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Flexible, scalable, and low‐cost energy storage solutions are required for the widespread use of renewable energy and the mitigation of climate change. State‐of‐the‐art lithium‐ion batteries provide high specific energy density; however, designing a safe and cost‐effective grid‐scale lithium‐ion battery is still a major challenge. Redox flow batteries are scalable due to their ability to decouple power and energy; however, the commercial applications of these batteries are limited because of expensive ion‐selective membranes. In this paper, we report a modified battery design approach in which Bi/BiOCl and V4+/V5+ reaction‐based redox couples are utilized while employing a gel‐based architecture. We show, for the first time, that Bi/BiOCl conversion reaction based redox couple can reversibly work against traditional vanadium‐based redox pair in an aqueous electrolyte. Redox active materials in this cell design are in the gel form, and a traditional membrane or a separator is not required. This proof‐of‐concept battery delivers 0.9 V with a volumetric energy density of 22.14 Wh/L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Humanity and all life depend on the natural environment of Planet Earth, and that environment is in acute crisis across land, sea and air. One of a set of commentaries on how service can address the UN's sustainable development goals (SDGs), the authors focus on environmental goals SDG 13 (climate action), SDG 14 (life below water) and SDG 15 (life on land). This paper aims to propose a conceptual framework that incorporates the natural environment into transformative services. Design/methodology/approach: The authors trace the evolution of service thinking about the natural environment, from a stewardship perspective of the environment as a set of resources to be managed, through an acknowledgement of nonhuman organisms as actors that can participate in service exchange, towards an emergent concept of ecosystems as integrating human social actors and other biological actors who engage fully in value co-creation. Findings: The authors derive a framework integrating human and other life forms as co-creating actors, drawing on shared natural resources to achieve mutualism, where each actor can have a net benefit from the relationship. Future research questions are posited that may help services research address SDGs 13–15. Originality/value: The framework integrates ideas from environmental ecosystem literature to inform the nature of ecosystems. By integrating environmental actors and ecological insights into the understanding of service ecosystems, service scholars are well placed to make unique contributions to the global challenge of creating a sustainable future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The coexistence of fisheries and offshore wind depends in part on the feasibility of fishing within turbine arrays. This paper explores the value of the Automatic Identification System (AIS) to measure tows of commercial trawl and dredge vessels as quantitative indications of their spatial characteristics to inform offshore wind assessments. Methods: Public records from the AIS provide objective, detailed data supporting the measurement of fishing tows from recent years. Patterns and dimensions were examined from 45 trawl and dredge trips of 35 vessels. Result: Although vessels spread some trips over large areas, they also make multiple passes in swaths as narrow as 0.3 nautical miles (NM). Turns are made by towing the gear through an arc ranging from 0.2 NM to more than 1 NM in diameter or by hauling gear to the boat and turning in less than 0.1 NM. These practices are confirmed by fishing captains. Conclusion: These objective data from actual fishing trips could be valuable in considering the feasibility of fishing in wind farms and planning appropriate layouts. This first effort provides too small a sample to be considered representative, but it may demonstrate the concepts and encourage further research. Techniques could be refined and extended to other regions and activities, as expanding marine interests share limited space. Impact statementOffshore wind power for climate change mitigation must be developed in coexistence with fishing and other ocean uses. The Automatic Identification System provides detailed data on fishing and other activities. We show an application of these data to inform spatial solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we empirically evaluate the effect of climate change on agricultural technical efficiency, considering the moderating effect of mitigation efforts based on emission reduction in China. In particular, we directly measure the intensity of mitigation efforts using the climate change mitigation index. We then apply the two-stage double bootstrap DEA method to build up the empirical model, effectively avoiding biased estimation using the traditional two-stage DEA method. Our results show that the intensity of mitigation measures moderates the impacts of global warming on efficiency and mild mitigation measures are better than drastic ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The land-use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector is receiving increasing attention in climate change mitigation and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission offsetting. The sector itself and measures applied to mobilize this sector in order to tackle climate change are dominant in nationally determined contributions under the Paris Agreement as well as in national strategies, as in the case of Lithuania. Lithuania has set the goal of becoming a carbon-neutral country in 2050, reducing GHGs by 80% compared to 1990 and offsetting the remaining 20% through the LULUCF sector. Therefore, this paper aims at analyzing historical land-use changes in 1990–2021, as reported for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) secretariat, and LULUCF's potential to achieve climate change mitigation goals, taking into account different land-use change scenarios (business as usual, forest development, forest development + additional measures and forest land 40% + additional measures) for 2030 and 2050 in Lithuania. The scenarios are based on historical and potential future policy-based land-use changes. Projections of GHG emissions/removals for different scenarios are prepared according to the Good Practice Guidance and Uncertainty Management in National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (2006) by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The results indicate that land-use changes over the period 1990–2021 remained rather stable, with some increases in forest area and grassland at the expense of cropland. The whole LULUCF sector acted as a carbon sink in most cases, forests being a key category for removal. However, reaching climate neutrality in 2050 might be challenging, as the goal to offset 20% of remaining GHG emission compared to 1990 through LULUCF would not be met in any of the scenarios analyzed, even the scenario of maximal forest-area development and additional measures. Considering the high historical GHG-removal fluctuations and the uncertainties of the sector itself, caution should be taken when relying on LULUCF's potential to reach the set goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Materials are of great importance as they are fundamentally integrated into many different critical topics, including green transition, technological progress, industrial emissions, and supply chains. Therefore, the amount of materials we demand and employ in the production process or how efficiently we use them become highly crucial. In this paper, we study the emerging role of materials with a special focus on the key role of material efficiency (ME) in climate mitigation. To this end, we empirically investigate the main determinant of material demand and evaluate the ME performance in the European Union (EU) countries over the period of 1995–2019 based on a four‐component Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA) panel data approach that separates unobserved country effects from persistent and transient inefficiency. We obtain the following outcomes. First, material demand function estimates reveal that economic growth and energy consumption are the main drivers of domestic material consumption, highlighting the need for promoting sustainable energy and economic growth. Second, although the SFA‐based ME scores significantly vary across countries, transient inefficiency is the main source of overall inefficiency for most countries, suggesting that there is considerable potential for improvement in ME. While Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, and Slovenia improve their ME performance over time, the ME score of some other countries, such as Ireland, Portugal, Italy, Spain, and the Slovak Republic reveal an opposite outcome. Third, the results show that material intensity is not always a good proxy for ME. