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The risks of climate change are enormous, threatening the lives and livelihoods of millions to billions of people. The economic consequences of many of the complex risks associated with climate change cannot, however, currently be quantified. Here we argue that these unquantified, poorly understood and often deeply uncertain risks can and should be included in economic evaluations and decision-making processes. We present an overview of these unquantified risks and an ontology of them founded on the reasons behind their lack of robust evaluation. These consist of risks missing owing to delays in sharing knowledge and expertise across disciplines, spatial and temporal variations of climate impacts, feedbacks and interactions between risks, deep uncertainty in our knowledge, and currently unidentified risks. We highlight collaboration needs within and between the natural and social science communities to address these gaps. We also provide an approach for integrating assessments or speculations of these risks in a way that accounts for interdependencies, avoids double counting and makes assumptions clear. Multiple paths exist for engaging with these missing risks, with both model-based quantification and non-model-based qualitative assessments playing crucial roles. A wide range of climate impacts are understudied or challenging to quantify, and are missing from current evaluations of the climate risks to lives and livelihoods. Strong interdisciplinary collaboration and deeper engagement with uncertainty is needed to properly inform policymakers and the public about climate risks., (© 2022. Springer Nature Limited.)

China has been the world's largest emitter of carbon dioxide since 2006. To achieve the goal of carbon neutrality by 2060, social scientists must become involved in China's deep decarbonization process. However, Chinese social scientists have given little attention to climate change in their bibliometric research. Based on the Chinese Social Sciences Citation Index journal catalog of the four essential social sciences, namely, management, economics, politics, and sociology, we used the China National Knowledge Infrastructure database to quantify the extent to which Chinese social scientists are concerned about climate change. The results showed that from 1978 to 2020, 1179 articles on climate change were published in management, economics, politics, and sociology journals, which represented only 26.8% of the 4397 articles published on pollution in the same journals. Politics journals published the most articles (38.76%), while sociology journals published the fewest (2.37%). Thus, Chinese social scientists rarely considered climate change, mainly because this topic remains controversial in some fields and because of the influence of international politics in addition to the promotion and incentive mechanisms for researchers. We analyzed the keywords and evolution of climate change research in the four social sciences and our results show that social scientists should give greater emphasis to climate change in their research., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

As a common concern of humankind, the governance of coastal and marine ecosystems is increasingly coming to the fore of the international community as part of the joint response to climate change. Since the signing of the Declaration of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea several decades ago, the international community has been exploring how international law can be improved in this respect. At present, the governance and international law of coastal and marine ecosystems in response to climate change are studied from theoretical and methodological perspectives. Extensive empirical studies help pinpoint specific issues related to each topic and provide valuable empirical references for both developed and developing countries. Based on social science publications, the authors use technical means to visualize research related to this topic, and conduct comprehensive reviews of these papers. They reveal that research based on these topics started late and is characterized by fragmentation. The research potential related to mentioned topic has yet to be explored extensively., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Estimates of global economic damage caused by carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions can inform climate policy 1-3 . The social cost of carbon (SCC) quantifies these damages by characterizing how additional CO 2 emissions today impact future economic outcomes through altering the climate 4-6 . Previous estimates have suggested that large, warming-driven increases in energy expenditures could dominate the SCC 7,8 , but they rely on models 9-11 that are spatially coarse and not tightly linked to data 2,3,6,7,12,13 . Here we show that the release of one ton of CO 2 today is projected to reduce total future energy expenditures, with most estimates valued between -US$3 and -US$1, depending on discount rates. Our results are based on an architecture that integrates global data, econometrics and climate science to estimate local damages worldwide. Notably, we project that emerging economies in the tropics will dramatically increase electricity consumption owing to warming, which requires critical infrastructure planning. However, heating reductions in colder countries offset this increase globally. We estimate that 2099 annual global electricity consumption increases by about 4.5 exajoules (7 per cent of current global consumption) per one-degree-Celsius increase in global mean surface temperature (GMST), whereas direct consumption of other fuels declines by about 11.3 exajoules (7 per cent of current global consumption) per one-degree-Celsius increase in GMST. Our finding of net savings contradicts previous research 7,8 , because global data indicate that many populations will remain too poor for most of the twenty-first century to substantially increase energy consumption in response to warming. Importantly, damage estimates would differ if poorer populations were given greater weight 14 ., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

This article introduces a new dataset on the climate change adaptation activities of international organizations (IOs). While climate change adaptation has been studied at the local level and in the context of major climate organizations, such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, we provide a first quantitative dataset on non-environmental IOs that can be linked to different social scientific datasets relevant for adaptation. Our new dataset contains information on the governance activities of 30 IOs from 1990 to 2017. Based on this dataset, we introduce different types of adaptation-related activities and develop a quantitative measure of IOs' climate adaptation engagement. We map the adaptation engagement of the 30 IOs across organizations, across issue areas, and over time. This dataset can be used to compare adaptation activities across and within IOs, but also as an empirical foundation for the emerging research field of global adaptation governance, for which IO climate change adaptation activities are relevant., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Human factors, including contact structure, movement, impact on the environment and patterns of behaviour, can have significant influence on the emergence of novel infectious diseases and the transmission and amplification of established ones. As anthropogenic climate change alters natural systems and global economic forces drive land-use and land-cover change, it becomes increasingly important to understand both the ecological and social factors that impact infectious disease outcomes for human populations. While the field of disease ecology explicitly studies the ecological aspects of infectious disease transmission, the effects of the social context on zoonotic pathogen spillover and subsequent human-to-human transmission are comparatively neglected in the literature. The social sciences encompass a variety of disciplines and frameworks for understanding infectious diseases; however, here we focus on four primary areas of social systems that quantitatively and qualitatively contribute to infectious diseases as social-ecological systems. These areas are social mixing and structure, space and mobility, geography and environmental impact, and behaviour and behaviour change. Incorporation of these social factors requires empirical studies for parametrization, phenomena characterization and integrated theoretical modelling of social-ecological interactions. The social-ecological system that dictates infectious disease dynamics is a complex system rich in interacting variables with dynamically significant heterogeneous properties. Future discussions about infectious disease spillover and transmission in human populations need to address the social context that affects particular disease systems by identifying and measuring qualitatively important drivers.This article is part of the themed issue 'Opening the black box: re-examining the ecology and evolution of parasite transmission'., (© 2017 The Author(s).)

