Articles in 2023

Aromatic chemicals, having indispensable roles in human society, are currently produced from fossil resources. Here, the authors introduce a strategy to synthesize benzenoid aromatics from bio-based feedstock, showing the possibility of phasing out fossil-based feedstocks in aromatics production.

The idea that technology and green growth strategies can sufficiently decouple economic growth from associated environmental impacts has both supporters and opposers. This study presents the views of climate policy researchers from 73 countries on different growth models, including green growth, agrowth and degrowth.

Freshwaters require targeted policy considerations to achieve biodiversity conservation goals and to support ecosystem services that communities around the globe depend upon. Effective conservation requires creative solutions that build and expand upon conventional protected areas, contextualized for these diverse ecosystems.

A scalable fabrication method using a green solvent, γ-valerolactone, is developed to prepare high-quality formamidinium lead iodide perovskite films. Interactions between the solvent and precursor materials stabilize the perovskite ink, which has a long shelf life and wide processing window. Passivation of the films with tributylmethylammonium enables the realization of a high-efficiency perovskite solar module.

Illegal logging in the Brazilian Amazon exacerbates existing degradation and pressures, but has been difficult to measure. This paper identifies the risk of entry points for illegally logged forests into formal supply chains to quantify how widespread this issue may be.

As lead halide perovskite solar cell technologies are progressing rapidly towards their commercialization, sustainability must be adopted as an essential principle. Here the authors show a green solvent formula that involves no toxic organic solutions but allows for scalable processing of perovskite for solar cells with high efficiency.

Understanding the synergistic effects of aridity and grazing on dryland ecosystem attributes can be important for identifying ‘safe operating spaces’ for grazing under an increasingly arid climate. This study uses two-dimensional ecological threshold models to assess this in China’s drylands.

Closed-loop recycling of plastics is a key technology for a sustainable future. Researchers have now created biorenewable plastics that outperform fossil-based analogues and meet criteria for circularity.

World Heritage Sites are under threat of severe impacts due to climate change. This Perspective discusses three facets of management—integrating pluralistic values, adopting holistic methods and ensuring Indigenous leadership—that can assist the conservation of sites.

A circular economy for plastics offers a promising solution to the pollution crisis. Here the authors take advantage of the unique chemistry of polydiketoenamine resins, showing how plastics can be biorenewable and recyclable by incorporating biosourced triacetic acid lactone.

This Perspective argues that slums, particularly in the Global South, are often left out of circular economy research for a variety of reasons, but that such places already provide meaningful examples of circular practices in everyday life.

While the phrase ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ is ordered that way to best minimize waste, many consumers seem to overlook reduction in favour of recycling after the fact. This study examines perceptions of waste management and why many people feel powerless to affect change.

As the research community remembers John Bannister Goodenough for his contributions to the development of batteries, we reflect on his legacy, what it means to sustainability and where we go next in the quest for a more sustainable future.

Continued sea-level rise is driving the intrusion of saltwater into coastal wetlands and shallow groundwater reservoirs. High-resolution aerial images reveal that saltwater intrusion in the US Mid-Atlantic may be worse than previously thought, with costly impacts on regional agriculture.

Lead-halide perovskites could revolutionize the provision of low-cost solar energy but are limited by their neurotoxic lead content, which can readily dissolve in water. A supramolecular complex has now been developed to suppress lead release.

Lead toxicity of perovskite solar cells is hindering their commercialization, as lead is currently indispensable in making high-performance perovskite solar cells. Here the authors propose a new strategy to address this issue while simultaneously improving the stability and reproducibility of perovskite solar cells.

Failing to keep the increase of global mean temperature below 1.5 °C will have multiple negative implications. A study maps the annual changes in cooling demand, showing the most affected countries by warming, if the global mean temperature rises from 1.5 °C to 2.0 °C