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Comparing relevant indicators of the Sustainable Development Goals with other indicators of biodiversity trends shows little relation between the two, because the former more strongly reflect socioeconomic indicators.
Climate change is driving fishery stocks out of their historic ranges. This study finds that the risk of such fishery exits is greatest in the tropics and that policy frameworks are poorly equipped to grapple with this challenge.
Adoption of air conditioning is increasing globally, leading to peaks in electricity consumption and related environmental concerns. Compiling recent data on population and temperature, this study ranks 219 countries and 1,692 cities based on a measure of cooling demand to improve our understanding of future trends.
Recently, ecologists have begun discussing an idea for setting aside half of the Earth for conservation purposes. This study provides some of the first analysis of the impacts of doing so on society, based on assumptions about ecoregions and human footprint.
Reducing agriculture’s impacts while increasing outputs is challenging. This study, of an Indian smallholder system, shows that microsatellite data can detect yield gains from a low-cost fertilizer intervention.
Updated forest inventories are critical for policymaking. This study presents an approach to map coordinated top-down European forest management strategies that spatially weighs the multifunctionality of European forests. Such an approach should help identify pathways to manage forests sustainably.
Implementation of a groundwater conservation policy in northwest India governing rice irrigation is linked to an increase in fires to clear agricultural residue, which itself worsens air quality in urban areas.
Waste plastic can be converted into a potential fuel source using a new nano-scale catalyst. This catalyst has well-defined and uniform surface openings, so it needs only one step to convert low-density polyethylene into a gasoline-type product.
The Sustainable Development Goals agenda is proposed as an interconnected framework that requires policy coherence for implementation. This study shows that the connections across goals are uneven and that gender equality, peace and governance concerns are not adequately integrated.
US coastlines that are exposed to hurricanes are subject to a myriad of regulations regarding building and rebuilding of structures, yet satellite imagery shows that the footprint of residential buildings increases after hurricane events for both new and renovated structures. Such an effect poses a challenge for vulnerable coastlines to build resilience in the face of growing hazards and houses.
In response to continuing habitat and biodiversity loss, leading conservationists have proposed setting aside half the earth for nature. This study evaluates the trade-offs with food production and finds losses in croplands, pasture and calories that vary with the conservation strategy.
The implementation of technologic solutions to complex problems can have unintended effects. This study questions the water sustainability of using shade balls in the Los Angeles reservoir to reduce evaporation during the recent drought in California, by assessing the shade balls’ water footprint.
A two-wave survey focused on 21 actions shows that the anticipation of a ‘feel-good’ effect is positively associated with proenvironmental behaviours over a four-week period. This association is found to be stronger for low-cost green choices.
Choosing products like recycled water, artificial meat and insect-based food is hindered by the disgust they elicit. This study finds that using a foreign language to describe such products can increase both their intended and actual consumption.
A balanced diet is vital for human health, and the Sustainable Development Goals codify this aim. This study finds that trade helps ensure the equitable distribution of food nutrients globally, with implications for international trade policies.