direction of changes in the number of comfortable days, as days that were previously comfortable may become hotter and thus uncomfortable, while days that were previously cold may become comfortable, which motivates in‐depth studies. There is also an expectation that cool regions tend to benefit in a warmer world (become more comfortable), while warmer regions are harmed (become too hot). Here we demonstrate that in presently cool mid‐high latitudes, a diminishing number of cold‐uncomfortable days and an increasing number of comfort days collectively contribute to an improvement in thermal comfort conditions; however, in the warm low latitudes, thermal comfort conditions are expected to worsen as a result of a dramatic increase in the warm‐uncomfortable days that greatly exceeds the decrease in the number of cold‐uncomfortable days and a decrease in the number of comfortable days. Given that today the wealthiest regions of the world tend to be located in mid‐high latitudes, while many of the world's poorest people live in tropical regions. Such changes in thermal comfort conditions are inequitable. Key Points: In low‐income regions, a sharp increase in warm‐uncomfortable days is projected to be accompanied by a marked decrease in comfortable daysIn high‐income regions, cold‐uncomfortable days are projected to decrease, while comfortable days are projected to increaseThis divergent response highlights the fact that developed countries should take greater responsibility in combating climate change [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change could have a significant impact on buildings if its effects are not properly recognized. The consequences of climate action should be considered at the design and maintenance planning stage, with the objective of promoting the overall durability of constructions. Portugal, being part of the Mediterranean region, Southern Europe, and the Iberian Peninsula, and sometimes highlighted in projections as a critical area, is an example of a country considerably vulnerable to climate change impacts. The climate is expected to become warmer and drier, with a substantial rise in temperature and fall in precipitation by the end of the century. What implications will these changes have on the degradation of façades? Climate agents, such as temperature, solar radiation, humidity, precipitation, and wind, directly influence the performance of external claddings that protect internal building components. Cement render is the prevalent façade cladding in Portugal and Europe. Research to assess the risks of future climate-induced degradation on rendered façades is relevant in the context of buildings' durability and adaptation to climate change. The objective of the present research was to define expectations about the impact of a progressively warmer and drier climate on the degradation of exterior cement renders, based on an analysis of related literature. Generally, less staining and more cracking are expected. Expectations about salt weathering and loss of adhesion are more uncertain and need further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 21st century is the century of environmental sustainability and the fight against climate change. Climate change will condition public policies and private actions throughout the world to achieve the objective of reducing emissions enhanced in international agreements (Kyoto, Paris). The objective of this article is to carry out a review of the already verified effects of climate change in the Mediterranean region, as well as the adaptation and mitigation measures in the short-medium term to face global warming, such as the adaptation of urban spaces (local scale), and the improvement of teaching about this phenomenon. According to the 2030 Agenda, the Sustainable Development Goals, specifically n.13 ("Action for the climate"), it establishes two main actions that countries must complete by 2030: the approval of laws and mitigation and adaptation plans, and the implementation of educational programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Brasileira de Pesquisa em Turismo is the property of Associacao Nacional de Pesquisa e Pos-Graduacao em Turismo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Forests play a crucial role in fighting climate change by acting as carbon vacuum cleaners, absorbing and storing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Forest edges, which are areas where forests meet grasslands or roads, can store more carbon than the forest interior due to increased sunlight and warmth. Forest edges are becoming more prevalent due to forest fragmentation caused by human activities. Protecting small forest patches and planting new forests, even small ones, is essential in maximizing carbon storage and combating climate change. [Extracted from the article]