Background: Addressing climate change and its associated effects is a multi-dimensional and ongoing challenge. This includes recognizing that climate change will affect the health and wellbeing of all populations over short and longer terms, albeit in varied ways and intensities. That recognition has drawn attention to the need to take adaptive actions to lessen adverse impacts over the next few decades from unavoidable climate change, particularly in developing country settings. A range of sectors is responsible for appropriate adaptive policies and measures to address the health risks of climate change, including health services, water and sanitation, trade, agriculture, disaster management, and development., Objectives: To broaden the framing of governance and decision-making processes by using innovative methods and assessments to illustrate the multi-sectoral nature of health-related adaptation to climate change. This is a shift from sector-specific to multi-level systems encompassing sectors and actors, across temporal and spatial scales., Design: A review and synthesis of the current knowledge in the areas of health and climate change adaptation governance and decision-making processes., Results: A novel framework is presented that incorporates social science insights into the formulation and implementation of adaptation activities and policies to lessen the health risks posed by climate change., Conclusion: Clarification of the roles that different sectors, organizations, and individuals occupy in relation to the development of health-related adaptation strategies will facilitate the inclusion of health and wellbeing within multi-sector adaptation policies, thereby strengthening the overall set of responses to minimize the adverse health effects of climate change.

Aquaculture technology is on the move, enabling production in more open and exposed ocean environments around the world. These new systems offer solutions to environmental challenges facing conventional aquaculture, yet new technologies also create new social challenges while potentially exacerbating, or at minimum recreating, others. Offshore aquaculture research and governance are still in early stages, as is our understanding of the social repercussions and challenges associated with development. This paper provides an evaluation and reflection on offshore aquaculture from a social science perspective and is based on findings from a modified World Cafe' group discussion method including the thoughts and experiences of social science experts. Key challenges and uncertainties including a lack of an appropriate regulatory framework, societal perceptions of offshore aquaculture, and offshore aquaculture's contribution to society were identified. The governance implications of these challenges are discussed as well as the need for social sciences to address these challenges through transformative and transdisciplinary approaches that bridge science and society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives The purpose of the paper is to indicate the scope and role of the most important environmental factors in contemporary socio-economic development. Material and methods A critical analysis of the literature was used to achieve the goal, the conclusions were formulated based on the induction method. Results The risk of a global crisis caused by the degradation of the natural environment is increasing. There are political solutions that make it possible to embark on a path of development that allows to reduce the risk of destruction of the environment, but their application is met with social resistance. Conclusions Adapting societies to the requirements of nature requires a change in habits and is costly. As a result, the propensity to make an effort is low. At the same time, a new approach to the economy, taking into account socio-economic and environmental needs, can be a strong stimulus for development for countries that embark on this path at the right time. This also applies to Poland.

Objectives The aim of this article is to analyse the impact of climate change on broadly understood global security and to provide recommendations for further research on this issue. Material and methods For the purposes of this study, the basic research method used was a review of the literature and the results of the latest research on global warming, its causes, and impact on various aspects of the functioning of societies and states. The descriptive analysis method was also used. Results The greatest security threat resulting from climate change is that much of it is not yet known. It cannot be ruled out that the critical point of climate change has already been exceeded, and the effects of this Conclusions The only solution seems to be to prepare for more frequent and intense weather extremes and to change the perception of what is a climate anomaly and what is the norm. Holistic research should also be carried out on the impact of climate change on the human security environment, both in social and biological terms. Such research should take into account all possible, even not yet existing, variables.

Purpose – This paper aims to assess the economic impacts of the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) on Vietnam. Design/methodology/approach – We constructed a general equilibrium model to assess the economic impacts of the CBAM on the macroeconomic indicators of Vietnam. We also constructed a generic partial equilibrium model to provide a zoomed-in view of the impact on each group of CBAM-targeted commodities, which is not possible in the general equilibrium model. Both the general equilibrium and the partial equilibrium models were calibrated with publicly available data and a high number of value sets of hyperparameters to estimate the variations of the estimated impacts. Findings – The results suggest that the current form of the EU’s CBAM is unlikely to produce substantial effects on the overall economy of Vietnam, mainly because the commodities affected by it represent a small portion of Vietnam’s exports. However, at the sectoral level, the CBAM can reduce production outputs and export values of steel, aluminium, and cement. Social implications – The CBAM by itself may not lead to significant decreases in greenhouse gas emissions, but it could provide a rationale for implementing carbon pricing strategies, which might result in more significant economic effects and help in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This highlights the necessity of supplementary policies to tackle global climate change. Originality/value – We constructed economic models to evaluate the impacts of the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism on Vietnam, both at the macroeconomic level and zooming in on directly impacted groups of commodities.

