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In recent years, recognition has grown of the significant role that food systems play in driving climate change, constituting about one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions, while also playing a key role in sequestering carbon and adapting to climate changes. The COP28 climate conference signaled a pivotal shift, spotlighting food and agriculture in discourse. However, despite pledges and declarations, concrete plans and targets to address emissions from food chains remain elusive. Urgent action is imperative to transform food systems and avert surpassing critical warming thresholds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Active school transportation (AST) is an important source of physical activity for children and a potentially important climate change mitigation strategy. However, few studies have examined factors associated with AST in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: We used baseline data from a longitudinal survey to investigate correlates of AST during the second wave of COVID-19 (December 2020). We collected survey data from 2291 parents of 7- to 12-year-olds across Canada and linked this information with data on neighborhood walkability and weather from national databases. We assessed potential correlates representing multiple levels of influence of the social–ecological model. We used gender-stratified binary logistic regression models to determine the correlates of children's travel mode to/from school (dichotomized as active vs motorized), while controlling for household income. We examined the correlates of travel mode for both the morning and afternoon trips. Results: Consistent correlates of AST among Canadian children during the COVID-19 pandemic included greater independent mobility, warmer outdoor temperature, having a parent who actively commuted to work or school, living in a household owning fewer vehicles, and living in a more walkable neighborhood. These findings were largely consistent between boys and girls and between morning and afternoon school trips. Conclusions: Policymakers, urban planners, and public health workers aiming to promote AST should focus on these correlates while ensuring that neighborhoods are safe for children. Future research should monitor the prevalence and correlates of AST as COVID-19 restrictions are removed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Calls to action addressing the interconnections between physical (in)activity and the climate crisis are increasing. The current study aimed to investigate public support for policy actions that potentially have co-benefits for physical activity promotion and climate change mitigation. Methods: In 2023, a survey through the Angus Reid Forum was completed by 2507 adults living in Canada. Binary logistic regressions were conducted. Separate models were created to reflect support or opposition to the 8 included policy items. Several covariates were included in the models including age, gender, political orientation, physical activity levels, income, urbanicity climate anxiety, and attitudes surrounding physical activity and climate change. The data were weighted to reflect the gender, age, and regional composition of the country. Results: Most individuals living in Canada strongly or moderately supported all actions (ranging from 71% to 85%). Meeting the physical activity guidelines, higher self-reported income, and scoring high on personal experience of climate change were associated with higher odds of supporting the policy actions related to climate actions. Conclusions: Most adults living in Canada support policies that align with the recommended policy actions related to physical activity and climate change. National campaigns enhancing awareness and understanding of the bidirectional relationship between physical activity and climate change are warranted, and these should consider the consistent demographic differences (eg, gender, age, and political orientation) seen in public support for physical activity-related policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Young Americans are coming of age immersed in daily news and controversy about rising perils like climate change, and emerging ones like artificial intelligence. Generation Z has produced and embraced movements for climate action like the school strikes led by Greta Thunberg that connect to other social justice movements. But the threat posed by nuclear weapons remains a disconnected abstraction to many young people, even as tensions between nuclear-armed states over conflicts like the invasions of Ukraine and Gaza renew fears of a nuclear confrontation that were more common decades ago. In this personal essay, a life-long opponent of nuclear weapons raised during the Cold War reflects on intergenerational lessons about activism, and teaching college students to embrace their curiosity, and their fear, on the way to saving the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stabilizing climate requires reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) in land or ocean systems. Soil management practices can reduce GHG emissions or sequester atmospheric CO2 into inorganic and organic forms. However, whether soil carbon strategies represent a viable and impactful climate mitigation pathway is uncertain. A specific question concerns the role that land-management practices and soil amendments can play in realizing California’s ambition for carbon neutrality by 2045. Here we examine the carbon flux impacts of soil conservation (i.e., compost, reduced tillage, cover crop) and enhanced silicate rock weathering (EW) practices at different areal extents of implementation in cropland, grassland, and savanna in California under two climate change cases. We show that with implementation areas of 15% or 50% of private cultivated land, grassland, and savanna in California, soil conservation practices alone can contribute 1.4 0.7 2.1 % ( − 1.8 − 0.9 − 2.7 Mt CO2eq y−1) and 4.6 2.3 6.9 % ( − 6.0 − 3.0 − 8.9 Mt CO2eq y−1) of the additional emissions reduction needed (beyond previous targets) to meet the 2045 net neutrality goal (−129.3 Mt CO2eq y−1), respectively, on an average annual basis, including climate uncertainty. Including EW in these scenarios increases the total contributions of management practices to 4.1 2.5 5.6 % ( − 5.2 − 3.2 − 7.3 Mt CO2eq y−1) and 13.5 8.2 18.6 % ( − 17.5 − 10.7 − 24.2 Mt CO2eq y−1), respectively, of this reduction. This highlights that the extent of implementation area is a major factor in determining benefits and that EW has the potential to make a real contribution to net reduction targets. Results are similar across climate cases, indicating that contemporary field data can be used to make future projections. With EW there remains mechanistic uncertainties, however, such as rock dissolution rate and environmental controls on weathering products, which require additional field research to improve understanding of the technological efficacy of this approach for California’s 2045 carbon neutrality goal.

