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A research agenda that integrates understanding of the social processes with technical analysis of climate and energy systems is necessary to catalyse a transition to a low-carbon world.
Strong positive selection on cold hardiness and relaxed selection on heat hardiness experienced by range-expanding populations may help to explain why ectothermic animals generally have broader thermal tolerance towards the poles, and shed new light on their climate vulnerabilities.
The ratio of global temperature change to cumulative emissions is relatively constant up to two trillion tonnes of carbon emissions. Now a new modelling study suggests that the concept of a constant ratio is even applicable to higher cumulative carbon emissions, with important implications for future warming.
Businesses are increasingly undertaking initiatives that increase profit and provide environmental benefits. They risk backlash, however, as people are shown to respond negatively to the notion of a business profiting from such initiatives.
Long-term model simulations show that a linear relationship between atmospheric warming and cumulative CO2 emissions holds up to 5 trillion tonnes of carbon (EgC), the estimated total fossil fuel resource in the absence of mitigation efforts.
A model comparison shows that integrated and sector-specific models suggest different results for various climate impacts. The discrepancies are particularly pronounced for indicators such as food production and water exploitation.
Aridity is expected to increase globally in a warmer world. Research now suggests that this is substantially amplified by land–atmosphere feedbacks associated with the land surface’s response to climate and plant responses to increased atmospheric CO2.
A 20-year grassland experiment shows links between plant functional traits and the climate. Species favoured by extended growing seasons have taller canopies and faster assimilation rates, at the expense of those with high leaf-tissue investment.
In the aftermath of COP21, potential post-2030 emission trajectories and their consistency with the 2 °C target are a core concern for the ocean scientific community in light of the end-century risks of impact scenarios.
The people that are most concerned about climate change do not always take action. Behavioural modelling shows that concerned citizens are more likely to act if they believe similar people are taking action, and that their action will make a difference.
Droughts are intensifying under climate change. Research into the resilience of stream food webs to drought now shows that ‘rewiring’ of food web structure in the face of species losses helps to buffer changes to the overall network structure.
Many campaigns to get people to purchase sustainable products highlight self-interest. However, experiments now show that emphasizing the environmental benefit of such goods may be more effective.
Reducing energy usage is important for climatechange mitigation. This Perspective focuses on the use and promise of agent-based modelling to understand the complexities of energy demand, including consumer behaviour.
Public understanding of climate change is well researched, but little is known about public perceptions of ocean acidification. New survey data shows that public awareness of ocean acidification in Great Britain is low compared to that of climate change.