This article outlines the development, evolution, and implementation of an ecological justice advanced practice curriculum for Master of Social Work students at the University of Denver, USA. This work began in 2011 and continues to evolve to meet student needs and societal pressures. Key ingredients in the success of this program have been critical leadership support, gathering of expertise, maintaining a critical eye toward emerging social, natural, and physical sciences, and a university and profession that provides an implicit curriculum supportive of preparing university students for a precarious future. The social work profession is responding to global environmental change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Media Education is crucial in the digital age, yet educational interventions often remain fragmented and ineffective. This article presents a new approach to Media Education by adopting multimodal discourse analysis (MDA) as a research-action tool in schools. Specifically, it describes the objectives, methodologies, and results of a PCTO project entitled “Media Education and Active Citizenship 4.0” conducted between 2021 and 2024 with 200 high school students. This contribution illustrates how this methodology was employed to analyze discourse on climate change in the media, presented as a case study. The results show that while many students often reproduce the alarming media frame typical of multimodal discourse on climate change, MDA has enabled them to analytically process communicative strategies and create alternative representations. Despite the need for a more accessible metalanguage, the findings confirm the effectiveness of MDA in Media Education practices.

Global climate change has placed the region at the centre of geopolitics, as melting Arctic sea ice transforms it from a predominantly scientific interest to a contest of national security claims, commercial interests and environmental concerns, with profound implications for both the international legal and political systems. The Arctic environment is an area of common concern requiring collective behaviour by all, including Russia and India.Aim. Examine environmental issues in the Arctic policies of Russia and India, and find common ground in Arctic cooperation on climate change.Tasks. Identify existing problems and propose recommendations to address them.Methods. To solve the problems set in the study, the author uses such methods as statistical analysis, method of document analysis, discourse analysis of speeches of political leaders of Russia and India. Results. The issues of the climate agenda of Russia and India are considered. Unlike Russia, the Indian side has problems in implementing its state policy on climate change. Sharing experience in effective financing of environmental programmes, disaster risk management and information exchange are areas of potential cooperation in the context of climate change. Despite the geopolitical changes taking place around the world, Russia-India cooperation has not been interrupted, but has remained at the same level and has great potential.Conclusions. Ensuring the environmental security of Russia and India is an integral part of the policies of the two states. As the data presented in this paper show, the states have similar interests in developing measures to prevent climate change deterioration in the Arctic region.

Aim. To study India’s Arctic policy by considering its conceptual, institutional and procedural components. Methods. Structural-analytical approach, document analysis, comparative analysis, generalization and synthesis.Results. The article examines the provisions of a strategically important document of India dedicated to the implementation of policy in the Arctic, government bodies competent to implement India’s Arctic policy, their main functions, and the directions of Delhi’s activities in the Arctic. The trends along which actions are actually taken are compared with the directions enshrined in the country’s strategic document on Arctic policy.Conclusions. The document “Arctic Policy” is only declarative, political in nature. The policy document establishing the action plan for the implementation of policy in the Arctic with deadlines has not yet been adopted. There are no standards for holding people accountable for improper implementation of activities. A specialized body responsible for implementing policy in India has not been created, despite its mention in India’s Arctic Policy. The scientific direction in the Arctic is key for India. It is also highlighted as a priority in the Arctic policy, which is a weak point of Indian Arctic policy. There are 5 more areas of Indian activity in the Arctic that are at the stage of formation or development. Norway is India’s main partner, close ties are developing with Russia. There are serious omissions in the country’s Arctic policy related to the lack of an icebreaker, non-participation in the Barents Euro-Arctic Council, and poor investment in Arctic projects. The practical significance of the scientific work lies in the ability to use its results to further build a dialogue with the Indian government and business community, and its conclusions can form the basis of future scientific research.

Globalization may increase development opportunities for tourist profiled destinations but is also a source of economic vulnerabilities if they lack adaptive capacity to context changes. One of those is the climate, a global issue that may negatively impact these localities, which can face the path of simple survival or, worse, decline, as natural resources often play a key role in recreational and tourism-related activities. Romania has many localities with tourist traditions now facing direct competition from other tourist destinations or companies from abroad in an EU-free people movement context, struggling for both tourists and the skilled labour force. This paper aims to identify some of the comparative advantages and adaptive capacities on the local level that may contribute to sustainable development, despite adverse climate changes reality, based on a study case, Predeal, a tourist destination that profiles itself mainly, as a winter sports resort even that climate reality is no longer that favourable.

Water scarcity is a challenging task for the vast majority of people in the world, which has occurred due to changes in weather patterns due to less rainfall than usual. According to perceptions, in some parts of the world, water scarcity will be more frequent and intense now. Over 200 published articles and reports from the period 2003–2023 were considered for the measurement of the global impact of water shortages on livelihoods in arid areas. Such a type of review study is designed for a systematic approach. The manuscript illustrated different dimensions of water scarcity impacts by using electronic search engines, including Google, Scopus, Science Direct, Google Scholar, PubMed, ResearchGate, and Web of Science. The study was then distinguished by including the word water scarcity with keywords such as landscape, vulnerability, adjustment, displaced person, health effect, and risk management to inquire about the necessary articles. The study results illustrated that the shortage of water during the drought period increased the misery of affected people. Droughts affect the livelihood of these people in agronomic activities, food production and security, and natural assets, causing prolonged suffering.

The European Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has evolved over the years, and climate change mitigation and sustainability were recently added as objectives to the policy. This sustainability policy includes subsidies for farmers. The success of EU policies relies on positive public perception. This study aimed to investigate Europeans' perception of EU sustainability subsidies. This analysis was complemented by evaluating citizens’ attitudes towards agriculture and climate change and socio-economic variables. Overall, EU citizens support CAP and sustainability practices. Our findings reveal that EU citizens strongly in favour of this support tend to be older, more educated, politically left-wing, from higher social classes, residing in smaller communities, and optimistic about the EU's future. Additionally, these citizens hold strong environmental concerns and support innovative practices to benefit sustainable agriculture.