Climate change is a potent threat to human society, biodiversity, and ecosystem stability. Yet a 2021 Gallup poll found that only 43% of Americans see climate change as a serious threat over their lifetimes. In this study, we analyze college biology textbook coverage of climate change from 1970 to 2019. We focus on four aspects for content analysis: 1) the amount of coverage, determined by counting the number of sentences within the climate change passage, 2) the start location of the passage in the book, 3) the categorization of sentences as addressing a description of the greenhouse effect, impacts of global warming, or actions to ameliorate climate change, and 4) the presentation of data in figures. We analyzed 57 textbooks. Our findings show that coverage of climate change has continually increased, although the greatest increase occurred during the 1990s despite the growing threats of climate change. The position of the climate change passage moved further back in the book, from the last 15% to the last 2.5% of pages. Over time, coverage shifted from a description of the greenhouse effect to focus mostly on effects of climate change; the most addressed impact was shifting ecosystems. Sentences dedicated to actionable solutions to climate change peaked in the 1990s at over 15% of the passage, then decreased in recent decades to 3%. Data figures present only global temperatures and CO2 levels prior to the year 2000, then include photographic evidence and changes to species distributions after 2000. We hope this study will alert curriculum designers and instructors to consider implicit messages communicated in climate change lessons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding landowners' willingness to act on climate change is important for effective climate policy. This study investigates the determinants of Finnish non-industrial private forest owners' preferences for alternative climate change mitigation strategies related to forests and wood use. The study tests hypotheses concerning the role of risk perception and political leaning for the support of seven alternative strategies with varying degree of disruption to the current logic of commercial forestry in Finland, which further aligns with the temporal delay in the impact of climate change mitigation strategies that landowners are willing to accept. Based on 887 survey responses from three regions, the study finds that forest owners generally support all but one of the seven strategies: reduced harvest. Results from ordinal logistic regression models further indicate that along with socio-demographic determinants, higher perceived risk and left-wing leaning with a university degree explain support for more disruptive strategies with more immediate mitigation impact (increased conservation, reduced harvest), while lower perceived risk and right-wing leaning without a university degree tend to associate with support for the less disruptive strategies (intensified management, increased harvest), both of which arguably sideline the urgency of climate action. In the highly politicized matter of harvest levels in Finland, the study also finds that right-wing leaning may negate the effect of higher education, which otherwise predicts greater support for more disruptive strategies. Implications for policy at the climate-forest nexus are derived. • Preferences of forest owners for mitigation strategies in forests were investigated. • Ordinal logistic regression with 887 survey responses was used. • Forest owners support all but one of the seven strategies: reduced harvest. • High perceived risk and left-wing leaning explain support for strengthening sinks. • Political leaning influences effect of higher education on support for strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global terrestrial vegetation dynamics have been rapidly altered by climate change. A widespread vegetation greenness over a large part of the planet from the 1980s to early this century has been reported, whereas weakening of CO2 fertilization effects and increasing climate extremes and the adverse impact of increasing rate of warming and severity of drought on vegetation growth were also reported. Earth system models project that the land carbon sink will decrease in size in response to an increase in warming during this century. How global vegetation is changing during this century in response to global warming and water availability across spatial and temporal scales remains uncertain. Our understanding of the widespread vegetation greening or browning processes and identifying the biogeochemical mechanisms remain incomplete. Here we use multiple long‐term satellite leaf area index (LAI) records to investigate vegetation growth trends from 1982 to 2018. We find that the widespread increase of growing‐season integrated LAI (greening) since 1980s was reversed (p‐value < 0.05) around the year 2000 over 90% of the global vegetated area, and continued in only 10% of the global vegetated area. The reversal of greening trend was largely explained by the inhibitive effects of excessive optimal temperature on photosynthesis in most of the tropics and low latitudes, and by increasing water limitation (increasing in atmospheric vapor pressure deficit and decreasing in soil water availability) in the northern high latitudes (>45°N). Overall, the reversal of greening trend since 2000 weakened the negative feedback of carbon sequestration on the climatic system and should be considered in the strategies for climate warming mitigation and adaptation. Our findings of the diversity of processes that drive browning across bioclimatic‐zones and ecosystems and of how those driving processes are changing would enhance our ability to project global future vegetation change and its climatic and abiotic consequences. Plain Language Summary: A widespread vegetation greenness over a large part of the planet from the 1980s to early this century has been reported, whereas weakening of CO2 fertilization effects and increasing climate extremes