Contemporary resource management is doubly burdened by high rates of organic material disposal in landfills, generating potent greenhouse gases (GHG), and globally degraded soils, which threaten future food security. Expansion of composting can provide a resilient alternative, by avoiding landfill GHG emissions, returning valuable nutrients to the soil to ensure continued agricultural production, and sequestering carbon while supporting local communities. Recognizing this opportunity, California has set ambitious organics diversion targets in the Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Law (SB1383) which will require significant increases (5 to 8 million tonnes per year) in organic material processing capacity. This paper develops a spatial optimization model to consider how to handle this flow of additional material while achieving myriad social and ecological benefits through compost production. We consider community-based and on-farm facilities alongside centralized, large-scale infrastructure to explore decentralized and diversified alternative futures of composting infrastructure in the state of California. We find using a diversity of facilities would provide opportunity for cost savings while achieving significant emissions reductions of approximately 3.4 ± 1 MMT CO2e and demonstrate that it is possible to incorporate community protection into compost infrastructure planning while meeting economic and environmental objectives.

The article discusses the importance of incorporating climate education in business curricula and highlights the challenges faced by educators in doing so. It introduces En-ROADS, a computer simulation model developed by Climate Interactive, the MIT-Sloan Sustainability Initiative, and Ventana Systems, as a promising tool for experiential learning about climate change and the role of businesses in addressing it. The simulation allows participants to propose actions that can mitigate climate change and assess their impact on global temperatures and equity considerations. The article emphasizes the effectiveness of En-ROADS in increasing knowledge, engagement, and optimism towards climate action, and highlights its versatility and availability as open-source software. [Extracted from the article]

Renewable power generation is the key to decarbonizing the electricity system. Wind power is the fastest-growing renewable source of electricity in the United States. However, expanding wind capacity often faces local opposition, partly due to a perceived visual disamenity from large wind turbines. Here, we provide a US-wide assessment of the externality costs of wind power generation through the visibility impact on property values. To this end, we create a database on wind turbine visibility, combining information on the site and height of each utility-scale turbine having fed power into the U.S. grid, with a high-resolution elevation map to account for the underlying topography of the landscape. Building on hedonic valuation theory, we statistically estimate the impact of wind turbine visibility on home values, informed by data from the majority of home sales in the United States since 1997. We find that on average, wind turbine visibility negatively affects home values in an economically and statistically significant way in close proximity ([Formula: see text]5 miles/8 km). However, the effect diminishes over time and in distance and is indistinguishable from zero for larger distances and toward the end of our sample.

In the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta (Delta), widespread drainage of historical wetlands has led to extensive subsidence and peat carbon losses, as well as high ongoing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Large-scale wetland restoration and conversion to rice fields has the potential to mitigate these effects while conferring flood protection and creating habitat for wetland species. To explore the scale of these potential benefits, this study evaluated the effects of seven Delta-wide land-use scenarios on carbon stocks, land-surface elevation, GHG emissions, and habitat. Peat mapping and data from peat cores indicate that soil carbon stocks have decreased between the early 1800s and 2010s from 288 ± 15 to 145 ± 14 million metric tons (Mt) of carbon (C). If existing land uses continue, the Delta could lose an additional 8.3 Mt C during the coming 40 years, equal to average GHG emissions of 1.2 Mt CO2 equivalents (CO2e) yr-1. Future restoration and rice-farming scenarios indicate that wetland restoration could theoretically halt GHG emissions, converting the Delta from a large GHG source to a weak net source or sink. Across three future scenarios based on existing restoration targets, wetland creation and conversion to rice fields reduced GHG emissions by 0.39 to 0.67 Mt CO2e yr-1, with per-area benefits of 16 to 28 t CO2e per hectare (ha) yr-1. Differences among scenarios in extents of wetland types influenced their relative benefits for different management goals. Tidal restoration and conversion to rice fields enhanced habitat benefits and offered a source of agricultural income, but with reduced GHG mitigation compared with conversion to peat-building wetlands. This highlights the importance of clear objectives when developing land-use plans. A strategic land-management portfolio that includes rice fields and both impounded and tidal wetlands could be designed to provide GHG and subsidence mitigation while offering a diverse suite of benefits for ecosystems and people.