The Arctic climate has been changing dramatically in recent years. This external condition, on the one hand, increases the risk of sustainable development of the Arctic; on the other hand, in combination with the management factors of the Russian Federation’s Arctic zone, it provides new development oppor-tunities. Based on the authors’ methodology, the paper assesses the efficiency of sustainable development management of the Arctic by comparing the costs of environmental protection and the volume of pollutants entering the Arctic ecosystems. The study has shown that, despite the growth of current expenditures on sustainable development management in the Arctic, their use cannot be considered fully effective and efficient: financial investments do not always lead to the reduction in pollution; investments in sustainable development are uneven and depend on the current conjuncture. Changes in the Arctic climate have been assessed by comparing indicators for the period from 1971 to the present, characterizing air temperature, precipitation, snow cover, sea and river ice, permafrost, etc. The analysis has revealed an accelerated growth of Arctic climate change indicators. The impact of climate change on new opportunities and new risks for the sustainable development of the Russian Arctic has been determined on the basis of authors’ research and correlated with the opinion of authoritative Arctic researchers. Based on the results of the study, the positive and negative effects of the implementation of new opportunities for the Arctic territories in the context of climate change have been identified.

Objectives The issues of environmental protection, including stopping the degrading climate change, are currently a subject of particular interest of the scientific community, policymakers, practitioners, but also all people around the world. Banking institutions, as a giver of capital, play a special role in financing climate protection activities. On the other hand, they are particularly exposed to climate risk. The main purpose of the paper is climate risk exegesis and to analyze the degree of climate risk inclusion in the bank risk management process in the case of the Polish banking sector. The conducted empirical research verified the research hypothesis stating that the Polish banking sector is becoming more and more oriented towards the climate risk among the bank risk management systems. Material and methods The following research methods were used in the paper: survey questionnaire method, case study analysis, observation method and synthesis method. The research procedure included two stages of questionnaire research, followed by the analysis and evaluation of the obtained results. Results It has been shown that the Polish banking sector defines its climate goals and is increasingly sensitive to the climate risk management, including them in its risk management systems. It also assesses exposure to climate risk in terms of physical and transitional risk. Conclusions The research and results presented in this study are important in building political awareness as well as public, social and economic activities in the field of counteracting climate threats. However, banks’ awareness is very important for financing projects that reduce degrading impact on climate.

Climate change is currently one of the most important challenges faced by mankind. The purpose of this article is to give a coherent account of the scope and nature of these changes and their impact on universal security threats. The research process consisted largely of a review of the literature on the subject and an analysis of specialized, available documents and reports prepared by international environmental organizations. Climate change includes increases in temperature, changes in precipitation, sea level rise, extreme weather events and many other impacts that have enormous consequences for people, ecosystems and economies. Barriers are described that could prove to be an obstacle to implementing more sustainable development that could directly contribute to increased preventive and adaptive capacity, reduced emissions and vulnerability. The importance of adaptive capacity, which is a complex function of wealth, technology, information, skills, infrastructure, institutions and equity, was emphasized.

This brief essay honor the recently deceased American author Cormac McCarthy by interpreting a short scene from one of his screenplays as a modern instance of genuinely tragic understanding. This interpretation is compared on the one hand with a related yet comedic version of tragic knowledge, and on the other hand with the play "Oedipus the King" by Sophocles. The essay argues that fostering the presentiment of such tragic understanding might be a an effective way of motivating people to act to avert climate change.

ABSTRACTTe ao Māori approaches to restoring wellbeing in relation to people and te taiao are proliferating in Aotearoa New Zealand. While climate change is a critical lever nationally and globally, it sits in the background of Māori initiatives and worldviews. Drawing on participant interviews, this paper follows the work needed for Māori to reconcile with the concept of climate change. Considerable ‘work’ was needed to move through various processes in the face of contrasting concepts and worldviews. This firstly involved remembering and honouring mātauranga and the values and actions embedded in Māori knowledge systems. Participants then had to make sense of the relationships between the concept of climate change and Māori concepts. Finally, participants provided examples of the actions and leadership that Māori take in this field. The concept of climate change had considerable traction and leverage; however, it frames and constrains efforts to effect planetary healing locally, nationally, and globally. Acting on more expansive and relational understandings can slow both the drivers and effects of climate change.

ABSTRACTThe growing scale and intensity of climate change poses a substantial challenge to the status quo of society and politics. Adapting to the risks associated with extreme weather events and changing climatic conditions will require the re-imagination of many aspects of politics and society. Therefore, climate change can be framed as a problem of imagination; one in which our relationship to the future is central to understanding how possibilities in the present are perceived. This research analyses public submissions made on New Zealand’s first draft National Adaptation Plan to understand how future climate adaptation is framed and imagined by different groups. In analysing submissions we identify and describe four thematic ‘adaptive futures’ that each argue for varied amounts of socio-political change from the status quo: data driven resilience; growth and opportunity; nature-society change; and flaxroots transformation. Underpinning these adaptive futures are emerging advocacy coalitions that seek to shape what is seen as possible, imaginatively, politically and materially. Our analysis also highlights how risks and opportunities are perceived by whom, and insights into attempts to delineate the boundaries of adaptive imagination and political possibility.Glossary of Māori terms: hapū: kinship group; iwi: extended kinship or tribal group; kaitiakitanga: intergenerational sustainability; kaupapa Māori: Māori approach, a philosophical doctrine, incorporating the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values of Māori society; kawa: protocols; mana: authority, dignity, control, governance & power; mana whenua: territorial rights, power from the land, authority over land or territory, jurisdiction over land or territory; te ao Māori: the Māori worldview; tikanga: correct procedures, lore & practises Definitions sourced from Blackett et al. 2022 & Te Aka Māori Dictionary