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pressure on reducing greenhouse gas emissions has increased since the focus on climate change mitigation has grown. As the human development index is directly related to per capita energy consumption, sustainable energy production with reduced carbon footprint is the essential pathway for cleaner environment. Over numerous existing biological processes, hydrogen production via photo fermentation and photolysis of water is considered a more sustainable and economical method of hydrogen production. While both biological modes suffer from certain limitations, such as low yields and low production rates, practical implementation is still a long way off due to these limitations. The unique properties of nanomaterials (NMs) can help increase the efficiency of the biomass to biohydrogen process in significant ways. Applications of organic and inorganic nanoparticles in photocatalytic and photo fermentative hydrogen production is discussed in this paper. This review reports a wide range of applications of nanomaterials including the details of photo fermentative microorganisms and their mechanism of action. The maximum photo fermentative bio-H 2 production was reported in the presence of SiC–Fe 3 O 4 (3.02 mol H 2 /mol acetate), Ni (41 mol H 2 /mol sugar), graphite-C 3 N 4 (64.2 mol H 2 /mol sugar) whereas photocatalytic bio-H 2 yield was highest when Pd–Ni/CdS (54 mmol/g.h), Ni-MO/g-C 3 N 4 (1785 mmol/g.h) and CuO/TiO 2 (20.3 mmol/g.h) nanoparticles were employed. To design photocatalytic systems for practical and scalable use, the future research should be focused on deeper theoretical knowledge of mechanisms of light harvesting, ± charge separation and transport, surface biochemical reactions, semiconductor–liquid interactions, and reactor dynamics. [Display omitted] • Recent developments for improving water photolysis and photo-fermentation are reviewed. • Applications of organic and inorganic nanoparticles in hydrogen production are discussed. • The working principle and mechanism of hydrogen production are discussed. • The influence of key operating factors are presented. • Scope for future research was presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the onset of climate change, adaptive action will have to occur at all scales, including locally. This implies a growing responsibility for the public and, therefore, a need to spread awareness and inspire climate action. Communication via adaptation games shows potential in achieving social learning and addressing the so-called knowledge-action gap. However, few research efforts so far give voice to participants engaging with collaborative games in organisational and community settings. This paper advances this field by presenting a systematic research reflection on a collaborative tabletop board game, Minions of Disruptions™. It addresses two research questions: first exploring how to design a collaborative adaptation game for the general public, and then determining how the intentions outlined by the game designers are perceived by the game participants. Ten core design intentions determined through a focus group interview with game designers and facilitators were contrasted against responses from the post-game survey administered to all game participants from 2019–2022. The results of this study indicate that the design intentions behind Minions of Disruptions were largely received by the intended audiences, demonstrating success as a communication tool for collaborative climate action. Moreover, important insights about designing adaptation games for the public are raised, which can aid in drafting guidelines for successful engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is the greatest threat humanity faces, and puts at risk the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people. Climate change education must equip children and young people with the knowledge, skills and resilience to live in an uncertain future, sustainably take relevant climate action and work in climate careers. As attention on climate change education grows, this is a critical moment for the mental health community to ensure mental health and wellbeing considerations are embedded. Critically, appropriate integration of mental health can enable these very necessary goals of equipping children and young people to live and work in a future where climate change looms large. This paper explores why promoting good mental health and wellbeing and building psychological resilience can help achieve climate change education outcomes, and why not doing so risks harming children and young people's mental health. It also explores how integrating discussions about emotions, mental health, and coping strategies within climate change education can be a route into wider discussions about mental health, to support children and young people in the context of rising mental health needs. Learning from an existing approach to promoting good mental health and wellbeing in schools (the 'whole school approach') provides the opportunity to explore one avenue through which such an integrated approach could be implemented in practice. Identifying appropriate mechanisms to integrate mental health into climate change education will require co-design and research with educators and young people, and addressing systemic barriers facing the schools sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much focus of dual energy-storage systems (DESSs) for electric vehicles (EVs) has been on cost reduction and performance enhancement. While these are important in the development of better systems, the environmental impacts of system and component-level choices should not be overlooked. The current interest in EVs is primarily motivated by environmental reasons such as climate change mitigation and reduction of fossil fuel use, so it is important to develop environmentally sound alternatives at the design stage. Assessing the environmental impact of developmental and mature chemistries provides valuable insights into the technologies that need to be selected now and which to develop for the future. This paper presents a cradle-to-gate (i.e., all raw material and production elements are considered; however, the "use" phase and recycling are not) lifecycle assessment of a DESS with Li-ion and aqueous Al-ion cells and that of one with Li-ion cells and supercapacitors. These are also compared to a full Li-ion EV battery in terms of their environmental impact for both a bus and car case study. Key findings show that the use of a DESS overall reduces the environmental impacts over the vehicle lifetime and provides an argument for further development of aqueous Al-ion cells for this application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is a key focus in society, and environmental assessments (EAs) are seen as key instruments to inform decision-makers about climate consequences of plans and projects. Previous research has, however, identified shortcomings of practice of assessing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and their significance, and this paper aims to unfold current practices with a focus on Denmark. From an initial set of 762 Danish EA reports published between 2017 and 2021, researchers scrutinized 102 of them to assess their handling of GHG emissions. The findings show that climate change mitigation receives continuous sparse attention and is only to a limited extent included in the scope of the EA. Moreover, analysis of GHG emissions only involves few phases in a life-cycle perspective, GHG emissions are seldomly deemed significant, and justifications provided are varied and frequently inadequate. The results contrast with the increasing focus in society on climate change as a pivotal concern across numerous societal activities. The repercussions of this current practice are discussed. Finally, a research agenda to support better practice is outlined. Increased focus on climate change has not had a major impact on Danish EA practice. Increasing GHG emissions are almost never assessed as significant. Nine types of justifications for the significance of GHG emissions are identified. Assessing GHG emissions directly against national total emissions is misleading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural forest expansion (NFE), that is, the establishment of secondary forest on non-forested land through natural succession, has substantially contributed to the widespread expansion of forests in Europe over the last few decades. So far, EU policies have largely neglected the potential of NFE for meeting policy objectives on restoration. Synthesising recent interdisciplinary research, this paper assesses the challenges and opportunities of NFE in view of contributing to European forest and ecosystem restoration. Specifically, we discuss the potential for supporting climate change mitigation and adaptation, biodiversity conservation, and forestry and economic use, summarize the current knowledge about societal perceptions and the policymaking on NFE, and make policy recommendations to better use the potential of NFE. We conclude that NFE has the potential to contribute to the European restoration policy agenda if local contexts and possible trade-offs are properly considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change policies are prepared in a power-loaded environment, where different policy actors interact to meet their personal or collective interests. This paper argues that the 'power interplay' between actors plays a significant role in shaping and re-shaping climate change policies. We present examples from South Asia (Nepal, India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan) to