This study is a comparative analysis of Kenya and South Africa, the largest economies in Eastern and Southern Africa respectively, based on gross domestic product (GDP), energy use and carbon emissions. This study investigates the contribution of economic growth and renewable energy use on greenhouse carbon dioxide emissions in both country-level and group data, to observe their possible impact on environmental pollution. The present study addresses United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 13, to combat climate change and its impacts. To this end, this study is conducted in Kenya and South Africa using secondary data for the period 1990-2022. As an econometric strategy, we adopt the use of both panel and time series over the highlighted countries. The study employed an ARDL and PMG panel estimation approach to analyze the long-run relationship while Granger causality was conducted to confirm the short-run relationship between study variables. The empirical results show that economic growth and energy use significantly increase carbon emissions in South Africa, Kenya and aggregate data. Moreover, changes in industrial structure and urbanization have a mixed influence on carbon emissions in all models. Furthermore, short-run causality results point to a unidirectional relationship running from economic growth to carbon emissions in Kenya. In contrast, for South Africa, causality runs from carbon emissions to growth. In addition, for panel analysis, the study confirmed a bidirectional relationship. In conclusion, this comparative case study shows that countries with substantial growth in GDP and intensive energy use have high carbon emissions. Given these, the positive relationship poses a dilemma for Kenya and South Africa in their drive to achieve growth and at the same time manage environmental pollution. The empirical findings of this study imply that these countries should take all possible policy actions such as the massive investment and deployment of renewable energy, shifting gradually from non-renewable energy sources to renewable sources, a range of renewable energy sources, especially those that don't generate greenhouse gases, are needed, the use of climate finance to transition to clean energy, carbon tax policy and trading schemes to curtail growth in carbon emissions and environmental degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global production of steel and aluminium is a major driver of greenhouse gas emissions. Various processes might allow continued primary production of the two metals, but all depend on emissions-free electricity or carbon storage, and global capacity of these two key resources will be below demand for decades to come. As a result, zero-emissions steel and aluminium will mainly come from recycling, but supply will be lower than demand. This motivates demand reduction, and for the first time, this article estimates the inefficiency in current metal use by component type. The results demonstrate that around 80% of steel and 90% of aluminium liquid metal produced today may be unnecessary. Around 40% of liquid steel and 60% of liquid aluminium are never used in final components as they are removed along the supply chain of manufacturing. Of the metal that enters final service, approximately one-third could be saved by avoiding component over-specification. A further third could be saved, where the properties of metal are not used to their limits. These results point to specific opportunities for innovation in design and manufacturing technology, of which the highest priority is to re-think the use of sheet metal in construction. This article is part of the discussion meeting issue 'Sustainable metals: science and systems'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Many tree species may be threatened with declines in range and biomass, or even extinction, if they cannot disperse or adapt quickly enough to keep pace with climate change. One potential, and potentially risky, strategy to mitigate this threat is assisted migration (AM), the intentional movement of species to facilitate population range shifts to more climatically suitable locations under climate change. The ability for AM to minimise risk and maximise conservation and forestry outcomes depends on a multi‐faceted decision process for determining, what, where and how much to move. We provide an assessment on how the benefits and risks of AM could affect the decision‐making process. Location: Mountainous coastal western United States. Taxon: Trees. Methods: We used a dynamic vegetation model parameterised with 23 tree species. Results: We found that most of the modelled species are likely to experience a substantial decline in biomass, with many potentially facing regional extinction by 2100 under the high‐emission SSP5‐85 climate‐change scenario. Though simulations show AM had little effect on the forestry goal of total biomass across all species, its effects on the conservation goal of promoting individual species' persistence were far more substantial. Among eight AM strategies (differing in the life cycle stage of movement and target destination selection criteria), the approach that conserved the highest biomass for individual species involved relocating target seedlings to areas that recently experienced fire. Although this strategy significantly reduced extinction risk for six at‐risk species compared with no action, it also slightly reduced biomass of four species, due to increasing competition. Species with relatively weak tolerance to drought, fire or high temperature were the most likely candidate groups for AM. Main Conclusions: Our simulations indicate that AM can aid conservation by reducing extinction risks for species vulnerable to climate change, but it has limited impact on forestry‐specific goals, affecting overall biomass minimally. This model framework could be applied to other forest ecosystems to evaluate the efficacy of AM globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Streamflow, dissolved oxygen, and water temperature underpin stream fish habitat suitability, so climate change could cause widespread habitat deterioration. Identifying stream characteristics that mediate habitat resilience to heatwaves will allow conservation effort prioritisation. Here, a set of readily applied metrics were used to assess hydrological and oxythermal responses of neighbouring salmonid streams, with distinctive geologies, soil‐types, and localised riparian shading, to periods of anomalously warm conditions. During heatwaves, low flows, warm‐water temperatures, and diel oxygen variability, associated with biogenic production and respiration, predominated. In a low‐shade stream lacking significant catchment water storage, high daytime (>22°C) and night‐time (>19°C) water temperatures and low early morning O2 concentrations (<5 mg L−1) accumulated oxythermal stress for salmonids throughout summer. A stream with localised shading and a higher proportion of underlying aquifers and permeable soils throughout its watershed experienced considerably less cumulative oxythermal stress (O2 > 6 mg L−1; temperatures <19°C), whilst slower release of subsurface water bolstered base flows during