and the adverse impact of increasing rate of warming and severity of drought on vegetation growth were also reported. We find that the widespread increase of growing‐season integrated LAI (greening) since 1980s was reversed (p‐value < 0.05) around year 2000 over 90% of the global vegetated area, and continued in only 10% of the global vegetated area. The reversal of greening trend was largely explained by the negative influence of excessive air temperature on photosynthesis of vegetation growth in most of the tropics and low latitudes, and by increasing in atmospheric vapor pressure deficit and decreasing in soil water availability in the northern high latitudes (>45°N). Our findings of the diversity of browning mechanisms across bioclimatic‐zones and ecosystems are useful for projecting global future vegetation change and its climatic and abiotic consequences. Key Points: The widespread increase of vegetation greening trend since 1980s was reversed around the year 2000 over 90% of the global vegetated areaThe leveling off of global greenness arisen from recent exceeding optimal temperature and increasing water limitation for photosynthesisOur findings of the diversity of browning mechanisms are useful for projecting global future vegetation change and its climatic consequences [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Space & Society / Tér és Társadalom is the property of Centre for Economic & Regional Studies, Hungarian Academy of Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article is an editorial that discusses the importance of wetlands and the need to protect them from climate change and human disturbances. Wetlands provide essential ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, flood mitigation, and water purification. However, local communities have limited knowledge about wetlands, which hinders conservation efforts. The article also highlights recent research on the effects of climate change and human disturbances on wetland functions and biochemical processes, including carbon and nitrogen cycling. The findings contribute to a better understanding of wetland management and restoration strategies. [Extracted from the article]

Oil and gas exploration in Nigeria has contributed to global warming and climate change. The growing global impact of climate change and the need for resilience demand action to reform the impact thereof. This article reviews policy responses to reform climate change and global warming in Nigeria in light of oil exploration and gas flaring in the Niger Delta region. A desktop study of related literature, drawn from repositories such as SCOPUS, Google Scholar, and Web of Science, provided policy responses such as the Climate Change Act 2021, the implementation of the Nigeria Gas Flare Commercialisation Programme, and other gas utilisation programmes by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company, the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, and other global commitments to end gas flaring by 2030. The article reviews the provisions of climate change mitigation in these policy responses and how it was implemented in Nigeria. The review revealed the need for more commitment from Nigeria to various international agreements on climate change. It, therefore, recommends, among others, a better utilisation of gas from its oil-rich regions to meet the nation's power-generation need and other needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Gestión y Ambiente is the property of Universidad Nacional de Colombia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) is vital for mitigating climate change and meeting commitments to international agreements such as the COP 21 Paris Agreement of 2015. Agriculture is reported to account for approximately 11 percent of total global GHG emissions such that: the agricultural sector has an important role to play in meeting climate change mitigation objectives. However, there is currently little consensus on how farm management and interventions, along with interactions with in-field variability, such as soil type, affect the production and assimilation of GHGs in arable crop lands. Practical recommendations for farmers are often vague or generalised, and models (e.g. on the amount of nitrogen fertiliser applied) are used despite limited understanding of the influence of local conditions, such as the importance of soil type. Here, we report the findings of a systematic map of the evidence relating to the impact on GHG flux from the in-field management of arable land in temperate regions. Methods: We searched for, collated and catalogued research relating to the effects of in-field arable farming practices in temperate systems on GHG emissions. Results from 6 bibliographic databases, a web-based search engine and organisational websites were combined with evidence from stakeholders. Duplicates were removed and the results were then screened for relevance at title and abstract, and full-text levels according to a predefined set of eligibility criteria (following consistency checking). Relevant studies were then coded and their meta-data extracted and used to populate a systematic map database describing each study's settings, methods and measured outcomes. Results: The mapping process identified 538 relevant studies from 351 articles. Nearly all of these (96%) were found from traditional research papers, with 42% from European countries and