show how actors' power interplay at the local, sub-national, national and transboundary levels influences climate change policy-making. We show that negative effects of power interplay are prominent in the climate policy domain of South Asia, including short-termism of local adaptation plans, exclusion of certain policy actors in the policy-making processes, lack of transboundary-level adaptation, and lack of coordination between actors. Nuances also exist, such as the state's authority in prioritizing technical solutions, exclusionary design and implementation of climate policies, and an agenda of securitization; these can further marginalize the actors involved in climate change policy processes. The negative effects of power interplay in South Asia can limit the success of on-the-ground implementation of adaptation and mitigation strategies, limit adaptive capacity among communities, and possibly counter the development of a strong climate change solutions space. Lastly, we argue that there are no silver bullet solutions to power asymmetries and appeal to policy actors – in South Asia and elsewhere – to design context-specific and power-sensitive policy-making approaches. Negative effects of power interplay have led to the exclusion of certain policy actors (especially communities at risk) in policy-making processes and a lack of transboundary-level adaptation in South Asia. Hard infrastructure-based adaptation measures tend to exacerbate the vulnerability of the communities at risk in South Asia. Policy actors must design context-specific and power-sensitive policy-making climate adaptation and mitigation approaches to reduce the negative impacts of power interplay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: After almost 10 years, people wonder if green finance has been able to attain its objectives in terms of controlling climate change. Persistent global warming and climate deregulation manifested by melting glaciers, droughts and floods, are all of these determinants that have called into question the efficiency of green finance. Design/methodology/approach: Green finance is a way to support climate action through investments. It has proven that this is a viable financial instrument and that it can be used by governments and private companies to plan for the future of our planet. Findings: Based on an analysis of articles published in top international journals from 2016 to 2022, about the relationship between green technology and financial services in China, this paper aims to present an overview of green finance, its importance for the planet, its objectives and its instruments. Research limitations/implications: This study's contribution is to shed light on the aspects that may have limited its effectiveness, such as the absence of incentives, the absence of climate costs and above all the absence of finance green standards. Originality/value: The results have shown that there is still a significant gap in green finance before inclusive green growth can be achieved. Inclusive green growth. All stakeholders need to increase the level of investment in green finance. The green investment financing gap is the result of inconsistencies in sustainability and policies. Therefore, governments must intervene to impose appropriate policies and regulations to compel the financial sector to engage in sustainable development. All of these factors make the concept of green finance just an illusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public support is a key contributor to successful policy adoption and implementation. Given the urgency of climate change mitigation, scholars have explored various determinants that affect public support for climate change mitigation policy. However, the relative decisiveness of these factors in shaping public support is insufficiently examined. Therefore, we deploy interpretable machine learning to understand which factors, among many previously investigated, are most decisive for structuring public support for various climate change mitigation policies. In this paper, we particularly look at the decisiveness of problem definition for shaping public support among various factors. Using U.S national survey data, we find that how individuals define the issue of climate change is more decisive for structuring public support for promoting renewable energy and regulating pollutants to mitigate the risks associated with climate change. However, the results also indicate that the most decisive factors associated with public support vary depending on the types of mitigation policy. We conclude that different strategies should be utilized to increase public support for various climate change mitigation policy options. Our findings contribute to a scholarly understanding of the specific politics of problem definition in the context of environmental and climate change policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calcium oxalate (CaOx) crystals, ubiquitous in numerous plant families, have emerged as fascinating and complex structures with far-reaching implications in plant physiology, ecology, and human health. This paper encapsulates a comprehensive exploration of CaOx crystals, beginning with their formation and physiological role within plants, to their larger ecological implications, and finally, their impact on human society. Recent research has elucidated key genes involved in CaOx crystal formation, as well as the crystals' diverse physiological roles, including their function in calcium regulation, defense against herbivory, and potential contributions to carbon sequestration. We also highlight the ecological significance of CaOx crystals in nutrient cycling and plant-soil interactions, and the potential hazards posed by these crystals in human nutrition, particularly in the context of oxalate-rich diets and kidney stone formation. Despite significant advances, many aspects, particularly their ecological impacts and potential role in climate change mitigation, remain under-explored, necessitating future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South eastern Australia is a global warming hotspot, and is also home to ~70% of Australia's population and one of Australia's largest fisheries—the South East Scalefish and Shark Fishery. This fishery spans shelf to deep waters, subtropical to temperate waters, employs many gears, and interacts with over 100 species. Despite following best practice fisheries management principles, including taking an ecosystem perspective to overall fisheries interactions, management interventions have failed to arrest or recover the decline of some focal species. Using an Atlantis ecosystem model developed for the fishery over the past 20 years, this paper presents simulations that suggest climate change may be a major contributor to the trajectories seen for a number of species—such as jackass morwong (Nemadactylus macropterus), blue warehou (Seriolella brama), and gemfish (Rexea solandri). This kind of climate influence poses many challenges for fisheries management into the future, raising questions about what to do when climate change undermines or overrides fisheries management actions and objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews and discusses the main features of biological invasion by plants and the assisted migration theory referencing a critical common factor—belowground ecology. The risk of a plant becoming invasive and the potential failure of assisted migration programs depend on the presence or absence of soil microorganisms that regulate key ecosystem processes and mitigate adverse environmental conditions. This biotic interaction should be considered in the selection of sites for afforestation programs since it is as important as temperature and precipitation regarding conservation decisions, and assisted migration practices in response to climate change. Fungal species should be determined and included in climate change mitigation programs to avoid disease outbreaks and ensure the presence of beneficial mutualistic species in sites selected for assisted migration. Plants considered for assisted migration should pose a low risk of becoming invasive for having establishment difficulties per se. However, the real threat is that they may displace other species, introduce pathogens, or trigger disease outbreaks in introduction sites that nullify assisted migration efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This perspective paper provides industry leaders, researchers and policy developers strategic approaches to ensure that the welfare of dairy cattle is protected at the same time as the industry increases its resilience to climate change. Farm systems and practices will evolve in response to the direct impacts of climate change and/or from responses to climate change, such as mitigation strategies to reduce dairy's greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions. The five domains framework (nutrition, physical environment, health, behaviour, mental state) was used to assess the potential impacts on animal welfare and strategies to minimise these impacts are outlined. Given that the future climate cannot be certain these approaches can be applied under a range of emissions pathways to (1) ensure that the effects of GHG mitigations on animal welfare are considered during their