Silicon solar cells based on tunnel oxide passivating contact have industrial potential yet they are less investigated for tandem applications. Now Zheng et al. show a 28.67% certified efficiency for a perovskite/silicon tandem cell using a boron- and phosphorus-doped polycrystalline silicon connecting layer.

The traditional understanding of obstacles to climate change action highlights economic costs and free-riding. Mercure et al. show that, in contrast, climate action in many regions is economically favourable and advancing rapidly, but to avoid potentially destabilizing levels of stranded fossil fuel assets demands urgent and rapid economic diversification.

The majority of electrocatalysts selective for CO₂ reduction to ethanol are based on Cu. Here the authors report a highly ethanol-selective Sn-based electrocatalyst, which is proposed to operate via a tandem mechanism.

As the deployment of variable renewable energy sources may lead to greater cross-border electricity exchange, energy scholars have generally presumed the emergence of cooperative multi-state grid communities. This Perspective uses International Relations theory to explore this assumption.

Recent liquid electrolyte advancements have achieved dendrite-free Li plating, but Li corrosion remains an issue. Here the authors propose an electrolyte solution to minimize Li corrosion, enabling high-energy-density Li-metal batteries.

Ni-rich layered cathodes offer a high energy density but experience rapid capacity fading due to interfacial side reactions. This study proposes near-surface modifications for these Ni-rich cathodes to fulfil practical battery application requirements.

Wide-bandgap perovskite solar cells are limited by losses in open-circuit voltage. Wang et al. show that diammonium halide salts promote a homogeneous distribution of halides in the perovskite, improving the performance of single- and triple-junction solar cells.

Silicon solar cells based on tunnel oxide passivating contact have industrial potential yet they are less investigated for tandem applications. Now Zheng et al. show a 28.67% certified efficiency for a perovskite/silicon tandem cell using a boron- and phosphorus-doped polycrystalline silicon connecting layer.

Highly performing fuel cell catalysts tested at the fundamental level rarely translate well to full devices, in part due complicated ionomer-catalyst interfaces at the heart of devices, where the electrochemical reactions occur. Here the authors demonstrate ionomerless-thin-film-deposited cathodes that have comparable activity trends across fundamental tests and fuel cells.

Ammonia can be synthesized electrochemically from nitric oxide, but the catalytic performance has generally not been satisfactory. Here the authors report a highly active copper–tin alloy for nitric oxide reduction to ammonia, which they test in a flow cell and a membrane electrode assembly.

A differentiated natural gas market is emerging as a key mechanism to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across global natural gas supply chains. Trust in such voluntary markets across civil society, industry and governments depends on a transparent framework for reporting independently verifiable and accurate emissions data.

Access to clean energy is essential to sustainable human development. We thus have a responsibility and an opportunity to meet the global goal of ending energy poverty by 2030. We propose the creation of a new Mission Energy Access programme to support this aim.