dry spells. Our findings support conservation of shaded streams with permeable watersheds characterised by higher soil infiltration rates and aquifer storage capacity as salmonid sanctuaries under a warmer, drier summer climate. Preventing water quality and hydromorphological deterioration are paramount for safeguarding their role as climate refugia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The agrarian question of the twenty-first century is the agrarian question of climate change. The classical agrarian question asked how capitalist development was reshaping fin de siècle agriculture and with what consequences. The answers often contradicted predictions, and thereby teleological notions of development. Today, we must ask how climate change adaptation and mitigation, alongside and through other ongoing processes of capitalist development, are reshaping agrarian lives, livelihoods, landscapes, and politics, and with what consequences. We argue that attention to the agrarian question is essential to understanding social, political, and economic transformation broadly in the time of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sport for Development and Peace (SDP) sector employs sport to stimulate social and personal development beyond sports. However, limited attention has been given to environmental sustainability and SDP's role within the Anthropocene. This study examines how SDP stakeholders interpret macro policies and navigate climate action challenges. The concept of glocalization helps reveal the complexities of addressing climate change at a local level. Semi-structured interviews (N = 4) were conducted with SDP practitioners from NGOs in Brazil and the UK. Findings reveal two key themes: the barriers and opportunities presented by the SDGs and the role of personal experiences in making environmental engagement relevant. The findings shed new light on the diverse motivations that drive SDP NGOs in addressing environmental concerns, as well as the challenges they encounter in contributing to environmental sustainability. This study emphasizes the need for SDP-specific environmental policies, practices, and glocalized responses to the Anthropocene on various levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the dual crises of climate change and rising economic inequality, it is imperative to improve the synergy between climate mitigation and income inequality reduction. Domestic income inequality is linked to nations' carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions through multiple theorized pathways. Using a multidimensional framework, multiregional input–output analysis, panel regression analysis, and a sample of 34 high-income nations from 2004 to 2015, I investigate the relationships between nations' income inequality and four components of CO2 emissions with distinct implications for climate change mitigation: (1) emissions generated by domestic-oriented supply chain activities; (2) emissions embodied in exports; (3) direct emissions from end-user activities; and (4) emissions embodied in imports. I theorize that income inequality is heterogeneously related to the four emission components via different pathways. Results show that the relationships vary across emission components, change over time, and differ between inequality measures. The Gini coefficient is generally less influential on CO2 emissions than the income share of the top 10%. Notably, the income share of the top 10% is negatively related to direct end-user emissions from 2009 to 2011 and positively related to emissions in exports from 2011 to 2015, indicating variations in pathways both across emission components and over time—especially during and after the Great Recession. The findings underscore the multidimensionality in the income inequality-CO2 emissions relationship. Whether reducing income inequality can generate the co-benefit of emission abatement while avoiding a potential trade-off is a context-specific question that requires careful policy design and implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change has emerged on the agenda of central bankers. We argue that the rise of green central banking resulted from a crossover between climate politics after the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement and central banking after the 2008 financial crisis. Actors in these unconnected fields constructed and exploited this new linkage to their advantage. In the wake of the Paris Agreement, climate advocates promoted green central banking as part of a broader push for climate action beyond typical climate policy. Central bankers, in turn, endorsed green central banking to shore up political support. After their post-2008 unconventional monetary policies had alienated many right-wing backers, central bankers needed to make their policies more broadly appealing. This logic prevailed to varying degrees in the European Union and the United Kingdom, thanks to a new openness to climate action. In the United States, however, political polarization around the climate issue set clear limits to the crossover. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding how cities develop climate plans is crucial to capture their potential to achieve ambitious climate goals. Previous literature has highlighted the role of external pressures or heroic actors in driving local changes. By highlighting the everyday practices of actors in urban climate planning, we reveal new sets of contradictions in climate governance. Drawing from social practice theory, this paper examines how contradictions were managed in the process of developing a new climate plan in Bergen, Norway. Through a variety of empirical sources, we explore the strategic value these offer, and the organisational work accomplished by the navigation of contradictions. We highlight three strategic benefits of negotiating contradictions: the legitimisation, expansion and signalling of climate work. In conclusion, the paper argues that considering practices of climate planning reveals novel forms of agency, namely the potential of mundane organisational processes and the pivotal role of civil servants in this work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We address the research problem concerning climate mitigation finance (CMF) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Our research question is: Does an increase in CMF reduce GHG? This question generates two goals. First, to verify the predicted negative association using data that measures CMF in USD and GHG in kilotons. Second, to test the robustness of the predicted direction. To achieve our goals, we use a methodology consisting of a graphic analysis of the data over time and a panel data regression model accompanied by robust tests. Our baseline model finds evidence to support our first goal. Robust tests support our second goal by confirming that CMF decreases GHG. Noteworthy, robust tests also show that GHG outperforms the variable used by prior research, which is CO2. Our data, tests, and findings are new and so value-additive in their contributions to the international literature on climate mitigation finance and greenhouse gas emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is