development, (2) engage with end users and the public to ensure solutions to the effects of climate change and weather variability are accepted by consumers and communities, (3) identify and measure the areas where improved animal health can contribute to reducing GHG emissions from dairy production, (4) ensure those supporting farmers to develop and manage their farm systems understand what constitutes a good quality of life for dairy cattle, (5) ensure effective surveillance of animal disease and monitoring of welfare outcomes and farm-system performance in response to climate change and GHG mitigations. Overall, these strategies require a multidisciplinary co-development approach to ensure that the welfare of dairy cattle is protected at the same time as the industry increases its resilience to the wider impacts of a changing climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This text mining study delves into the multifaceted contributions of the energy sector to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By analyzing 363 papers, we uncover key themes, trends, and challenges shaping the intersection of energy and sustainability. The findings reveal that the energy sector plays a pivotal role in achieving SDGs such as affordable and clean energy (SDG 7) and climate action (SDG 13). Critical issues encompass governance, policy frameworks, and technological innovations. This research underscores the need for interdisciplinary collaboration and holistic approaches in addressing complex energy-related sustainability challenges. The insights derived here provide guidance to policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders seeking to harness the energy sector's potential for a more sustainable and equitable future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Responding to the Paris Agreement and climate change mitigation, Indonesia aims to reach net zero by 2060 or sooner. Due to Indonesia's dependence on coal and growing consumption, alternative sources of clean energy are imperative for meeting its rising energy needs and reducing energy-related greenhouse gas emissions to achieve the energy transition. This project aims to examine Indonesia's opportunities and potential to achieve low carbon ambition in the energy sector and identify alternative pathways for the energy transition in Indonesia. In this study, the open-source energy modelling system (OSeMOSYS), which is a long-term energy system modelling tool, is employed to compare electricity generation, investment, and carbon dioxide emissions between business-as-usual and five alternative scenarios. Six scenarios, including business as usual, least-cost, two coal-phrase out and two net zero aligned with national climate targets and optimal scenarios, were simulated across different target years. The results show that the net zero (NZ) scenario is more cost-effective and emits fewer greenhouse gases than the other scenarios in meeting Indonesia's future energy demand. However, achieving net zero by 2050 (NZ50) results in significantly lower CO2 emissions (10,134 MtCO2), which is less than half of the emissions in the net zero by 2060 (NZ60) scenario (16,849 MtCO2) at a similar cost (6229 and 6177 billion USD, respectively). This paper's insights emphasise that large-scale renewable energy deployment and coal retirement are critical pathways to reaching carbon neutrality and achieving the energy mix transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Rozwój Regionalny & Polityka Regionalna is the property of Uniwersytetu im. Adama Mickiewicza (IH UAM) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Sustainable Development Goal 13 deals with climate action. Climate change is a real and undeniable threat to our entire civilization. The objective of this paper is to study: the performance of common effluent treatment plants of the Leather clusters in Ambur and Vaniyambadi in combatting climate change; the efforts made by the Leather cluster towards getting the Leather Working Group (LWG) certification; the effects of the Zero Effect and Zero Defect (ZED) certification; and the efforts made to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 13 on Climate Action in Tamil Nadu. The methodology of the study includes the collection of primary and secondary data from various websites of the Governments of India and Tamil Nadu and also from associations like the Council for Leather Exports, Ambur Economic Development Corporation Limited (AEDOL), Ambur and Vaniyambadi Leather Clusters. The data was analysed using CAGR, descriptive analysis, correlation analysis, regression analysis and structural equation modelling. It was found that the Governments of India and Tamil Nadu, and the SPV of the Leather cluster have been coordinating with each other to mitigate climate change in the leather sector by installing common effluent treatment plants, obtaining the Leather Working Group and the Zero Effect and Zero-Defect certifications, and achieving Sustainable Development Goal 13 on Climate Action and Change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under Green Credit Program launched by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, green credits will initially be generated from water conservation and afforestation projects. This is a market-based mechanism to incentivize voluntary environmental actions by various stakeholders including cooperatives. India has about 0.8 million primary level cooperatives working in diverse fields. There are other types of cooperatives at District, Apex and Multi-State levels. The total number of cooperatives of all types is little less than 0.9 million. This paper presents the argument that cooperatives have a big role in the green credit program to fight climate change as an economic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decarbonizing industrial sectors is a critical global challenge, involving the creation of new industrial spaces—'net zero industrial clusters'—co‐locating energy sectors and 'hard‐to‐abate' industries such as oil refining and steelmaking. This paper provides the first empirically grounded geographical investigation of these emerging spaces. It employs a place‐based research agenda to unpack how UK net zero industrial clusters (ICs) are imagined and emplaced in policy and industry discourses through place‐based naming, spatial configuring and mapping activities. By conducting document analysis, 33 in‐depth stakeholder interviews and five field trips to three UK case studies, we show how cluster imaginaries vary across cases and policy contexts in terms of constituents, focus and purpose. Ontological complexity is compounded by different rationales among stakeholders in configuring clusters and by contested cluster naming and boundary setting. This ambiguous, evolving spatiality raises important political and justice concerns over who and where is excluded in cluster building. These findings advance the geographies of low‐carbon transitions by showing: (1) ways that ICs' spatial embeddedness, which underlies cluster spatial configurations, helps increase industry actors' recognition of their economic, social and cultural ties with the places of their making, even if this risks path dependency; (2) how fluid cluster boundaries, reflected in cluster names and maps, emphasize the value of a network topology of scale to enable spatially inclusive, multi‐scalar climate mitigation. Finally, we argue that a place‐sensitive net zero policy mindset is vital for fulfilling ICs and the UK's decarbonization potential in a manner that is both fair and locally grounded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration is a key function of natural and semi-natural ecosystems. Restoring this property in terrestrial ecosystems has become central to the EU's climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. However, SOC sequestration is a widely misunderstood concept. The different methodological approaches used to investigate and compare SOC stock under sustainable agricultural practices play a key role in reinforcing misconceptions about this complex process. This commentary paper aimed not only to provide a clear definition of SOC sequestration, but also to interpret the results that can be obtained for SOC stock change estimation using the SOC stock difference and the paired comparison methods, as well as to identify the soil carbon-related processes that achieve climate mitigation. SOC sequestration can be defined as the progressive increase in a site's SOC stock compared with pre-intervention via a net depletion and transfer of atmospheric CO2 into the soil, where it is retained as soil organic matter (SOM), by plants, plant residues, or other organic solids such as the material derived from the organic fraction of farming solid waste, which can be used as a fertilizer (e.g., manure, compost, biochar, and digestate), and that is produced or derived from that land unit. To date, the most appropriate way to determine whether a land unit's soil is a sink or rather a source of atmospheric CO2 is to implement the SOC stock difference method, provided the non-occurrence of carbon exchange between ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ideal carbon tax policy is internationally coordinated, fully internalizes externalities, redistributes revenues to those harmed, and is