Despite the intrinsic and natural connection between sociology and social impact assessment, the latter often does not hold a prominent place in the academic theory and practice of sociology. This monograph aims to justify and reclaim the rightful position of social impact assessment within the sociological discipline, through the contributions of some of the most renowned international experts in this field. This introductory article reflects on the necessary mutual contribution between sociology and social impact assessment, which, through their epistemological, methodological and axiological dialogues, establish an applied working space aimed at providing solutions for real-world problems. Sociology and social impact assessment must join forces to become agents not only of knowledge production but also of improvement of the living conditions of those in situations of social vulnerability, being this an urgent task in the face of contemporary global changes and growing inequalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Policy PointsFaced with urgent threats to human health and well‐being such as climate change, calls among the academic community are getting louder to contribute more effectively to the implementation of the evidence generated by our research into public policy.As interest in knowledge translation (KT) surges, so have a number of anxieties about the field's shortcomings. Our paper is motivated by a call in the literature to render useful advice for those beginning in KT on how to advance impact at a policy level.By integrating knowledge from fields such as political science, moral psychology, and marketing, we suggest that thinking and acting like marketers, lobbyists, movements, and political scientists would help us advance on the quest to bridge the chasm between evidence and policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the lasting impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on research ethics in social sciences by focusing on the concept of vulnerability. We unpack the current conceptualisations of vulnerability and their limitations and argue for the need to reconceptualise vulnerability as multidimensional, consisting of both universal and contextual dimensions, as well as their dynamic interplay. Multidimensional vulnerability is inspired by and relevant to social science research during the pandemic but can also be useful in other contexts such as climate change or conflict. The paper puts forwards several considerations about how this revised concept of vulnerability may be useful when evaluating ethical dimensions of social science research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One topic that is currently playing a major role in education is climate change, given its implications for raising awareness and training in present and future society. The objectives of this research are to analyse the knowledge of Spanish school children (Primary, Secondary Education and Baccalaureate) studying Social Sciences and/or Geography in terms of climate change, the causes and consequences that they identify and the effects that they perceive in their daily lives. For a sample of 1328 students surveyed between the academic year 2020–2021 and 2022–2023, the results indicate that the majority believe that climate is changing (75.0%) and the main origin of this phenomenon is pollution (46.5%). With respect to the consequences, they principally identify the increase and changes in temperatures (54.3%), and with regards the perceived effects, more than half (60.0%) perceive an increase and change in the temperature. In conclusion, the study determines what students know about this global phenomenon and whether it coincides with their experiences. This is of utmost importance due to implications it has for the education system and training the youngest cohorts about climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Popular tourism destinations are not insulated from climate change variability and vulnerability. Conversely, these destinations also contribute to climate change. Although several studies have investigated the climate change-tourism nexus, there remains limited knowledge regarding tourist perceptions of climate change on popular African destinations. This study examines tourist perceptions of climate change at the Sun City Resort, a popular destination in South Africa attracting both domestic and international tourists all year round. Data were generated from a survey of 278 tourist participants. The data were analysed in JMP Pro generating descriptive statistics to determine variable and response frequencies, and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to examine the relationships, mediations, and associations among key constructs. The results reveal significant associations among climate change awareness, climate change experiences, climate change impacts, and response strategies. Most tourists are familiar with climate change and its existential and potential impacts on the resort. The most prominent weather events include heatwaves, heavy rainfall, and droughts. The impacts include water scarcity, disruption of recreational activities, and destruction of habitats. Low carbon transport systems and green accommodation facilities, carbon friendly activities, investing in climate disaster early warning systems, climate-proofed infrastructure, ensuring facilities and upgrading of disaster rescue operations were highlighted as suitable response strategies. The study concludes that tourists are generally conscious of climate change, and they have knowledge of the necessary actions to ensure popular destination suitability in the face of climate change. The study opens the possibility for crafting destination specific climate action plans that promote destination sustainability.

Climate change is mostly perceived by smallholder farmers in terms of changes in weather elements such as rainfall and temperature. These changes are typically observed over time in an immediate environment. Studies have largely focused on examining smallholder farmers’ perceptions of climate change, with little attention paid to comparisons between farmers’ perceptions and scientific meteorological data. This study compared smallholder farmers’ perceptions with meteorological data on rainfall and temperature in northwestern Ghana. This study employed mixed methods for data collection and analysis. A survey was conducted among 305 household heads using a questionnaire instrument, and in-depth interviews and focus group discussions were conducted among selected key participants. The results showed perceived changes in rainfall, such as a decreasing rainfall pattern, late onset, early cessation, limited coverage and distribution, and increasing uncertainty and unpredictability. Temperatures were perceived to increase with extreme heat conditions and a long duration of the hot season. The meteorological data mostly corroborated the perceptions of smallholder farmers regarding changes in rainfall and temperatures at the municipal, regional, and national scales. The study concluded that both scientific data and farmers’ perceptions point to increasing changes in rainfall and temperature. Therefore, farmer perceptions should be mainstreamed into meteorological data analysis to inform policymaking discourse towards effective and sustainable climate-compatible agricultural planning in Ghana.

