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The agriculture sector can contribute to climate change mitigation by reducing its own greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, sequestering carbon in vegetation and soils, and providing biomass to substitute for fossil fuels and other GHG‐intensive products. The sector also needs to address water, soil, and biodiversity impacts caused by historic and current practices. Emerging EU policies create incentives for cultivation of perennial plants that provide biomass along with environmental benefits. One such option, common in northern Europe, is to include grass in rotations with annual crops to provide biomass while remediating soil organic carbon (SOC) losses and other environmental impacts. Here, we apply a spatially explicit model on >81,000 sub‐watersheds in EU27 + UK (Europe) to explore the effects of widespread deployment of such systems. Based on current accumulated SOC losses in individual sub‐watersheds, the model identifies and quantifies suitable areas for increased grass cultivation and corresponding biomass‐ and protein supply, SOC sequestration, and reductions in nitrogen emissions to water as well as wind and water erosion. The model also provides information about possible flood mitigation. The results indicate a substantial climate mitigation potential, with combined annual GHG savings from soil‐carbon sequestration and displacement of natural gas with biogas from grass‐based biorefineries, equivalent to 13%–48% of current GHG emissions from agriculture in Europe. The environmental co‐benefits are also notable, in some cases exceeding the estimated mitigation needs. Yield increases for annual crops in modified rotations mitigate the displacement effect of increasing grass cultivation. If the grass is used as feedstock in lieu of annual crops, the displacement effect can even be negative, that is, a reduced need for annual crop production elsewhere. Incentivizing widespread deployment will require supportive policy measures as well as new uses of grass biomass, for example, as feedstock for green biorefineries producing protein concentrate, biofuels, and other bio‐based products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We examine the impacts of personal social capital and national carbon dependency on citizens' response to climate change in 22 European countries. • We utilize individual-level data from the 2016 European Social Survey and corresponding country-level data from multiple sources. • We conduct multilevel regression for analyses. • People with higher social capital are more likely to have climate-mitigation behavioral intention and show support for climate policy. • Greater national carbon dependency tends to inhibit public response to climate change. Climate change is one of the most challenging issues facing the world today, and it is important to have effective policies to address its impact. One critical factor in shaping climate policy is public response to climate change. In this study, we theoretically and empirically focus on examining the impacts of personal social capital and national carbon dependency on citizens' response to climate change in 22 European countries. Utilizing individual-level data from the 2016 European Social Survey and corresponding country-level data from multiple sources, we conduct multilevel regression analyses. Findings show that in these 22 European countries people with higher social capital are more likely to have climate-mitigation behavioral intention and show support for climate policy, while greater national carbon dependency tends to inhibit public response to climate change. We conclude by discussing this study's contributions to the literature and policy implications and offer suggestions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change and CO 2 emissions intertwine corporations and society in current political, social, environmental, and economic debates, specifically in Europe. The climate action plan formulated by the European Commission aims to achieve net zero emissions through eco-innovation by 2050. The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of the European eco-innovation index on CO 2 emissions produced by European firms. Using a dataset of 735 firms from 17 European countries listed during 2010–2018, we found a significant negative association between the country-level eco-innovation index and CO 2 emissions directly produced by the European firms. We also found a significant negative association between the eco-innovation index and indirect CO 2 emissions produced by the value chain of these firms. The results provide evidence that via eco-innovation, supportive steps taken by European countries provide a conducive environment for the European firms to adopt eco-innovative strategies that significantly reduce their direct and indirect CO 2 emissions per dollar of their corporate assets and make their value chains eco-friendly. The results also reveal that financial development brings in some environmental monitoring that cultivates a supportive culture for the corporations to promote corporate efforts to reduce CO 2 emissions. • The first study that uses an eco-innovation index, based on 5 dimensions, developed by the European Commission. • We find a negative impact of country-level eco-innovation on the reduction in direct and indirect corporate CO 2 emissions. • Eco-innovation initiatives taken by the European countries are helping European firms in