News & Views in 2022

Billions of people across the globe lack access to safe drinking water. Now a study sheds light on the potential for sunlight-based technologies to offer reliable disinfection for rural populations, which are often the most underserved.

Always aspiring for more is a side of human nature that does not accord well with sustainable resource use. However, recent results show that this facet of human nature may not be as typical as previously assumed, potentially opening up a more sustainable and just future for humanity.

Early human impacts on the environment can illuminate current sustainability challenges. A new paper argues that 5,500 years ago in North China a positive feedback cycle between two domesticated species sparked ongoing intensification of agriculture production and intervention in nature.

Co-culture systems produce more food per land unit — offering a sustainable solution to food security. The first step may lie in optimizing for diverse species interaction networks, much like the way engineers design manufacturing systems for optimal productivity.

In China, rapid growth is raising concerns about the impacts of industrial pollution on drinking water and health. A recent study identifies concentrations of disinfection byproducts as a possible culprit in high levels of bladder cancer.

Sustainable recycling is necessary for wood to maintain its capacity to store CO₂ and to smooth the transition towards a circular economy. Now, an innovative approach offers a promising perspective on second- and third-life applications for ‘waste’ wood.

In the global transition to sustainable development, policy coherence is key. A new study highlights the equal importance of policy dynamism over time — how policymakers must anticipate national advances in sustainability to meet shifting strategic needs.

COVID-19 lockdowns stalled protected area management in many countries. New research examines how fire and on-site protected area management are interlinked, demonstrating the novel use of satellite data and statistical modelling.

A short window of opportunity during the COVID-19 economic shutdown provides striking evidence of environmental disparity.

The world is facing a sand crisis, as booming sand use poses global sustainability challenges. A study now presents a blueprint for a less sand-demanding future, where synergistic material-efficiency strategies are crucial for curbing sand demand.

The transition to a low-carbon energy system requires a huge range of materials for the technologies needed. Now a study highlights how large the demand for aluminium could be with rapid photovoltaic adoption, which could have a massive carbon footprint if action is not taken in the sector.