nearly half (203 studies) lasting for 12 months or less. Over half of all studies (55%) investigated multiple interventions with chemical fertiliser (n = 100), tillage (n = 70), and organic fertiliser (n = 30) the most frequently studied single intervention types. When combining individually studied and multiple interventions, the top three intervention types most frequently studied were: chemical fertiliser (n = 312); organic fertiliser (n = 176) and tillage (n = 158). Nitrous oxide was the most commonly studied outcome, with over double the number of studies compared to carbon dioxide, the next most studied outcome. Sandy loam and silty loam were the most commonly studied soils but there was a good distribution of studies across other types. However, studies predominately focused on humid sub-tropical (Cfa) and temperate oceanic (Cfb) climates, with hot summer Mediterranean (CSa) and warm summer Mediterranean (Csb) climate zones less represented. Conclusions: The mapping process identified clusters of research for chemical and organic fertiliser especially in relation to nitrous oxide emissions and for both carbon dioxide and nitrous dioxide in relation to tillage. Therefore, there is potential for further synthesis for these interventions. The spread of research across soil textures and in the humid sub-tropical and temperate oceanic climates may enable further synthesis to provide tailored in-field advice for farmers and provide an evidence base to inform subsidies policy. However, smaller amounts of research relating to biochar, cover crops, crop rotation, and nitrogen inhibitors highlight gaps where further research would be beneficial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Climate change is the biggest global health threat and also the greatest health opportunity of the 21st century. Five warmest years among the last 140 years occurred between 2015 and 2019. Limited information is available regarding the knowledge and practices of medical students towards climate change, especially in India. Settings and Design: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in two medical colleges of Karimnagar city from January 2021 to July 2021 involving MBBS and Post-graduate students as study participants. Methods and Material: 903 undergraduate and post-graduate medical students who consented for the study were included. A pre-structured questionnaire was used. Statistical Analysis Used: Data is presented in frequencies and proportions with 95% confidence interval and Chi-square test is used as test of significance. Results: Poor knowledge regarding Sustainable Developmental Goal for climate action, Organisations dealing climate change and Government actions towards climate change were observed among study participants. Cardiovascular and respiratory diseases (84%) were answered as the major health impacts of climate change. Majority (97.4%) of the participants agreed that 'human actions are also the cause for global warming'. Environment-friendly practices were observed significantly high among participants with adequate knowledge. Major (72%) source of learning about climate change was via internet. Conclusions: Our study found that major proportion of participants doesn't have environment-friendly practices. However, the participants with adequate knowledge about climate change were observed to have more eco-friendly practices compared to participants with inadequate knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent articles have demonstrated the knowledge and accuracy of oil corporations' predictions made since the 1950s on the effects of their products on the global environment. But can the early relationship between oil corporations and national governments and lack of climate actions by both actors count as ecocide? If so, should remedial strategies appeal to freer markets for oil or greater state regulation? Cast within the wide context of investigating the collusion at play between powerful political-economic actors and decision-makers as monopolists and debates about 'the modern corporation and private property' (Berle and Means, 1932/2017), 'the new industrial state' (Galbraith, 1967), and 'the economic theory of regulation' (Stigler, 1971), the paper reviews the contentious relationship between states, corporations, and markets. Specifically, the article probes strategies of oil corporations and national governments intended to delay the inclusion of environmental concerns in policies and avoid accountability. Our method of content analysis of articles, reports, and international declarations of different actors and periods relies on a qualitative methodology and ontology of critical realism. We find that not only did oil corporations hide the truth, but also that national governments, that knew (or should have known) about the threat posed by oil industrial activities and which have wider responsibilities than corporations, did not act and are (at least) as responsible and as 'ecocidal' in what could be called an oil TNC-state alliance. Accordingly, we open the avenues for redressing an evolutionary shift from markets and states to commons, and embedding power within communities (Polanyi, 1945) along with a more universal right to bring a case of ecocide against both transnational oil corporations and states that collude with them. • National governments were, as shareholders of oil companies, potentially aware of global warming before the 1970s. • There is a lack of accountability of transnational companies and national governments for the current environmental crisis. • Local communities affected by oil activities need more support to bring their cases to oil companies' home country. • The absence of constraining and applicable rules stems from a lack of political independence and will. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Mediterranean forests, many species of fungi produce fruiting bodies every autumn, some of which are of great social and economic interest as NTFPs. In addition, these fungi are an essential part of the biodiversity network that ensures the proper functioning of natural ecosystems and that is currently in check due to global change. Therefore, understanding the biogeographic patterns of species-specific fungal productivity is fundamental to anticipate possible changes in the socioeconomic value of our forests and to understand the role they play in the functioning of ecosystems in terms of mitigation and adaptation to climate change. In this study we estimate the future impact of climate change (in Catalonia region, between 2023 and 2100) on five fungal species with high socioeconomic interest in a broad bioclimatic gradient representative of the Mediterranean basin using high resolution at the landscape scale. To achieve this, we use predictive models based on machine learning algorithms and a fungal database resulting from the sampling of more than 100 permanent sampling plots over 20 years. We estimate that current and future productivity patterns differ among species, under different climate change scenarios and bioclimatic regions. Our results suggest that optimal productivity areas may be shifted to higher elevations, making those species with higher productivity at higher elevations the most affected by climate change. This would mean that some species with high socioeconomic value, such as Lactarius deliciosus and Boletus edulis , could be negatively affected in their total productivity in the study area. This study highlights the need to anticipate the potential effects of climate change on fungal productivity and in particular on high socioeconomic value species and to develop management policies oriented to maintain the important role of fungi in natural ecosystems. • We used random forest to assess biogeographical patterns in edible fungal species productivity. • Climate change will reduce annual productivity of high-elevation mushroom species. • Lower and mid-range elevation species may shift fruiting optima to higher elevations. • Climate change may reduce Lactarius deliciosus and Boletus edulis production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The equilibrium climate sensitivity (ECS) of the CMIP6 global circulation models (GCMs) varies from 1.83°C to 5.67°C. Herein, 38 GCMs are grouped into three ECS classes (low, 1.80–3.00°C; medium, 3.01–4.50°C; high, 4.51–6.00°C) and compared against the ERA5‐T2m records from 1980–1990 to 2011–2021. We found that all models with ECS > 3.0°C overestimate the observed global surface warming and that spatial t‐statistics rejects the data‐model agreement over 60% (using low‐ECS GCMs) to 81% (using high‐ECS GCMs) of the Earth's surface. Thus, the high and medium‐ECS GCMs are unfit for prediction purposes. The low‐ECS GCMs are not fully satisfactory yet, but they are also found unalarming because by 2050 they predict a moderate warming (ΔTpreindustrial→2050 ≲ 2°C). Plain Language Summary: The last‐generation Coupled Model Intercomparison Projects (CMIP6) global circulation models (GCMs) are used by scientists and policymakers to interpret past and future climatic changes and to determine appropriate (adaptation or mitigation) policies to optimally address scenario‐related climate‐change hazards. However, these models are affected by large uncertainties. For example, their equilibrium climate sensitivity (ECS) varies from 1.83°C to 5.67°C, which makes their 21st‐century predicted warming levels very uncertain. This issue is here addressed by testing the GCMs' global and local performance in predicting the 1980–2021 warming rates against the ERA5‐T2m records and by grouping them into three equilibrium climate sensitivity (ECS) classes (low‐ECS, 1.80–3.00°C; medium‐ECS, 3.01–4.50°C; high‐ECS, 4.51–6.00°C). We found that: (a) all models with ECS > 3.0°C overestimate the observed global surface warming; (b) Student t‐tests show model failure over 60% (low‐ECS) to 81% (high‐ECS) of the Earth's surface. Thus, the high and medium‐ECS GCMs do not appear to be consistent with the observations and should not be used for implementing policies based on their scenario forecasts. The low‐ECS GCMs perform better, although not optimally; however, they are also found unalarming because for the next decades they predict moderate warming: ΔTpreindustrial→2050 ≲ 2°C. Key Points: The Coupled Model Intercomparison Projects, global circulation models (GCMs) are very different from each other; their equilibrium climate sensitivity (ECS) large range needs to be greatly constrained for scientific and policy purposesWe group the GCMs into three classes with low, medium, and high ECS; we test them against the ERA5‐T2m records using spatial t‐statisticsWe found that the high and medium‐ECS GCMs run too hot; the low‐ECS GCMs are not optimal yet, but also unalarming for the future [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]