one of the most urgent and challenging issues in Canada. In this study, high-resolution climate projections over Canada have been developed through the WRF model. The spatial and temporal variations of Canada's temperature and precipitation in the 21st century have been comprehensively analyzed. It is found that the annual mean temperature over Canada is projected to increase by [1.53, 1.98], [2.51, 3.86], and [2.94, 6.19] °C in the 2030s, the 2050s, and the 2080s under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 respectively, with the largest increase in winter. The annual total precipitation is projected to increase by [16.33, 68.96], [64.80, 121.62], and [123.62, 184.33] mm in three future periods under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 respectively. It is also found that sea surface temperatures (SST) anomalies and 500 hPa geopotential height (GPH) have strong impacts on Canada's annual and seasonal precipitations. The results can provide valuable information for mitigation and adaptation of climatic changes in a Canadian context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Food production is set to double by 2050 to feed the increasing world population. This poses a global challenge to minimise environmental impacts from intensified production and use of chemical fertilisers. The study investigates whether basalt rock dust fertiliser can be an environmentally sustainable close substitute to expensive conventional rock-derived P and K fertilisers. Method: The study uses the attributional life cycle assessment method to estimate and compare 15 environmental impacts between basalt rock dust fertiliser, a potential source of phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), and five widely used industrial P and K fertilisers. In addition, we model hypothetical basalt substitution rates for PK fertilisers to highlight potential ecological savings in terms of carbon capture. Results: Basalt rock dust fertiliser has minimal embodied environmental impacts across all 15 impact categories, including global warming, compared to industrial P and K fertilisers. Conclusion: Our results suggest that transitioning to milled basalt as a natural geo-fertiliser to support food production may help address several UN Sustainable Development Goals such as 'Responsible consumption and production' and 'Climate Action and Zero Hunger'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Can the World Bank effectively mobilize private finance to developing countries to support climate change transition? This paper demonstrates that the World Bank's market-based approach, exemplified by its Maximizing Finance for Development (MFD) approach, under-serves areas with a higher need for mitigation and adaptation finance. As such, MFD seems more aligned with donors' interests in climate finance burden sharing, than with recipients' needs. While the World Bank now 'talks the talk' of effectively leveraging private development finance, findings on MFD show that the organization does not yet 'walk the walk'. The paper uses Qualitative Comparative Analysis to show that the MFD agenda is leading the World Bank to systematically ignore countries with low levels of development, poor governance structures, and higher levels of climate risk. By showing that the Bank's MFD approach is insufficient to incentivize private investment in the countries that need adaptation and mitigation finance the most, this article contributes to the critical scholarship on the World Bank that highlights its tendency to behave more like a financial institution than as a development agency, to the detriment of the most vulnerable global populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on developing the appropriate infrastructure between Poland and Ukraine to enable the import and export of hydrogen, ensuring EU consumers have access to sufficient quantities. Such infrastructure is crucial in achieving climate neutrality goals, as it will serve as a key transit area for hydrogen, thereby contributing to sustainable energy development in Europe. To address this, the article reviews existing solutions for hydrogen transportation via pipelines and proposes mapping the hydrogen transportation system between Poland and Ukraine. Specifically, it examines the possibility of constructing a hydrogen pipeline from Ukraine to Poland, with potential connections to the designated hydrogen supply corridors of the European Hydrogen Backbone (EHB) infrastructure. Through the use of Python-created maps and algorithms, the study demonstrates how a hydrogen supply corridor can be established between Poland and Ukraine and effectively integrated with the broader EU hydrogen supply corridors. Furthermore, the article discusses the complex challenges involved in building hydrogen pipelines, particularly the unification of design standards between EU and non-EU countries. Equally critical is the management of hydrogen export and import, given that no platform currently exists between Poland and Ukraine for this purpose. The integration of hydrogen pipeline transport systems is thus highlighted as a matter of international importance, providing a platform for cooperation between the two countries and facilitating the creation of a hydrogen corridor linked to the EU infrastructure. An original contribution of this study is the presentation of a map illustrating the potential corridor connecting the hydrogen pipeline systems between countries, along with the development of algorithms using Python, which open up possibilities for future expansion of the map. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Single action bias" (SAB) characterizes individuals' inclination to undertake only one preventive measure against climate change, disregarding potentially more effective alternatives. This bias poses a significant obstacle to comprehensive responses to climate change. While dynamic climate simulators have been developed to raise awareness of climate change and encourage pro-environmental behaviors, the prevalence of SAB within these tools remains unexplored. This study introduces the "Single Action Bias-Interactive Climate Change Simulator" (SAB-ICCS) to investigate SAB's manifestation in dynamic scenarios. Utilizing the framework of the Interactive Climate Change Simulator (ICCS), known for its efficacy in fostering pro-environmental actions, the SAB-ICCS explores how feedback, probability, and their interplay influence SAB prevalence during climate mitigation and adaptation decision-making. A total of 160 participants were randomly assigned to four conditions in the SAB-ICCS, varying feedback presence and climate change probability. Participants engaged in climate mitigation and adaptation actions, simulating the repercussions of climate change through investment choices in climate mitigation and adaptation (consisting of three insurance plans). The study's dependent variables were the participants' actions towards climate mitigation and adaptation. Results revealed a substantial prevalence of single action proportion (42%) compared to other action proportions. Furthermore, the total monetary investment was significantly higher when