Background Bridges are vital construction infrastructures that almost every nation needs in order to function. Climate change is a significant issue, that especially affects the construction industry. It is very important that bridges are able to withstand the impacts of climate change and adaptation measures will be required to achieve this. Methods The digital twin will be developed using BIM to manage the climate change adaptation measures for the bridges. A 6D BIM model will be created that includes the 3D Revit model of a bridge featuring climate change measures, the climate change adaptation measures timeline schedule, climate change adaptation cost estimation, and carbon emission estimation, which will be produced using Revit software, Navisworks, and Granta EduPack. The results will show how 6D BIM can be used to support the adaptation of bridges to the effects of climate change. Results The findings underscore the efficacy of 6D BIM in enhancing bridge resilience against climate change impacts. The 3D model demonstrates integration of adaptation measures without compromising bridge functionality. Moreover, the 4D model's timeline scheduling facilitates hazard anticipation, project planning, communication enhancement, collaborative efforts, and project visualization. Cost estimations from the 5D model reveal varying costs among adaptation measures, while the 6D model highlights differences in carbon footprints. These BIM dimensions enable stakeholders to analyse effects on project costs and energy consumption, aiding sustainability and cost-efficiency considerations. Conclusions The study exhibits the literature review analysis, the risk assessment, research on climate change adaptation strategies, and implementation using Revit 2022, Navisworks 2022, and Granta EduPack software. By contributing to the adaptation of bridges to climate change effects, the research has provided valuable insights and practical implications for enhancing bridge resilience globally.

Issues on climate change, global warming, renewable energy, food security, forest conservation, sustainable marine life resources, and protecting wildlife are becoming central issues for the world community these days. Many studies on sustainable development programs have been made by many researchers, UN Agencies, governmental and NGOs to come up with alternative solutions, and strategies, in approaching sustainable development issues. Therefore, this study is going to explore the role of Hadih Maja as one of Acehnese Oral Tradition and the local wisdom of Aceh indigenous societies in Sumatra which is in line with their cultural heritage to maintain the sustainability of their life and natural resources, which finally lead to reach the UN SDGs 2030 Agenda. The method of this study is a literature review by implementing the ecocriticism approach. The result of this study has proven that the content of the Hadih Maja has met the concept of Sustainable Forest Conservation and Sustainable Wild Life Conservation which relate to the UN SDGs category, number 1, 2, 6, 11, 12, 14, 15, and 17 that can be used as a basis formula in designing a new action plan to support the UN SDGs 2030 Agendas.

In this paper, we outline a transdisciplinary approach and design thinking methodology (TADTM) to tackle complex problems. Our premise is that these problems need a fundamental understanding of technological solutions and those for human interactions, business operations, financing, socioeconomic governance, legislation, and regulations. They must be approached by different decisionmakers from different disciplines to establish seamless interactions and structured teamwork. In this regard, we emphasize the need for a transdisciplinary framework that accounts for personal preferences based on human behavior as well as the traditional interdisciplinary frameworks. To test and prove our hypothesis, three case studies are discussed. Case Study 1 is based on our studies at a major medical establishment, and Case Study 2 is about the integrated engineering and architecture approach we used at our university campus. Case Study 3 is based on an ongoing project to lead industrial corporations to change their energy policies with practical energy efficiency measures and by adapting renewable/alternative energy adaptations for their operations. Developing creative solutions and strategies to decrease atmospheric greenhouse gas emissions requires such an energy transition framework and should involve every person, company, entity, and all governments. It can only be achieved with efforts on both local and global levels, which needs to convince (a) industries to change their traditional operation modalities, (b) people to alter their consumption behaviors, and (c) governments to change their rules, regulations, and incentives. The complexity and magnitude of this enormous task demand the coordination and collaboration of all stakeholders, as well as the need for technological innovations.

Abstract Floating cities have emerged as an efficient long-term solution over unsustainable practiced solutions to combat the rising seas problem; nevertheless, the world lacks an international, official, and comprehensive framework regarding floating cities. Although previous research approached modular floating city design; however, resulted in configurations with various critical design restrictions mainly regarding interlocking capabilities and space utilization. The purpose of this paper is to offer a new systematic strategy for configuring modular and expandable floating cities without such restrictions. This paper explores Euclidean tilings as a strategy to offer numerous configurations based on regular, semi-regular, and demi-regular tilings. Selecting the ideal configuration is complicated; therefore, both quantitative and qualitative data methods were implemented to attain the objectives. Via an extensive literature review, this research derives key factors for configuring floating cities, then sets a brainstorming session with experts for group decision making before providing findings upon calculations via analytic hierarchy process, one of the most used quantitative data methods of multiple-criteria decision analysis. Through comprehensive literature review: seakeeping, modularity, zoning and circulation, and feasibility have been identified as the most significant criteria in floating city research. It explores the qualities and limitations of triangular, squared, hexagonal, octagonal, and dodecagonal platforms. Regarding criteria, seakeeping was the most significant criterion for platform selection by 53.6%. Regarding platforms, the hexagonal platform scored the highest with 25.31%. Relying on this method and the design considerations presented, numerous dynamic configurations can be offered and assessed through specific contexts without any of the past restrictions.

In 2012, the Brazilian government launched the ABC Plan, with its flagship ABC Program. The latter aimed to provide funding to farmers to encourage them to adopt so-called decarbonized agricultural practices. This study, based on official documents and interviews, highlights the impact of the interactions and interests of the various stakeholders involved, especially those from agribusiness, on the formulation of the program, which excluded family farming. The creation of this instrument did not depart from previous practices, but rather reinforced the duality of Brazilian agriculture. The ABC Plan and Program have resulted in a “change through overlay” within the Brazilian agricultural policy landscape.

The urgent research on social vulnerability and climate change arises because of the complex impacts on society. Climate change increases social vulnerability and exacerbates social and economic inequalities. The main objective of this research is to identify trends, themes, and knowledge gaps from the global literature and consider policy recommendations based on the trends in the data obtained. The research method uses bibliometric analysis with the Scopus database as the primary data source, where 112 published documents were found. The findings of this study indicate that there has been increasing interest in research on social vulnerability and climate change over time. However, there are limitations in the geographic spread of research, particularly in Asia, highlighting the need for further research. On the other hand, although many research themes have received attention, the focus on disasters, poverty, livelihoods, women, and developing countries still needs to be expanded, demanding further research. These findings also initiate a policy recommendation emphasizing a holistic and sustainable approach. By strengthening community resilience, reducing social disparities, and increasing gender inclusion, this policy can potentially improve adaptation to climate change. Global solidarity and international cooperation are also essential to support developing countries in facing the impacts of climate change.