politically acceptable, generating predictable market signals. Since nonideal circumstances rarely allow all these conditions to be met, moral issues arise. This paper surveys some of the work in moral philosophy responding to several of these issues. First, it discusses the moral drivers for estimates of the social cost of carbon. Second, it explains how national self‐interest can block climate action and suggests international policies—carbon border tax adjustments and carbon clubs—that can help address these concerns. Third, it introduces some of the social science literature about the political acceptability of carbon taxes before addressing a couple common public concerns about carbon taxes. Finally, it introduces four carbon revenue usage options, arguing that redistributive and climate compensation measures are most morally justified. This article is categorized under:Climate, Nature, and Ethics > Ethics and Climate ChangeClimate, Nature, and Ethics > Climate Change and Global JusticeClimate and Development > Social Justice and the Politics of Development [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate governance studies suggest that the way climate risk and vulnerability are conceptualized, defined, and managed has consequences for people and places. In this paper, we analyze how different climate risk discourses and their vulnerability portrayals are constructed and have evolved in Bhubaneswar city in India. We conduct a Critical Discourse Analysis of various climate action plans and policy documents, as well as a thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews to interpret their discursive positions on climate issues. Based on our findings, we highlight three main discourses through which risk is constructed – discourses of inevitability, collocation, and intrinsic necessity. The vulnerability portrayals across these discourses are undergoing a transition from a pure outcome vulnerability approach toward a context-based approach, while their framings range from vulnerability to events, places, and social groups. The intertwining of discursive constructions of risk and vulnerability contributes toward constantly forming and re-forming risk and governance objects (and subjects), and the reproduction and resistance to certain forms of knowledge that limit and enable governance responses to climate change at the same time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the process of development, global economies are prioritizing environmental protection and firms are also recognizing the importance of minimizing environmental impact during production along with maximization of profits through green investments. It is vivid that green investments are vital for environmental preservation. So this paper contributes to literature by investigating the role of internal and external factors affecting the decision making of Chinese firms regarding adoption of green investments and impact of green investments on environmental, social, and economic performance of firms. The data is collected from directors/senior managers of the firms. We received 463 valid responses from listed companies with Shenzhen, Beijing, and Shanghai Stock Exchange. The "structural equation modeling" with "maximum likelihood estimation" is employed for empirical analysis. The empirical findings reveal that adaptation to climate change and its mitigation is the most important driver of green investment. Moreover, green investment positively contributes to enhancing the social, economic, and environmental performances of Chinese firms. Based on the findings of the study, green investment should be adopted as a corporate strategy by firms for profit maximization, competitive advantage, and improvement in social well-being without compromising the environment. Policy makers can promote green investment by offering policy instruments such as tax incentives, guaranteed credits, grants, and investor education. Training courses may be offered to raise environmental awareness among firms and the general public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying the climate-induced variability in the condition of vegetation is particularly important in the context of the recent climate change, and plants' impact on mitigation of the climate change. In this paper, we present the coherence and time lags in the spectral response of three individual vegetation types in European temperate zone to the influencing meteorological factors, in the period 2002–2022. Vegetation condition in broadleaved forest, coniferous forest and pastures was measured with monthly anomalies of two spectral indices – NDVI and EVI. As meteorological elements we used monthly anomalies of temperature (T), precipitation (P), vapour pressure deficit (VPD), evapotranspiration (ETo), and teleconnection indices North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and North Sea Caspian Pattern (NCP). Periodicity in the time series was assessed using the Wavelet Transform, but no significant intra- or interannual cycles were detected in both vegetation (NDVI and EVI) and meteorological variables. In turn, coherence between NDVI/EVI and meteorological elements was described using the methods of Wavelet Coherence and Pearson's linear correlation with time lag. In European temperate zone analysed in this study, NAO produces strong coherence mostly for forests, with circa 1 year delay and – a weaker coherence – with circa 3 year delay. For pastures these interannual patterns are hardly recognizable. The strongest relationships occur between condition of the vegetation and T and ETo – they show high coherence in both forests and pastures. There is a significant cohesion with 8–16 month (ca. 1 year) delay and 20–32 month (ca. 2 year) delay. More time lagged significant correlations between vegetation indices and T occur for forests than for pastures, suggesting a significant lag in the forests' response to the changes in T. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving global climate change mitigation targets requires low-carbon production in agriculture. In such an endeavor, a new classification of climate-adaptive technology is defined to affect agriculture towards the low-carbon direction, but such an impact has seldom been empirically tested in the literature. In this paper, we investigate the impact of climate-adaptive technological innovation on agricultural carbon efficiency, a proxy for low-carbon agriculture. We use a stochastic directional distance function framework and a cross-country dataset covering 38 OECD countries. Additionally, we test the heterogeneous impact, considering that regional economic development is a crucial condition for deploying advanced technologies. The findings show that climate-adaptive technological innovation can promote carbon efficiency in agriculture, and this aggregate effect hides significant heterogeneity at different levels of economic development. The higher the economic development level is, the better climate-adaptive technological innovation contributes to improving agricultural carbon efficiency. Then, related policy implications are set forth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to recommend behavioral targets for future interventions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at college campuses and to advise interventionists on how to choose between many potential behavioral targets. Design/methodology/approach: The authors used the community-based social marketing (CBSM) methodology over two studies. In Study 1, the authors assessed adoption rates (i.e. penetration) and likelihood of adoption (i.e. probability) for 16 potential behavioral targets. In Study 2, the authors used quantitative and qualitative methods to assess the barriers and benefits of engagement in five of the top-performing behaviors from Study 1. Findings: The findings suggest that an intervention to promote purchasing green energy credits (GECs) has a high potential to reduce emissions. Purchasing GECs has a small penetration (<7%) and a large impact (1,405 kgCO2e/person/year). Compared to the other four behaviors the authors examined in Study 2, purchasing GECs is also more convenient and requires very little time. Thus, the behavior should be appealing to many individuals interested in reducing emissions or protecting the environment. Originality/value: The authors performed a holistic evaluation of potential behavioral targets that included a barrier and benefit analysis, in addition to the traditional CBSM method of combining impact, probability and penetration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, eco-activist groups, academics, industry groups, governments, and other organisations have called for, or declared, a climate emergency. These declarations offer discursive and political consent for emergency climate actions. Without refuting the urgent need to take meaningful action to limit and adapt to climate change, in this paper we argue emergency declarations can have effects that may ultimately work against climate justice. To do this, we contextualise climate injustice as part of a much longer history of colonial racial capitalism, and suggest that discourses and declarations of emergency often serve as tools through which the political conditions and histories that shape and sustain injustices, including environmental