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Designing and implementing effective carbon offset mechanisms is a complex and challenging process. This Perspective underscores the importance of transparency across the carbon-offsetting value chain and places it as a prerequisite for efficient offset mechanisms and, ultimately, carbon emissions reduction.
Phase transitions are detrimental to the cyclability of layered oxide cathodes for next-generation sodium-ion batteries. Now, two complementary studies suggest principles on how to navigate through the vast compositional space for better electrochemical performance.
As our reach extends outside our planet into Earth’s orbital space and beyond, the need for proactive research and equitable governance of human activity in outer space is more urgent than ever.
The energy sector has led to the creation of marine artificial structures such as oil and gas installations and offshore wind farms. This global meta-analysis assesses whether such structures can act as artificial reefs and benefit the marine environment when left at sea following decommissioning.
The rapid launch of hundreds of thousands of satellites into low Earth orbit will significantly alter our view of the sky and raise concerns about the sustainability of Earth’s orbital space. A new framework for sustainable space development must balance technological advancement, protection of space environments and our capacity to explore the Universe.
Evaluating the sustainability impacts of housing policies for low- and moderate-income households is challenging. This study links observations of housing programme participation and utility consumption to quantify the benefits of locally administered housing policies in a typical community in the American Southeast.
Global food supply chains drive ecosystem degradation and social injustices. This Perspective focuses on the ability of midstream actors operating between agricultural commodity producers and manufacturers of food products to improve supply chain sustainability.
Research on how to support human exploration and eventual habitation of outer space is advancing. However, while its aims are beyond our planet, space bioprocess engineering has practical sustainability applications here on Earth.
This work shows an integrated device that could harvest osmosis energy at one side and then drive efficient production of green hydrogen from seawater at the other side.
Polyamides are an important class of polymers, yet their fossil-based manufacturing markedly contributes to environmental pollution. A recent breakthrough unlocks a sustainable pathway to recyclable polyamides produced directly from biomass.
With a sustainable carbohydrate core, the proposed polyamide plastic design here can compete with fossil-based alternative in terms of both performance and cost.
Carceral facilities have experienced an increase in days with dangerous heat conditions over the past 40 years, particularly at state facilities in the southern and southwestern United States. Indoor temperature regulation is necessary to protect the health of vulnerable incarcerated populations.
An increasingly warm climate can lead to more intense, frequent and longer periods of hazardous heat, increasing the risk of heat-related health concerns. This study assesses whether incarcerated people in the United States are potentially disproportionately exposed to such hazardous heat conditions.
Landfills are a major methane emitter, but the current bottom-up inventories used for emissions accounting are poorly constrained and show strong biases. Improved emissions estimates show that across the globe, methane emissions from individual landfills have been underestimated by up to 200%.
Measuring the heath of urban greenery is costly but important. This Review presents the advantages and trade-offs of technology-supported tools to measure the health of urban greenery and highlights the importance of high-resolution urban greenery data to support cities in achieving Sustainable Development Goals.
Global food systems, a major driver of biodiversity loss, are exposed to multiple stressors, including geopolitical shocks like wars. A study now shows the impacts of the Russia–Ukraine conflict on the global food market, and the consequences in terms of cropland expansion and biodiversity harm.
The impacts of the war in Ukraine on global food systems have multiple sustainability implications that are yet to be examined. This study simulates the potential war-induced cropland expansion worldwide and presents a biodiversity impact assessment, showing the most affected countries.
Most glass fibre-reinforced plastics (GFRPs) waste currently ends up in either landfills or incineration facilities, resulting in adverse environmental impacts and waste of resources. Now, a flash Joule heating technology can achieve rapid and effective upcycling of GFRPs waste into SiC, a material that has a wide range of applications.