Climate change (CC) poses a significant threat to small-scale farmers in low-income countries, increasing vulnerability to food insecurity and requiring various methods to mitigate its impact. The current study assessed producers’ perceptions of CC and the adaption measures they adopt to mitigate the effect of CC in Builsa South district of Ghana. A generalized Poisson regression model was used to evaluate the factors affecting adoption of climate change adaptation strategies (CCASs) by the respondents. Farmers’ knowledge of the factors contributing to CC was analyzed by employing a 5-point Likert scale while producers’ perception of the effect of CC on maize cultivation was assessed using Kendell’s coefficient of concordance. The findings indicated that deforestation, bush burning, improper disposal of waste and greenhouse gases are the main activities contributing to CC in the district. The adaptation strategies used by farmers include early planting, adoption of disease resistant and drought-tolerant varieties, crop rotation, mixed cropping, and zero tillage. The study further revealed that years of education, farm size, radio ownership, and crop insurance significantly enhanced adoption of CCASs. The authors recommend more education and training on CC adaptation practices to equip farmers with the skills to alleviate the impact of CC.

AbstractThis study offers a comprehensive analysis of the impact of extreme weather events, intensified by climate change, on India’s real Gross National Product. Focusing on hydro-geological factors crucial for India’s Gross National Product, the Auto Regressive Distributed Lag model reveals significant insights. Notably, the study reveals a significant positive correlation between the lagged real GNP (GNP(−1)) and current real GNP, emphasizing the persistence of economic growth trends. Gross Fixed Capital Formation emerges as a key determinant, with a 0.50% increase in economic growth corresponding to a 1% rise in GFCF. Forest land and rainfall exhibited substantial positive associations, contributing to a noteworthy 1.674 and 0.099% with economic growth. Conversely, CO2 emissions, rising temperatures (both Maximum Temperature and Minimum Temperature) exerted a significant negative influence on real GNP, emphasizing the need for sustainable emission reduction strategies. ARDL Bounds Test, revealed existence of a long-run relationship between real GNP and the selected variables. An ECM-Long Run Test underscores the lasting impact, with a 32.4% adjustment towards long-run equilibrium. The study establishes a bi-directional causality between real Gross National Product and carbon dioxide emissions, emphasizing the interconnectedness of economic growth and emissions. This underscores the urgency for addressing climate change alongside sustainable economic development. The findings serve as a crucial guide for evidence-based policymaking, urging proactive strategies to navigate climate challenges and ensure a prosperous, sustainable future for India. The findings contribute to the existing literature, emphasizing the multifaceted nature of factors shaping India’s sustained economic development.

AbstractFarming communities confronted with climate change adopt formal and informal adaptation strategies to mitigate the effects of climate change. While the environmental and social effects of climate change are well documented, there is still a dearth of literature on girl-child marriage (formal marriage or informal union between a child under the age of 18 and an adult or another child) as a response to the effects of climate change. In this research, we ask if girl-child marriage is promoted as a social protection mechanism first, rather than as simply a response to climate-induced poverty. We use qualitative semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions to explore this question in a rural farming community in Northern Ghana. Our findings reveal that climate change shocks result in poverty and compel farmers to marry off their young daughters. The unmarried girl-child is perceived as an ‘extra mouth to feed’, a liability whose marriage becomes a strategy for protecting the family, the family’s reputation, and the girl child. The emphasis in girl-child marriage is not on the girl-child as an individual but on the family as a group. Hence, what is good for the family is assumed to be in the best interest of the girl-child. We place our analysis at the intersection of climate change, social protection, and the incidence of girl-child marriages. We argue that understanding this link is crucial and can contribute significantly to our knowledge of girl-child marriage as well as our ability to address this in Sub-Saharan Africa.

AbstractClimate change and variability are major threats to people’s livelihoods in Somaliland, as they depend on agriculture and livestock and have a low adaptive capacity. This review aimed to assess the impacts of climate variability on livelihoods, identify gaps, and provide ways to enhance adaptation and resilience in Somaliland. It was based on secondary data from relevant sources such as journal articles, books, chapters, and reports from national and international organizations. This review revealed that extreme climate events, such as droughts and floods, have significantly impacted livelihoods in Somaliland by causing crop failure, livestock loss, food insecurity, water scarcity, and population displacement. The literature lacks sufficient data and analysis on the vulnerability and adaptation of different livelihood groups and sectors in Somaliland. The country’s institutions and policies have not adequately addressed the issues of climate risk reduction and community resilience. This review provides ways to enhance a country’s climate and livelihood by informing policymakers, planners, and other stakeholders to intervene and improve the country’s climate variability and livelihood situations. It recommends future policies, strategies, programs, and activities that focus on sustainable agriculture support, livelihood diversification, the strengthening of local institutions, and research on climate variability, adaptation, livelihood diversification, and food security.