and climate injustices, are erased. Working from the present conjuncture and the aftermath of the 'crisis' responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, we show how discourses of emergency and crisis serve as tools through which the coercive and controlling powers of the state are sustained, maintained, and legitimised. Reading across a vast history of crisis colonialism, we show how emergency measures enable the expansion, consolidation, and militarisation of colonial settler states, linking existing anticolonial critiques with ideas of disaster capitalism and fossil fascism to offer a cautionary intervention into movements for climate action that persist with logics and discourses of emergency and crisis. We warn that declarations of emergency are not only ineffective tools in the pursuit of climate justice, but may be actively dangerous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital technologies and economies can strengthen participative processes and data- and knowledge-based sustainable urban development. It can also accelerate social integration and the efforts of urban dwellers towards more resilient urban environments. Gap: Most of the tools that strengthen participatory processes were not cocreated with stakeholders. Research shows that codesigned platforms driven by new technological advances and the development of collaborative sharing economy concepts can increase climate change awareness. Still, the rise of participatory innovation technologies does not focus on enabling social engagement in climate change mitigation. Therefore, this paper addresses a research question: can a codesigned community currency stimulate bottom-up initiatives for climate change mitigation, and what is needed for such tools to succeed with the implementation of climate-responsive policies? The aim was to introduce an approach allowing us to codesign an application to encourage pro-environmental behaviors. Hence, the approach of this research was to define the concept of such a tool as a part of a cocreation process with stakeholders in a multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral environment. Method: It uses design thinking enriched with case studies evaluation, workshops, UX design, low fidelity, SUS, and testbeds. Findings and value: The authors introduce the Greencoin concept and argue that the codesigned digital currency operating based on an educational application has the potential to strengthen social engagement in climate change mitigation. Beneficiaries and practical implementation: Such a tool can increase climate awareness by supporting social integration and bottom-up initiatives for climate change mitigation. It can therefore be used by local communities to strengthen their climate-responsive efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyzes Romania's resilience in the face of climate change and natural risks generated by this phenomenon, by assessing the activity of their management structures in relation to climate risks. Within the two main parts of the paper, the Sustainable Development goals were analyzed by identifying the management aspects of SDG 13 - Climate Action, respectively a statistical analysis was presented on the actions of prevention, preparedness and response to natural risks, carried out by the Romanian General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (IGSU) and the Inspectorate for Emergency situations "Dealul Spirii" Bucharest - Ilfov, for the period 2018-2020. Thus, it was found that Romania has a high degree of vulnerability in terms of disaster risks generated by climate change, and the efficiency of the strategic management carried out by the central authorities is low, as no particular attention is paid to the steps taken in these steps. The most acute problems identified at this level are those related to the development of strategies and missions, the organizational aspects and the lack of infrastructure necessary in terms of disaster management, especially those caused by the environmental factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sectoral price stabilization is critical in the pressing context of de-globalization and the climate crisis. Strategic price controls may be effective in reducing economic volatility, but fail to curb emissions, unlike quantity controls such as rationing consumption. In contrast, carbon pricing may accelerate decarbonization, but generate inflationary pressures. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of sector-oriented policies in stabilizing sectoral prices and accelerating the low-carbon transition at the same time, this paper employs a novel environmentally-extended, data-driven dynamic model of multi-sector growth based on the Bielefeld disequilibrium approach to the microeconomic stability of competitive economies. The general composite model allows to empirically characterize the network structure and intensity of dynamic price-quantity interactions at the sector level, which capture heterogeneous firm behavior by integrating long-run Walrasian price and classical quantity dynamics coupled with short-run Keynesian features in the form of target rate of return pricing and demand-led investment. A Bayesian hierarchical model on US BEA data empirically estimates the linear adjustment coefficients and stable combinations are computed. The US economy is shown to feature a highly hierarchical network structure of intermediate production that is particularly vulnerable to micro-economic shocks driven by wars and climate change. Tax-subsidy schemes are shown to be the most effective in stabilizing sectoral prices and economy-environment interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we present novel evidence about heterogeneity in climate beliefs using a large-scale survey of farmers, foresters, growers, and lifestyle block owners in New Zealand. Using a flexible, conditional-moments approach, we estimate the interpersonal dispersion in climate change beliefs conditional on individual characteristics, which provides a direct measure of the heterogeneity in beliefs about climate change. Our results show that women, younger respondents, farmers with less family farming history, higher educated respondents, and those respondents who are less trusting in social media are more likely to believe in climate change. Further, beliefs are more heterogeneous among males (young and old), the less educated, and those who trust social media. Our results offer new insights allowing governments and NGOs to design and communicate policies to reduce the heterogeneity in climate change beliefs, which should support the uptake of climate change actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low female participation in community-based forest actions for mitigating and adapting to climate change (i.e., "forest climate actions") increases gender inequalities and could reduce intervention effectiveness. Factors preventing women's participation in forestry are well-researched, while factors motivating women's participation is comparatively lacking. We fill this gap by (i) identifying women's motivations to participate in communal action in other domains; (ii) analyzing to what extent these motivations exist in forest climate actions; (iii) suggesting how forest climate actions can better motivate women's participation. Our paper presents an original mixed methods approach using data from two studies in different domains (health vs. forestry), objectives (feasibility study vs. impact evaluation), and data collection approach (key informant interviews vs. standardized surveys). Women's motivations to participate in Posyandu (Pos Pelayanan Terpadu), a state-run infant and maternal health service system operated mostly by female collaborators (Kader), were contrasted with conditions shaping women's participation in forest climate actions. Data were collected in the same period (2013-2014) in forested rural areas of Indonesia. We find women are motivated by the following values they find lacking in forest climate actions: (1) altruistic values: improving other's well-being through Posyandu, vs. limited benefits from forest climate actions; (2) social capital: enhancing own and family's social status by participating in Posyandu, vs. limited social enhancement through forest climate action; and (3) identity enhancement: increasing own pride and competence when supporting an established organization like Posyandu, vs. no equivalent organization for women in forest climate action. What would attract women to forest climate action? We suggest (1) tangible benefits from forest climate action for women and rural communities, so that women see forests are worth fighting for; (2) respected roles for women in public spheres related to forest climate actions; and (3) self-enhancement opportunities through village-level organizations and good employment opportunities aligned with forest climate actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, we find ourselves in a paradigm in which we believe that accepting climate change data will lead to a kind of automatic action toward the preservation of our environment. I have argued elsewhere (Fried 2020) that this lack of civic action on climate data is significant when placed in the historical, military context of the technologies that collect this data––Earth remote sensing