taking optimal actions than when exhibiting SAB. Moreover, a higher probability of climate change resulted in a higher prevalence of SAB (49%) than a lower probability (35%). Interestingly, feedback availability did not significantly impact SAB prevalence. Though both feedback and the probability of climate change influenced how participants exhibited SAB, and the absolute monetary investment was also significantly affected. This research enhances our comprehension of SAB within educational climate simulations, which is vital for informing climate education and policymaking. It offers insights for policymakers and educators to develop interventions addressing SAB, enhancing climate action strategies by understanding probability and feedback influences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The management of land use is a significant factor in maintaining the equilibrium of carbon stocks. However, the expansion of infrastructure, mining, industry, trade, economic activity and population has resulted in significant changes to land use, which have led to a reduction in carbon stock reserves. The objective of this study was to map the level of carbon stock reserves and to analyse the variable driving forces of carbon stock change. The variables used in this study encompass 21 distinct types, including: socio-economic, physical, locational, land and spatial planning aspects. The dependent variable comprises the level of carbon stock by land use type in 2014, 2018, and 2022. Spatial regression analysis was employed to ascertain the driving forces that exert a predominant influence on alterations in carbon stock reserves. The results of the spatial regression analysis between the dependent and independent variables yielded a highly significant correlation, as indicated by the R-square value exceeding 0.09. This condition is influenced by the use of complex and comprehensive variables, as well as the use of spatial regression which is able to analyse between variables by considering spatial aspects. The results of the analysis demonstrate that location variables (city centre, airport and road accessibility), physical variables (relative relief) and land variables (land title status) are the most dominant variables. The analysis of the driving force of carbon stock change represents a crucial aspect of land use management and the control of land use change from areas with high to low carbon stock. In order to maintain the balance of carbon stock reserves, it is essential to optimise mangrove areas and implement reforestation initiatives in forest areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses nationally representative survey data collected in Nigeria by the Pew Research Center in 2015, 2018, and 2019 to conduct a secondary analysis of three factors that can interact with concerns about climate change. The factors are: vulnerabilities to climate change, religious affiliation, and concerns regarding the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. Socio-economic vulnerability is also studied, and vulnerable groups are defined as those at risk of being affected by the impacts of climate change due to traditional socio-economic traits commonly identified as increasing risk factors. The findings are that individuals in poverty express the least concern about climate change and its effects. Religious affiliation has a limited role in increasing climate change awareness. However, this does not exclude the potential influence of other forms of religiosity in alleviating climate change vulnerabilities. Disapproval of Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement was higher among people living in the most vulnerable areas and among older individuals, while females tended not to disapprove of withdrawing from the agreement. Three recommendations for practice and policy are: focus on the most vulnerable, incorporate local knowledge—especially recognizing the important role of religiosity—and build capacity for greater awareness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the influence of anthropogenic CO 2 concentration fluctuations on the likelihood of climate-related disasters. We calibrate annual incidence rates against global disasters and CO 2 growth spanning from 1960 to 2022 based on a dynamic panel logit model. We also study the sensitivity of disaster incidence to stochastic carbon dynamics consistent with IPCC-projected climate outcomes for 2100. The key insight is that present and lagged CO 2 growth contains valuable information about the likelihood of future disaster events. We further show that lowering carbon stock uncertainty by dampening the persistence or the variability of CO 2 concentration has a first-order impact on mitigating expected disaster risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seaweeds are macrophytic algae that have been gaining interest as alternative healthy foods, renewable drug sources, and climate change mitigation agents. In terms of their nutritional value, seaweeds are renowned for their high content of biologically active polyunsaturated fatty acids. However, little is known about the regiochemistry—the geometry and position of carbon–carbon double bonds—of free and conjugated fatty acids in seaweeds. In the present work, a detailed characterization of the seaweed lipidome was achieved based on untargeted HRMS-based analysis and lipid derivatization with a photochemical aza-Paternò–Büchi reaction. A triple-data processing strategy was carried out to achieve high structural detail on the seaweed lipidome, i.e., (i) a first data processing workflow with all samples for aligning peak and statistical analysis that led to the definition of lipid sum compositions (e.g., phosphatidylglycerol (PG) 34:1), (ii) a second data processing workflow in which the samples of each seaweed were processed separately to annotate molecular lipids with known fatty acyl isomerism (e.g., PG 16:0_18:1), and (iii) the annotation of lipid regioisomers following MS/MS annotation of the lipid derivatives obtained following the aza-Paternò–Büchi reaction (e.g., PG 16:0_18:1 ω-9). Once the platform was set up, the lipid extracts from 8 seaweed species from different seaweed families were characterized, describing over 900 different lipid species, and information on the regiochemistry of carbon–carbon double bonds uncovered unknown peculiarities of seaweeds belonging to different families. The overall analytical approach helped to fill a gap in the knowledge of the nutritional composition of seaweeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Politics plays a key role when states steer themselves towards becoming low-carbon societies, as parliaments hold the power to guide nations’ activities. This article engages in a longitudinal analysis of parliamentary debates on energy, and identifies how topics emerge, evolve in parallel, and diminish. We used transcripts of plenary debates in Finnish parliament to model topics in energy from 2008 to 2020. We show that debates shift from one focus area to another, and that significant political decisions have been followed by policy-related activities, such as taxation and national strategies guiding energy issues. The idea of