Review Article
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Open Access
Featured
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Article
| Open AccessThe economic costs of planting, preserving, and managing the world’s forests to mitigate climate change
Forests are critical for stabilizing our climate, but costs of mitigation remain uncertain. Here the authors show the global forest sector could reduce emissions by 6.0 GtCO2 yr−1 in 2055, or roughly 10% of the mitigation needed to limit warming to 1.5 °C by mid-century, at a cost of 393 billion USD yr−1, or $281/tCO2.
- K. G. Austin
- , J. S. Baker
- & A. Bean
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Comment
| Open AccessSimplicity lacks robustness when projecting heat-health outcomes in a changing climate
Extreme heat adversely affects human health, productivity, and well-being, with more frequent and intense heatwaves projected to increase exposures. However, current risk projections oversimplify critical inter-individual factors of human thermoregulation, resulting in unreliable and unrealistic estimates of future adverse health outcomes.
- Jennifer K. Vanos
- , Jane W. Baldwin
- & Kristie L. Ebi
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Article
| Open AccessExploring the trade-offs between electric heating policy and carbon mitigation in China
China has enacted Electric Heating Policy to substitute electricity for in-home combustion for rural residential heating. Here the authors show that this shift would greatly increase national carbon emissions by 101.69–162.89 megatons in 2015 while impeding China’s carbon mitigation process in the future.
- Jianxiao Wang
- , Haiwang Zhong
- & Chongqing Kang
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Article
| Open AccessImpacts of irrigated agriculture on food–energy–water–CO2 nexus across metacoupled systems
Local human activities can lead to cross-border environmental impacts through the food–energy–water–CO2 nexus. Here, the authors report wide variations in environmental impacts of irrigated agriculture across counties within the North China Plain under different environmental and socioeconomic scenarios.
- Zhenci Xu
- , Xiuzhi Chen
- & Yunkai Li
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Article
| Open AccessRole of export industries on ozone pollution and its precursors in China
The global supply chain and demand for export goods can lead to relocated emissions. Goods produced in China for foreign markets have lead to an increase of domestic non-methane volatile organic compounds emissions by 3.5 million tons in 2013 resulting in potentially an estimated 16,889 premature deaths annually.
- Jiamin Ou
- , Zhijiong Huang
- & Dabo Guan
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Article
| Open AccessNeglecting uncertainties biases house-elevation decisions to manage riverine flood risks
This study investigates the effects of uncertainties on the decision of how high to elevate a house in flood-prone areas. Accounting for several uncertainties suggests avenues on how to improve guidelines from FEMA.
- Mahkameh Zarekarizi
- , Vivek Srikrishnan
- & Klaus Keller
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Article
| Open AccessDramatic uneven urbanization of large cities throughout the world in recent decades
Urban development has dramatically increased in recent decades. Analyzing 841 large cities throughout the world for the period from 2001 to 2018, the authors disclosed uneven features of global urbanization in terms of urban expansion, population growth, and greening at different economic levels.
- Liqun Sun
- , Ji Chen
- & Dian Huang
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Article
| Open AccessFusing subnational with national climate action is central to decarbonization: the case of the United States
Climate action from local actors is vital in achieving nationally determined contributions under the Paris Agreement. Here the authors show that existing commitments from U.S. states, cities and business could reduce emissions 25% below 2005 levels by 2030, with expanded subnational action reducing emissions by 37% and federal action by up to 49%.
- Nathan E. Hultman
- , Leon Clarke
- & John O’Neill
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Article
| Open AccessNear-real-time monitoring of global CO2 emissions reveals the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has stopped many human activities, which has had significant impact on emissions of greenhouse gases. Here, the authors present daily estimates of country-level CO2 emissions for different economic sectors and show that there has been a 8.8% decrease in global CO2 emissions in the first half of 2020.