technologies. However, I have not yet discussed the phenomenological or moral implications of this context, which are deeply interconnected. In this paper, I assert that Earth remote sensing technologies can, if we are not careful, lead us to a kind of environmental deskilling. This assertion comes in four parts. First, the military context of Earth remote sensing technologies––which collect important data on climate change––acts as a kind of stability, as defined by Don Ihde and others. Second, I invoke Sir Patrick Heelan to argue that the theoretical underpinnings of Earth systems science do not translate from military to environmental praxes as we imagine they do. Third, Hannah Arendt makes the case that a state's trust in simplifying narratives like that of climate data, meant to create "islands" of certainty in an uncertain world, can be self-defeating. That is to say, they can silence public action. I extend these arguments through Vallor's analysis of moral deskilling, in which she points out that an overemphasis on autonomous data collection––and trust in a kind of automated decision-making on that data––can deskill us from important questions relevant to our collective flourishing. In all of these examples, the lines between environmental and military research are blurry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the motivations behind urban climate governance in eight Swedish municipalities. The study demonstrates that political consensus among, and willingness of, urban political leaders is of importance for motivating climate actions. Municipalities are moreover motivated by the accomplishments of other cities, national and subnational policies, and an increasing climate concern in society. In line with previous research, individual policy entrepreneurs have been important for local climate action; however, with the adoption of national and subnational policies, local climate policies are becoming increasingly institutionalised. Although some of the conclusions of the study confirm the significance of a polycentric governance approach, little relevance was attributed to citizen participation. The institutionalisation of urban climate governance deserves further attention so as to better understand how the dynamics of polycentric governance can be affected, and what implications this may have on climate policy-making process, and the engagement and support of urban residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhanced CO2 mineralization and geologic CO2 storage have received increasing attention as two prominent approaches in combating climate change and fostering sustainable development of human society. This paper aims to explore three emerging areas of research within the realm of enhanced CO2 mineralization and geologic CO2 storage, including enhanced rock weathering, numerical modeling and validation of CO2 storage accounting for the interplay of various trapping mechanisms, and the examination of how reservoir heterogeneity influences the migration of CO2-brine multiphase flow. Discussions highlight the effectiveness of the spectrum induced polarization for monitoring changes in petrophysical and geochemical properties of rocks during enhanced rock weathering. Additionally, the multi-scale heterogeneity of geological formations needs to be carefully characterized, due to the fact that it plays a vital role in CO2 migration. Further research is required to achieve accurate and reliable simulations of convective mixing for field-scale applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At least 80% of the world's population has been significantly impacted by climate change; the most vulnerable around the world are already facing dramatic, severe costs due to emissions produced by wealthy nations. In fact, "climate change is not just an environmental issue—it is an economic issue, a social issue, a security issue, and, above all, a moral issue" (Freer-Smith et al., 2007, p. xiii; see also Shue, 2020, "Distant Strangers and the Illusion of Separation"). Despite decades of work, none of the current models for mitigating climate change offers a realistic route toward stable end-state solutions, even in the wealthiest nations, much less the world (Brooks, 2020; Bordoff & O'Sullivan (2022). Efforts to affect climate change have typically been viewed as the province of engineers and policy makers, but achieving timely and adequate cultural shifts as required to support global climate justice (GCJ), is a question of behavior, and thereby calls out to our science. Taking a constructional approach, behavior science is in a position to offer and construct conceptual and experimental tools for understanding, studying, and contributing to cultural systems that have the potential to lead to meaningful climate change responses. Drawing on what is known about (a) contingencies of reinforcement; (b) delay and probability discounting, and related levels of demand; (c) firmly embedded, widely established patterns of derived relational responding, (d) emerging conceptual models of strategic cultural-systems analysis, and (e) what is now known about the power of narrative, behavior science offers intriguing systemic possibilities for engaging in strategic, science-based social action supporting GCJ. Included in the possibilities explored here are community and societal interventions, policy advocacy, and other forms of activism, framed in behavior science terms. The paper ends with an example of how our discipline can contribute to climate change mitigation through narrative and activism supporting forests and other natural ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the viability of environmental taxes as a means to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions within the European Union (EU) using the panel threshold model on two balanced panel data comprising countries from the European Union: the Northern and Western countries and Southern and Eastern countries for the period 2000–2020. The study's empirical results support the Pigouvian theory for developed countries, as they indicate an optimal minimum threshold for environmental taxes, where these taxes effectively contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, the results diverge for emerging countries, revealing a maximum threshold for environmental taxes beyond which their impact in curbing emissions diminishes. To achieve the ambitious goal of climate neutrality, policymakers must adopt a comprehensive and diversified approach. This includes a combination of environmental taxes, more stringent regulations, and emission standards for industries. Additionally, the implementation of carbon pricing mechanisms, promotion of investments in sustainable fuels and technologies, and the establishment of low-carbon emission infrastructure are essential components of this strategy. By integrating these various measures, policymakers can better navigate the path toward climate neutrality and effectively combat climate change in the EU and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban and regional development is indispensable from energy systems that function in a sustainable and resilient manner. The generation of renewable energy has seen significant upturn in the last decade. Renewables can be exploited to meet the global energy needs and climate change mitigation goals. Therefore, development of urban and regional energy systems must take into account the possibilities and challenges posed by the increasing penetration of the renewable. The achievement of goals of the energy system in the context of transition to low-carbon energy society rises numerous complex decisions over development of infrastructure and technologies. Although renewable energy devices generate clean energy, they also change landscape. The term of energy-scape encourages discussion about interactions between the energy system and the environment, and other ecosystem services at local level. The paper reviews previous studies analysing energy-scape elements and provides the insights towards the transition to low-carbon energy and low-carbon society in general. The systematic literature review allows clearly outlining the problem and gives reliable background for further studies. The main contribution of the article to the existing literature is the creation of framework for the analysis and assessment of new renewable energy technologies installation and infrastructure. The presented framework can be applied for all renewable energy technologies and infrastructure in both urban and rural areas and allows to attain a decision acceptable to the local community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Union (EU) Green Deal and its Farm to Fork Strategy are intended to promote sustainable food systems to achieve EU climate-neutrality by 2050. The Farm to Fork action plan also foresees the introduction of a harmonized mandatory front-of-pack nutrition labelling scheme in 2023. The EU countries have yet to reach agreement on the nutrition labelling scheme, which will also have environmental impacts. This article raises the question of whether at the European level, countries should seek agreements on both climate mitigation and nutrition policies (full agreement as in the case of the Green Deal) or should negotiate separate climate and nutrition policy agreements (as for the nutritional labelling). To address this question, this paper develops a game-theoretic model with multiple countries where each country implements a climate policy and a nutrition policy. We compare the consequences in terms of total emissions, the level of the nutrition policy and the welfare under different institutional arrangements of a non-cooperative equilibrium, full agreement, and three alternative agreements. Our results show in particular that full agreement always leads to the lowest total emissions at the expense of the level of nutrition policy in some cases. In an extension of our analysis, we show that agreements that include cooperation over nutrition policies do not necessarily imply formation of a larger coalition of signatory countries, even if a nutrition policy has positive or negative impacts on emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change mitigation pledges require decarbonization of the economy and the creation of a carbonneutral society. Men and women contribute differently to climate change and have different roles in lowcarbon energy transition. Gender roles influence career choices, abilities to invest in low-carbon solutions, power of decision-making, dissimilar mobility and energy consumption demands, and different values and consumption profiles, shaping the individual carbon footprint and behavior. A feminist methodology in gender- just low-carbon energy transformation goes beyond the introduction of certain gender-equal redistribution measures and aims to deal with the core roots of the different unequal practices in all fields of society life. It seeks to rebalance prevailing power arrangements, centering the most marginalized individuals and groups. There are various frameworks developed for the analysis of linkages between climate change and women following the feminist theory, like gender impact assessment (GIA); gender equality training (GET) model, and so on. The paper applies the feminist theory approach to the analysis of low-carbon energy transitions. The main purpose of using a feminist lens in this study is to enable the discovery of how people interact within energy systems and to offer solutions to confront and eradicate oppressive structures for just low-carbon energy transition in the EU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scientific research has revealed that global warming is getting irreversible with the passage of time and it is largely a human-induced phenomenon. India is one of the top three emitters of carbon dioxide in the world. However, the general public in India is unaware of what actually causes anthropogenic (human-induced) climate change. This study is undertaken to assess the level of climate change awareness and willingness to adopt mitigation actions by the students (N = 657) of higher education in Tripura, a small state in North East India, bordering Bangladesh on three sides. In addition, the study also attempts to draw whether there exist any correlations between the level of media usage with the level of climate change awareness and the level of climate change awareness with the level of willingness to adopt climate change mitigation actions. The results show that students of higher education in Tripura have a high level of climate change awareness, and the primary sources for climate change-related information are the Internet, TV, and newspapers. The scientists were the most trusted sources of climate change-related information followed by the mass media. The findings also establish that the students are willing to adopt climate change mitigation actions, even if it costs them something extra. The students who are willing (7.6%) and extremely willing (65.4%) to embrace climate change mitigation actions constituted more than 70% of the total respondents of the survey. The paper concludes that the level of willingness to adopt climate change mitigation actions was found to be significantly correlated with the level of awareness of the consequences of climate change when media are key actors in the dissemination of information; however, the level of understanding about solutions for climate change is not correlated with the level of awareness about the causes of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the majority of adults across the United States report that they believe that global warming is happening, far fewer report discussing global warming (Howe et al., 2015, https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate2583; Marlon et al., 2022, https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/visualizations‐data/ycom‐us/). One way to inspire further climate action and engagement is to increase individuals' capacity to confidently and effectively discuss climate change. Climate communication science highlights that such communication is most effective when it is anecdotal, narrative, tailored to the audience, and place‐based. To generate climate conversations and inspire action in a variety of communities, partners at the University of Minnesota Extension piloted a program to train community members from across the state of Minnesota in effective climate communication through a series of instructional workshops, coaching, and participant‐led communication activities. Following the training portion of the program, participants identified and hosted their own climate‐related communication activities in their communities. These "climate conversations" took place across Minnesota and included community events, dialogue with elected leaders, and conversations stimulated through literature, among other activities. In their communities, program participants sparked conversations, initiated long‐term climate action efforts, and improved their sense of efficacy in response to climate change. Participants also reported that they improved their climate conversation skills, increased their local climate knowledge, established a support network with fellow participants, had reduced anxiety around communicating, and increased their confidence in being able to communicate about climate change in their communities. This pilot program provides a framework for future cohort‐ and community‐based climate communication programs in the state and beyond. Plain Language Summary: More frequent, effective climate conversations initiated by a diversity of trusted voices can help to increase climate concern and desire for action at the community level. However, in the United States, there is a disconnect between the level of concern individuals have about climate change and the extent to which individuals talk about the issue. To help bridge this gap, the University of Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership developed a training program aimed at inspiring and equipping local community members across Greater Minnesota with the skills and confidence to have effective conversations about climate change in their communities. This paper summarizes the programmatic activities we used to support our goals, and some reflections on the program's results. This pilot program provides a framework for future efforts that can be facilitated by Extension programs, community‐based organizations, universities, and others to inspire and accelerate similar community‐centered climate conversations. Key Points: We piloted a training program to teach Minnesotans to effectively communicate about climate change and its impacts on their communitiesParticipants improved behavioral and conversation skills to communicate about climate change more effectivelyThis program provides a framework for future programs aimed at increasing the diversity of people engaging in local climate conversations [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quality and vitality of cities largely depend on the design, management, and maintenance of green areas, including urban protected areas (UPAs), since they provide multiple benefits for the city. Due to urbanization and higher anthropogenic pressure, green areas are decreasing which directly affects natural habitats and biodiversity. This study aims to assess soil and vegetation chemical status in UPAs in the city of Belgrade, Serbia, and to understand how their distance from pollution hotspots affects soil and vegetation quality. Additionally, this paper considers the inclusion of soil and vegetation conditions in the urban protected areas management as a basis for introducing a connectivity approach to expand green infrastructure throughout the city. Chemical properties, the content of nutrients (C, N, P, and K), and microelements (Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Sn, Pb, Zr, U, and Th) in soil and conifer needles were analyzed. Results showed that the distance of pollution hotspots does not affect nutrient and microelements concentrations in soil, i.e., they do not vary significantly between sites and do not exceed remediation intervention values. However, the microelements status of vegetation is affected since Cr, Cu, Zn, Sn, and Pb are higher in needles from trees from the city center. The state of soil and plant composition supports the establishment of a network of green corridors and should become a part of management strategies, thus helping biodiversity protection, climate change mitigation, and human well-being in the cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]