renewable energy has become more varied and accepted in political debates, further transforming energy politics, and has been partly incorporated in, and replaced by, the debate on climate change mitigation. Reducing carbon emissions has become a key target of energy transformation, and is likely to stay on the agenda in parliamentary debates on energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saline shallow lakes may play an important role in carbon exchange with the atmosphere, but their alteration may change carbon balance and greenhouse gas emissions patterns. This study investigated the relationship between carbon metabolic processes and environmental factors, focusing on alterations in salinity, hydroperiod length, and trophic status. The results revealed that disruptions to natural salinity patterns, driven by hydrological changes and ecological degradation, enhanced carbon greenhouse gas emitting metabolisms. In contrast, well-preserved lakes demonstrated significantly higher carbon retention and climate mitigation capacities (–188 ± 412 g C m−2 yr−1) compared to lakes with hydrological and trophic disturbances (–30 ± 141 g C m−2 yr−1). These findings emphasize the relevance of the metabolic activity of saline shallow lakes and highlight the need for targeted management and restoration efforts to maximize their climate regulation potential. The insights gained from this study may also be applicable to similar ecosystems in other regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change and natural land conversion are causing dramatic shifts in species distribution. Amphibians and reptiles, ectothermic animals with limited dispersal ability, and Mediterranean mountain ranges, which are home to numerous locally adapted taxa, are especially vulnerable to these threats. This is the case with Cilento, a highly biodiverse yet under‐investigated area in the southern Apennine Mountains that is protected by a National Park and 30 Natura 2000 sites. We used bias‐corrected species distribution models and area of habitat (AOH) maps to assess the potential combined impact of climate and land‐use change on 11 amphibians and 16 reptiles in the Park and overlapping Natura 2000 sites. The former estimates species climatic suitability (CS) by correlating species presence to climatic characteristics, whereas the latter classifies the land‐use types based on species–habitat relationships. We estimated CS and AOH for current conditions and two climate and land‐use/cover change scenarios: one of sustainability (SSP1‐2.6) and one of fossil‐fueled development (SSP5‐8.5). Under both scenarios, most species showed significant CS loss, with the greatest declines estimated for amphibians and under SSP5‐8.5. Highland species appear to be the most vulnerable, whereas lowland species may gain CS. Given the widespread renaturalization of agricultural land under both scenarios, most species did not show declines in AOH due to land‐use change. However, all species were projected to face significant shifts in CS under both scenarios, presenting a crucial challenge to their survival. These findings offer valuable insights for climate mitigation initiatives aimed at securing the long‐term protection of herpetofauna within Cilento's protected areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is based on our experience of running a one‐day participatory workshop at the Hull History Centre in the summer of 2023 titled ‘Watery Archives: Exploring Hull's flood histories’. The event was co‐designed by academics and archivists in direct response to feedback from our community participants as part of the Risky Cities project at the University of Hull. During the day, we invited participants to explore original historical material about Hull's flood histories from the seventeenth to the twentieth century, and then to produce creative and sometimes activist outputs that encouraged participants to critically engage with climate change today. The paper reflects on the value of community and participatory based approaches to open up access to archives and to unleash new learnings and discoveries. It considers some of the potential barriers to engagement in archives and shows how we addressed some of those challenges in our workshop design using methods of participatory learning and research. The paper shows how the 'Watery Archives' workshop built on the power of partnership between academic and heritage organisations to drive community‐led, place‐based research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Based on Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 6 (CMIP6) simulations, we found that the frequency and intensity of daytime–nighttime compound hot extremes (HEs) in the mid‐high latitudes of Asia (MHA) are expected to increase. The most significant increase is anticipated under the shared socioeconomic pathway (SSP) 5‐8.5, while the smallest increase is expected under SSP1‐2.6. Notably, unlike the decreasing trends of independent HEs since 2050 under the high emission scenarios, the compound HEs, which comprise the largest proportion, are expected to continuously increase and intensify. To better understand the impact of these changes on human society, we also focused on changes in population exposed to HEs. The findings reveal that population exposure to compound and nighttime HEs is projected to increase most rapidly under SSP3‐7.0, with estimates indicating increases of 10.06 and 3.80 times, respectively, by the end of the century. The most significant increases are expected in the mid‐latitudes, where changes in HEs are most pronounced. Climate change is the primary driver behind the rising population exposure to compound and nighttime HEs, with its impact expected to grow over time. Conversely, exposure to daytime HEs is primarily influenced by population changes, particularly in urban areas. Therefore, effective climate change mitigation and adaptive strategies are crucial to reducing future population exposure to HEs in MHA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing animal product consumption is a necessary action to mitigate climate change and other environmental issues. We tested and compared the effectiveness of an individual and a social app-based 30-day challenge in reducing animal product consumption. Through a pre-registered field randomized controlled trial (n = 1213), we find both conditions reduced animal product consumption by 16–17% compared to the control group, with a lasting effect only for the social treatment (encouragement to involve family and friends) 3 months after the intervention. The effects were largest for meat consumption and those who consumed meat at the baseline. Additionally, associated greenhouse gas emissions decreased by 21–24% and are still significantly reduced 3 months after both interventions, with a larger effect for the social treatment. Our findings suggest that app-based animal product-free challenges are a cost-effective way (~€13–25 per tCO2-eq assuming a 1-year lasting effect) to translate intentions into lasting dietary change, especially when involving the social environment and targeting meat eaters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land