- Zhu Liu
- , Philippe Ciais
- & Hans Joachim Schellnhuber
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Article
| Open AccessUnconventional oil and gas development and ambient particle radioactivity
Unconventional oil and gas production has increased drastically in the US, but its environmental impacts are not well known. Here, the authors show that these wells can be associated with elevated levels of airborne particle radioactivity in downwind locations.
- Longxiang Li
- , Annelise J. Blomberg
- & Petros Koutrakis
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Article
| Open AccessCrop switching reduces agricultural losses from climate change in the United States by half under RCP 8.5
Switching and relocating crops could be a key pathway for agricultural adaptation to climate change. Here, Rising and Devineni use data-driven Bayesian modelling to estimate the potential for crop switching to mitigate climate impacts on US crop production under a high-emission scenario, showing considerable opportunities but also limitations.
- James Rising
- & Naresh Devineni
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Article
| Open AccessRegional impacts of electricity system transition in Central Europe until 2035
Implementation of Central European electricity targets will redistribute regional benefits and burdens. Here the authors show that the aims of cost-efficiency, regional equality, and renewable electricity generation have vastly different implementation pathways, impacts, and trade-offs.
- Jan-Philipp Sasse
- & Evelina Trutnevyte
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Article
| Open AccessCoastal flooding will disproportionately impact people on river deltas
Coastal river delta regions are particularly impacted by the effects of climate change, yet though these regions are densely inhabited, robust estimates of population are lacking. Here the authors use global datasets to predict the number of people and regions most threatened by flooding and extreme weather.
- Douglas A. Edmonds
- , Rebecca L. Caldwell
- & Sacha M. O. Siani
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Article
| Open AccessHuman-like driving behaviour emerges from a risk-based driver model
Most driver models were designed for specific scenario. Here, the authors developed a driver behaviour model that can be applied to multiple scenarios and show that human-like driving behaviour emerges when the Driver’s Risk Field is coupled to a controller that maintains the perceived risk below a threshold level.
- Sarvesh Kolekar
- , Joost de Winter
- & David Abbink
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Article
| Open AccessThe social and environmental complexities of extracting energy transition metals
As low-carbon energy technologies advance, markets are driving demand for energy transition metals, increasing the stress placed on people and the environment in extractive locations. Here, the authors quantify this stress by developing a set of global composite environmental, social and governance risk indicators, and find that 84% of platinum resources and 70% of cobalt resources are located in high-risk contexts.
- Éléonore Lèbre
- , Martin Stringer
- & Rick K. Valenta
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Article
| Open AccessOver 90 endangered fish and invertebrates are caught in industrial fisheries
Due to legislative shortfalls, species of global conservation concern can still be captured in commercial fisheries. Here the authors show that 91 threatened species are reported in catch/landing databases, 13 of which are traded internationally despite their conservation concern.
- Leslie A. Roberson
- , Reg A. Watson
- & Carissa J. Klein
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Article
| Open AccessIndia’s potential for integrating solar and on- and offshore wind power into its energy system
India currently relies heavily on fossil-based sources for its power needs. Here the authors show that renewable energy in India could be cheaper than fossil-based alternatives and could reduce CO2 emissions by 85% by 2040.
- Tianguang Lu
- , Peter Sherman
- & Michael McElroy
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Article
| Open AccessCarbon pricing and planetary boundaries
In the light of nine Earth System Processes (ESPs) and the corresponding planetary boundaries, here the authors assessed the global environmental impact of a global carbon pricing in a multi-boundary world. They show that a global carbon tax would relieve pressure on most ESPs and it is therefore stronger in a multi-boundary world than when considering climate change in isolation.
- Gustav Engström
- , Johan Gars
- & Badri Narayanan
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Review Article
| Open AccessClimate action requires new accounting guidance and governance frameworks to manage carbon in shelf seas
Accounting guidelines exist for carbon flows in terrestrial and coastal ecosystems, but not shelf sea sediments. In this Review, the authors explore whether effective management of carbon stocks accumulating in shelf seas could contribute to a nation’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets.