This keynote address offers an overview of Asia in an increasingly fragile world. Climate change is making the monsoon more erratic, bringing more drought and more flood, signaled by the devastating flood of Pakistan in August 2022. Extreme weather and rising sea levels are increasing the "human flow" of migrants, especially into Asia's megacities. Climate change reacts with other trends: the increased inequalities willed by a generation of neoliberal policies, the authoritarian turn in politics, and the return of geopolitical tensions resulting from China's spectacular rise. More dialogue between the sciences and the social sciences is needed to address these multiple fragilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development and implementation of carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) technologies plays an increasingly important part in European Union (EU) countries’ decarbonisation policies and strategies. Several studies have shown the important role social acceptance plays in determining the outcomes of CCUS projects and how social acceptance is shaped by the national and local contexts. Yet most studies on CCUS and social acceptance have focused on a few northern European countries despite the increasing numbers of CCUS projects across the European Union. This study seeks to help address this gap by conducting a case study on how local dynamics shaped people's acceptance and awareness of CCUS in two separate Greek communities. Based on semi-structured interviews with community members near a CCUS pilot plant, and a focus group with community members from a potential storage site, this single case study explores the factors and dynamics that shaped the participants’ perceptions of CCUS technologies. Our findings indicate that, despite the low level of awareness of CCUS technologies, participants could draw on their situated knowledge to identify potential drawbacks with their application. We identified scepticism regarding the adoption of new technologies and the organisations involved based on past experiences, and a notable lack of provision of technology and location-specific information as well as public engagement by the project consortium. Our recommendations for future projects and community engagement include the early involvement of the public in project development, location-based transparent information, appropriate channels to facilitate knowledge exchange, and educational initiatives to build communities' capability to influence projects.

This paper contributes to the discourse on climate change by emphasising the imperative for inclusive engagement, particularly at the intersection of socio-economic challenges and climate impacts in Glasgow, Scotland. Despite recent shifts towards a ‘Just Transition’ and increased public engagement efforts, working-class voices remain marginalised. To address this gap, the paper first reviews existing literature on Climate Change Communication (CCC), examining some of the competing conceptualisations of barriers and public engagement and their policy implications, and more specifically, participatory policymaking and its role in engagement. Through doing so, the central debates of how public engagement with climate change ought to be pursued will be established, and to what degree this can be understood in the context of developing engagement with working-class people. Subsequently, it proposes a novel framework synthesising insights from Lorenzoni, Sutton, and Tobin utilising an ecological Marxist perspective that aims to address barriers to climate change engagement among the working class.

Settlements operate across a wide range of densities and do so for every socio- economic mode of life from those based on hunter-gatherer economies to those which are based on industrial production. Human beings also live across a range of residential densities from very high to very low. Why they do so is a function of many factors, especially differing socio-cultural ways of managing interaction and communication and the associated social and political practices of the communities. Settlement forms are seen as a derivative of many factors because they are. But they are not thereby an epiphenomenon - especially as they become larger, more durable, and bulkier. That gives them inertia and, as a consequence, they become an agency in their own right which produces outcomes with consequences for the communities, which inhabit them. They are not a neutral background. Instead, their materiality, their sizes, and their densities have an impact on the viability of social life. This paper considers the outcomes generated by the regional networks of low-density, urban settlements larger than 100 sq km in extent. The implications of what happened to agrarian-based low-density urban settlements, like Greater Angkor and the Classic Maya settlements, such as Caracol, are of consequence for the risk faced by the regional networks of present-day, low-density urban giants – the megalopoleis and desa-kota. A further perspective is provided by placing these great cities of the past and the present in the larger context of the trajectories and outcomes of smaller low-density settlements over the previous six millennia. The concern is the implications for the viability of low-density urbanism in contexts of the rapid, extreme climate change we are now beginning to experience. The implications are ominous, yet the past also indicates that social and cultural systems are robust, that human beings can survive, and that they retain and continue to remake their social traditions as they adjust to seriously changing circumstances.

Jane Hindley reviews African Handbook of Climate Change Adaptation by Walter Leal Filho, Nicholas Oguge, Desalegn Ayal, Lydia Adeleke and Izael da Silva (Eds.)

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to collect and analyze data on sustainable development of nine leading retail chains in the Republic of Croatia (according to sales revenue in 2021). The focus of this research is on finding out the extent to which retail chains report on their sustainable business practices through publicly available websites, as well as precise segments of sustainable development. Methodology: The research included retail chains whose predominant activity, according to the National Classification of Activities (NKD) 47.11, is the retail sale of various products, particularly food, beverages or tobacco, in non-specialized stores. The research was conducted from September 20 to November 20, 2022. The data were collected from the official websites of these retail chains, and the analysis primarily relied on descriptive statistics. Results: The collected information indicates that most retail chains in the Republic of Croatia do not report on the direct impact of their business practices on sustainable development, nor do they outline their intention to directly influence consumer behavior regarding sustainable development through their business practices. Customer trends are changing, and those retail chains that prioritize sustainable development as a business strategy gain a competitive edge. Conclusion: Unfortunately, in terms of sustainable development, retail chains in the Republic of Croatia did not take global trends seriously. Only a third of them make reports on sustainable development, and some have only recently become more actively engaged in such practices.

Halophytes are naturally salt-tolerant plants with immense potential to become alternate crops for saline lands. While their economic benefits have gained increasing attention, often, the roles of halophytes in addressing different climate change-related issues are overlooked. Halophytes can be a renewable resource for clean ‘carbon-neutral’ energy by serving as biofuel or biogas feedstock, help in the sequestration of rising CO2 as well as the phytoremediation of various pollutants, can be a good source of food and fodder thereby help in achieving food security in arid/saline areas, can help in protection and biodiversity conservation in various ecosystems, and can provide livelihood to poor local communities inhabiting barren lands. This review also attempts to highlight various usages of halophytes in connection with a global change perspective. However, there are still many challenges such as economic viability, customer preferences, environmental impacts, and scale-up challenges, which need further research, innovation, effective policies, and collaboration. In general, this review provides a synthesis of various biological, environmental, and socioeconomic aspects of halophytes to fully exploit the potential of halophytes for human welfare and combating global climate changes.