degradation is a major problem in Ethiopia, as it contributes to climate change by releasing greenhouse gases (GHG) and slowing carbon sequestration rates. The objective of this review was to assess the role of conservation agriculture (CA) in climate change adaptation and mitigation in Ethiopia. The critical review method processes for identifying and synthesizing peer-reviewed research and review articles, reports, proceedings, and book chapters were followed, with materials obtained from relevant search engines. The findings of the various reports revealed that minimum tillage assists in soil moisture conservation when compared to conventional tillage. Conservation tillage maintains crop residue, reduces soil temperature significantly, and increases nutrient buildup in the surface soil layer, all of which lead to higher crop growth and production thus help as adaptation to climate change. Furthermore, agriculture and other land uses significantly contribute to greenhouse gas emissions; nevertheless, conservation agricultural methods improve soil organic carbon (SOC), soil aggregation, and carbon in aggregate, as well as soil health that contribute to climate changing mitigation. Several studies found that soil health indicators such as soil aggregation, soil organic carbon storage, soil enzymes, and microbial biomass improved under conservation tillage practices, potentially improving the carbon-nitrogen cycle, soil stability, and overall crop productivity. In terms of climate adaptation and mitigation, CA is one of the non-substitutable choices for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Crop diversity, increased nitrogen consumption efficiency, crop rotation, improved soil carbon sequestration methods; crop residue retention, minimum soil disturbance, manure incorporation, and integrated farming systems are all important factors in minimizing GHG emissions. Moreover, factors impeding CA adoption include a lack of appropriate equipment and machinery, weed control methods, the use of crop residue for fuel wood and animal feed, a lack of awareness about the benefits of CA on soil health and sustainability, and a lack of government technical and financial support for smallholder farmers. Adoption and scaling up of CA practices are critical for ensuring a sustainable development goal and resilient future. Thus, relevant stakeholders should consider the aforementioned considerations while promoting the technology on a large scale through integration with enhanced technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tackling climate change requires both systemic changes and individual lifestyle changes. Are those best placed to understand the risks and solutions to climate change acting on their knowledge? In a large-scale study of N = 9220 researchers across 115 countries, we found that climate researchers reported engaging in considerably more advocacy and activism on climate change and, to a lesser extent, high-impact lifestyle changes than non-climate researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploiting an exogenous shock from a centrally devised, nationwide higher education expansion in China in the late 1990s and followed by a surge in the college-educated labour in job markets in the early 2000s, we use a difference-in-differences strategy and carbon satellite datasets to empirically estimate the impact and mechanisms of increases in human capital investment on carbon emission intensity. We find that the regions with the most human-capital-dependent can experience a larger decline of carbon emission intensity compared with that of regions with the least after the policy entry into force. The college-educated labour with higher social responsibility flooded into the job markets contributes to the low-carbon transformation of economy, by improving the production efficiency and innovation, and in turn promoting the upgrading of industrial structure and decreasing the use of fossil energy. This climate mitigation effect is more profound for the regions that are economically developed but also lack the education resources of university and college. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Policy highlightsThe majority of English Local Authorities (LAs) have set targets to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 or sooner, despite having no formal responsibilities to do so. However, it is questionable whether LAs are able to deliver these plans and targets whilst they are subject to significant operational pressures. This analysis applies the international “equity” framework of Common But Differentiated Responsibility and Respective Capabilities to the case of English LAs. The research evaluates responses from 28 semi-structured interviews with stakeholders from across levels of government, different sectors, and regions of England. We evaluate the drivers of inequalities in capabilities to implement climate action between LAs, and how these inequalities could be reduced through a number of governance interventions. Though the introduction of a statutory responsibility is frequently discussed in the literature, its perceived viability and equity have not been empirically assessed by stakeholders. We therefore evaluate stakeholder perspectives on whether this would be a fair mechanism for allocating responsibility to the local scale. We find that economic, social and political aspects of capability are interdependent, and that current governance arrangements tend to reinforce patterns of inequality in capability. We offer a series of policy recommendations to improve equity in burden-sharing between LAs, finding that funding reform and a well-designed and well-resourced statutory responsibility could be both effective and fair.The governance of local climate action in England reinforces existing inequalities in economic, social and political capability between Local Authorities (LAs).Though councils are currently taking action voluntarily, further support is required to ensure councils can equitably meet their net zero ambitions.A statutory responsibility would improve equity in burden-sharing for mitigation between councils, provided it was well-designed and resourced.A statutory responsibility could introduce a reporting component that would provide an evidence base to target greater support to councils that need it.Equity-based funding systems are proposed as a means of respecting the variable capabilities of different LAs.The governance of local climate action in England reinforces existing inequalities in economic, social and political capability between Local Authorities (LAs).Though councils are currently taking action voluntarily, further support is required to ensure councils can equitably meet their net zero ambitions.A statutory responsibility would improve equity in burden-sharing for mitigation between councils, provided it was well-designed and resourced.A statutory responsibility could introduce a reporting component that would provide an evidence base to target greater support to councils that need it.Equity-based funding systems are proposed as a means of respecting the variable capabilities of different LAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]