- Tiziana Luisetti
- , Silvia Ferrini
- & Emmanouil Tyllianakis
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| Open AccessUncovering temporal changes in Europe’s population density patterns using a data fusion approach
Official data on the distribution of human population often ignores the changing spatio-temporal densities resulting from mobility. Here, authors apply an approach combining official statistics and geospatial data to assess intraday and monthly population variations at continental scale at 1 km2 resolution.
- Filipe Batista e Silva
- , Sérgio Freire
- & Carlo Lavalle
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Article
| Open AccessUsing insurance data to quantify the multidimensional impacts of warming temperatures on yield risk
The impacts of climate change on agricultural productivity remain debated. Here, the authors present new evidence for the magnitude and causes of U.S. crop insurance losses, using a database of production risk from 1989–2014 across 1733 counties for corn and 1632 counties for soybeans, and find that crop production risk will increase in response to warmer temperatures.
- Edward D. Perry
- , Jisang Yu
- & Jesse Tack
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Article
| Open AccessAssessment of lithium criticality in the global energy transition and addressing policy gaps in transportation
The long-term availability of lithium in the event of significant demand growth of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries is important to assess. Here the authors assess lithium demand and supply challenges of a long-term energy transition using 18 scenarios, developed by combining 8 demand and 4 supply variations.
- Peter Greim
- , A. A. Solomon
- & Christian Breyer
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Article
| Open AccessMethane emissions from natural gas vehicles in China
The methane emissions from natural gas vehicles (NGVs) are unclear. Here the authors report high methane emissions from heavy-duty NGVs, and by using a scenario analysis show that strictly implementing the upcoming China VI standard could reduce GHG emissions by 509 Mt CO2eq for 2020-2030.
- Da Pan
- , Lei Tao
- & Mark A. Zondlo
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Article
| Open AccessEnvironmental-social-economic footprints of consumption and trade in the Asia-Pacific region
The environmental and socio-economic implications of the growth in welfare and trade in Asia-Pacific (APAC) remain unclear. Here the authors show that over the past two decades (1995–2015), owing to intraregional trade, the APAC economies have grown increasingly interdependent in natural resource use, air emissions, and labor and economic productivity.
- Lan Yang
- , Yutao Wang
- & Yuanbo Qiao
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Article
| Open AccessGlobal correlates of terrestrial and marine coverage by protected areas on islands
Islands have disproportionate importance for biodiversity conservation, yet they may be underrepresented in protected areas. Here the authors assess how climate, geography, habitat diversity, and socio-economic conditions explain terrestrial and marine protected area coverage on inhabited islands and in the surrounding seas globally.
- David Mouillot
- , Laure Velez
- & Marc Troussellier
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Article
| Open AccessSocietal benefits of halving agricultural ammonia emissions in China far exceed the abatement costs
Global largest agricultural ammonia (NH3) emissions in China have caused severe damage to both ecosystem and human health, yet no policy is formulated to reduce NH3 emissions. Here, the authors show that halving agricultural NH3 emissions with feasible technical mitigation options in China generates far more societal benefits than abatement costs.
- Xiuming Zhang
- , Baojing Gu
- & Deli Chen
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Article
| Open AccessEffective plans for hospital system response to earthquake emergencies
Hospital systems are critical, especially in providing healthcare services after disasters. Here, the authors revealed that in Lima the spatial distribution of health service demands mismatches the capacities of hospitals after earthquakes, leaving large zones on the periphery significantly underserved.
- Luis Ceferino
- , Judith Mitrani-Reiser
- & Celso Bambarén
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Article
| Open AccessDiffusion of flue gas desulfurization reveals barriers and opportunities for carbon capture and storage
The historical diffusion of SO2 control technology gives insights into the potential uptake of carbon capture and storage. Here the authors show that the global diffusion of flue gas desulfurization technology was very fast at times, especially for retrofit, and even after materiality, but strongly depended on regulation.