reducing their CO 2 emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We predict climate change hotspots and coldspots based on climate change velocity in Europe. • Velocities are projected highest in the Continental region, lowest in the Mediterranean region. • The Alpine region will likely contain largest areal proportions of hotspots, the Mediterranean region largest proportions of coldspots. • Natura 2000 area overlapping with hotspots is largest in the Alpine region, with coldspots much smaller in any region. • The outcomes suggest climate-smart conservation prioritization across Europe and the Natura 2000 network. Anthropogenic climate change is challenging biodiversity conservation worldwide. Climate change metrics derived from future climate predictions help to assess potential impacts of climate change on biodiversity. Here we calculated future climate change velocities across biogeographical regions of terrestrial Europe and the Natura 2000 protected area network, the largest protected area network on Earth. We applied climate projections for the year 2070, considering two emission scenarios, six global climate models and a fine spatial resolution. Areas with very high climate change velocity were identified as climate change hotspots, while areas with very low velocity were recognized as coldspots. We further revealed where and to what extent climate change hotspots and coldspots coincide with Natura 2000 sites. We found that climate change velocities are projected highest in the Continental and Boreal regions, and lowest in the Mediterranean and Anatolian regions. However, the Alpine region will likely contain largest areal proportions of climate change hotspots, while areal proportions of coldspots are projected largest in the Mediterranean region. High mountain regions such as the Alps show a high proportion of Natura 2000 sites that coincide with climate change hotspots. Both, hotspots and coldspots, are geographically associated with areas of topographic diversity. Low topographical diversity indicates high climate change exposure. The impact of hotspots increases with spatial isolation. Oceanic climate buffers climate change exposure in contrast to continental climate. However, continental regions of Europe tend to exhibit less spatial isolation. We recommend conservation action in climate change hotspots and coldspots to simultaneously protect the most climate-exposed biodiversity as well as climate change refugia. Climate change hotspots and coldspots overlapping with Natura 2000 sites should be considered priority conservation sites because new protected areas are hard to realize in densely populated landscapes of Europe. This study directs European conservation management and policy towards meeting international conservation goals in a climate-smart way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Spatially disaggregated analysis of macroeconomic effects of precipitation anomalies. • Dynamic expectation formation of economic agents on the anticipated climate norm. • Abnormal precipitation shortages and surpluses lower regional growth rates in Europe. • Prevailing climate conditions and economic structure moderate effect sizes. • Economic costs of climate change should include impacts of precipitation variability. Linkages between hydroclimate variability and economic development are often theorized to be present only in developing economies. Using spatially small-scaled data from multiple decades for European regions, we examine the relationship between precipitation anomalies and economic performance in highly developed economic systems. We conduct a disaggregated empirical analysis to mitigate the bias potentially arising from spatial aggregation because precipitation realizations tend to vary drastically within larger sized economic units. We modify original precipitation indices to capture the dynamic expectation formation of economic agents about climate conditions to measure deviations from these anticipated environmental states. Using panel model regressions in a quasi-experimental research design, we analyse whether deviations from average growth rates of aggregated economic output are potentially non-linearly related to the magnitude of precipitation deviations from the anticipated climate norm within regions, after accounting for any shocks common to all regions. We find that precipitation deviations that exceed critical thresholds (intermediate anomalies) for both unusually dry and unusually wet years reduce regional growth rates. The adverse impacts are more pronounced for overly dry periods. Importantly, the relationship between economic growth and precipitation anomalies is not generalizable across all regions. Natural geographical circumstances such as prevailing climatic conditions ("first-nature" geographies) and human-made socio-economic factors such as sector structure and income level ("second-nature" geographies) moderate the anomaly response. The empirical findings substantiate the necessity to incorporate precipitation variability into the assessment of economic costs of climate change; not only in developing countries or agricultural societies but also in highly developed economic systems. Moreover, the empirical results have important implications for policy makers as uneven effect sizes at the subnational level suggest that policy measures should be targeted in space and coordinated between national and regional levels of government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]