- Stijn van Ewijk
- & Will McDowall
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Article
| Open AccessExposure to air pollution and scarlet fever resurgence in China: a six-year surveillance study
The reason for a re-emergence of scarlet fever in China remains unclear. Here the authors show that the number of scarlet fever cases surged in 2011 peaking in 2018, this correlates with an increase in NO2 and O3 but does not necessarily imply causation.
- Yonghong Liu
- , Hui Ding
- & Shelan Liu
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Comment
| Open AccessNew priorities for climate science and climate economics in the 2020s
Climate science and climate economics are critical sources of expertise in our pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals. Effective use of this expertise requires a strengthening of its epistemic foundations and a renewed focus on more practical policy problems.
- David A. Stainforth
- & Raphael Calel
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Article
| Open AccessAn equitable redistribution of unburnable carbon
The allocation of remaining fossil fuel production has stimulated a discussion around issues of equitable allocation but the implications of different options are unclear. Here the authors show that shifting production to low-medium human development regions has limited economic benefits under strong climate policy.
- Steve Pye
- , Siân Bradley
- & Paul Ekins
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Matters Arising
| Open AccessAlternative meta-analysis of behavioral interventions to promote action on climate change yields different conclusions
- Sander van der Linden
- & Matthew H. Goldberg
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Matters Arising
| Open AccessReply to: Alternative meta-analysis of behavioural interventions to promote action on climate change yields different conclusions
- Claudia F. Nisa
- , Edyta M. Sasin
- & Jocelyn J. Belanger
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Article
| Open AccessThe sponge effect and carbon emission mitigation potentials of the global cement cycle
Cement plays a dual role in the carbon cycle like a sponge. Here, the authors employ a dynamic model to quantify such sponge effect and concluded that deep decarbonization of the global cement cycle will require radical technology advancements and widespread deployment of material efficiency measures.
- Zhi Cao
- , Rupert J. Myers
- & Gang Liu
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Article
| Open AccessFuture changes in the trading of virtual water
Assessments of future virtual water trading are still lacking. Here the authors estimated the global virtual water trade throughout the century and found that virtual green water exports and virtual blue water exports at least triple to more than 3200 bcm and 170 bcm, respectively, by the end of the century.
- Neal T. Graham
- , Mohamad I. Hejazi
- & Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm
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Perspective
| Open AccessA transition to sustainable ocean governance
Oceans provide important natural resources, but the management and governance of the ocean is complex and the ecosystem is suffering as a result. The authors discuss current barriers to sustainable ocean governance and suggest pathways forward.
- Tanya Brodie Rudolph
- , Mary Ruckelshaus
- & Philile Mbatha
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Article
| Open AccessAtmospheric transport is a major pathway of microplastics to remote regions
Plastic pollution is a critical concern across diverse ecosystems, yet most research has focused on terrestrial and aquatic transport, neglecting other mechanisms. Here the authors show that atmospheric transport is a major pathway for road plastic pollution over remote regions.
- N. Evangeliou
- , H. Grythe
- & A. Stohl
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Perspective
| Open AccessScientists’ warning on affluence
Current environmental impact mitigation neglects over-consumption from affluent citizens as a primary driver. The authors highlight the role of bottom-up movements to overcome structural economic growth imperatives spurring consumption by changing structures and culture towards safe and just systems.
- Thomas Wiedmann
- , Manfred Lenzen
- & Julia K. Steinberger
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Article
| Open AccessAssociation between ambient temperature and hypertensive disorders in pregnancy in China
Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy are prevalent perinatal diseases. Here the authors report an association between ambient temperature before or after conception and risk of preeclampsia or eclampsia and gestational hypertension.
- Tao Xiong
- , Peiran Chen
- & Dezhi Mu
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Article
| Open AccessRapid cost decrease of renewables and storage accelerates the decarbonization of China’s power system
The decrease in costs of renewable energy and storage has not been well accounted for in energy modelling, which however will have a large effect on energy system investment and policies. Here the authors incorporated recent decrease in costs of renewable energy and storages to refine the pathways to decarbonize China’s power system by 2030 and show that if such cost trends for renewables continue, more than 60% of China’s electricity could come from non-fossil sources by 2030 at a cost that is about 10% lower than achieved through a business-as-usual approach.
- Gang He
- , Jiang Lin
- & Amol Phadke
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Article
| Open AccessSocial-media and newspaper reports reveal large-scale meteorological drivers of floods on Sumatra
Floods are an important natural disaster on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, but their driving mechanisms are not well understood. Here, the authors utilize data from twitter messages and local newspaper reports to show that convectively coupled Kelvin waves play a key role in promoting floods on Sumatra.
- Dariusz B. Baranowski
- , Maria K. Flatau
- & Marzuki
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Article
| Open AccessMapping global urban land for the 21st century with data-driven simulations and Shared Socioeconomic Pathways
Here the authors develop a set of global, long-term, spatial projections of urban land expansion for understanding the planet’s potential urban futures. The global total amount of urban land increases by a factor of 1.8-5.9 over the 21st century, and the developed world experiences as much new urban development as the developing world.
- Jing Gao
- & Brian C. O’Neill
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Article
| Open AccessMapping global carbon footprint in China
There lacks a spatially explicit mapping of global carbon footprint in China that considers both international and interprovincial trade. Here the authors map the carbon footprints of global regions in China and show the hotspots concentrated in key manufacturing hubs, including the Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, and North China Plain.
- Yuantao Yang
- , Shen Qu
- & Ming Xu
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Article
| Open AccessTaking stock of national climate policies to evaluate implementation of the Paris Agreement
To evaluate the effectiveness of current national policies in achieving global temperature targets is important but a systematic multi-model evaluation is still lacking. Here the authors identified a reduction of 3.5 GtCO2 eq of current national policies relative to a baseline scenario without climate policies by 2030 due to the increasing low carbon share of final energy and the improving final energy intensity.
- Mark Roelfsema
- , Heleen L. van Soest
- & Saritha Sudharmma Vishwanathan
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Article
| Open AccessAssessing the impact of ETS trading profit on emission abatements based on firm-level transactions
Carbon emission trading is an important market-based policy instrument to reduce GHG emission using reward-punishment mechanism. Here the authors show that the EU emission trading schemes operate at its designed purpose and there is a positive and linear relationship between firm profits and the firms’ efforts in abatement.
- Jianfeng Guo
- , Fu Gu
- & Ying Fan
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Article
| Open AccessSelf-preservation strategy for approaching global warming targets in the post-Paris Agreement era
The emission allocation strategies of global scenarios do not specify the potential benefits from extra climate mitigation efforts. Here the authors show that compared to the current Nationally Distributed Contributions, the proposed self-preservation strategy might generate 126–616 trillion dollars of additional benefits by 2100.
- Yi-Ming Wei
- , Rong Han
- & Zili Yang
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Article
| Open AccessThe effects of contemporaneous peer punishment on cooperation with the future
Little is known about decentralized institutions that could facilitate cooperation for the sake of future generations. Here, the authors show that allowing for peer punishment within a generation is only partially successful in facilitating cooperation for the sake of later generations.
- Johannes Lohse
- & Israel Waichman
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Article
| Open AccessHeat health risk assessment in Philippine cities using remotely sensed data and social-ecological indicators
Evaluating the heat risk among city dwellers is important. Here, the authors assessed the heat risk in Philippine cities using remote sensing data and social-ecological indicators and found that the cities at high or very high risk are found in Metro Manila, where levels of heat hazard and exposure are high.
- Ronald C. Estoque
- , Makoto Ooba
- & Shogo Nakamura
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Article
| Open AccessSustainability of global Golden Inland Waterways
The exploitation of rivers has been at the detriment of river ecosystems. Here the authors propose a concept of Golden Inland Waterways (GIWs) to represent large waterways and find that the exploitation ratio threshold around the turning point for most GIWs appear to be less than 80%, subject to ecological constraints.
- Yichu Wang
- , Xiabin Chen
- & Jinren Ni