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Understanding the impact of various climate forcing agents, such as aerosols, on extreme precipitation is socially and scientifically vital. While anthropogenic absorbing aerosols influence Earth's energy balance and atmospheric convection, their role in extreme events remains unclear. This paper uses convective‐resolving radiative‐convective‐equilibrium simulations, with fixed solar radiation, to investigate the influence of absorbing aerosols on extreme precipitation comprehensively. Our findings reveal an underappreciated mechanism through which absorbing aerosols can, under certain conditions, strongly intensify extreme precipitation. Notably, we demonstrate that a mechanism previously reported for much warmer (hothouse) climates, where intense rainfall alternates with multi‐day dry spells, can operate under current realistic conditions due to absorbing aerosol influence. This mechanism operates when an aerosol perturbation shifts the lower tropospheric radiative heating rate to positive values, generating a strong inhibition layer. Our work highlights an additional potential effect of absorbing aerosols, with implications for climate change mitigation and disaster risk management. Plain Language Summary: Aerosols, particles suspended in the atmosphere, can interact with the incoming solar radiation by scattering or absorbing it. Aerosol species that absorb solar radiation generate local warming of the atmosphere. This local warming changes the vertical profile of temperature and by that affects cloud and precipitation development. In this paper we use idealized computer simulations to investigate the effect of absorbing aerosols on precipitation, and specifically on extreme precipitation events in the tropics. We demonstrate that under certain conditions, absorbing aerosols can strongly enhance extreme precipitation even despite reducing the mean. We show that this trend can be explained by a mechanism previously reported for much warmer climate conditions than currently found on Earth, involving heating by radiation of the lower part of the troposphere. These results have implications for climate change mitigation and disaster risk management. Key Points: The effect of absorbing aerosol on extreme precipitation is examined in idealized convective‐resolving radiative‐convective‐equilibrium simulationsAerosol perturbation that shifts the lower tropospheric radiative heating rate to positive values strongly enhances extreme precipitationThis trend is explained by a mechanism reported before for hothouse climate conditions involving a shift into an "episodic deluge" regime [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In response to the challenges posed by a growing global population, the livestock industry must increase food production while ensuring environmental sustainability. This paper explores how feed producers can tackle these challenges using advanced formulation techniques. By leveraging AI decision support systems, producers can optimize feed composition to promote animal health and environmental stewardship. The study's findings offer valuable insights into improving animal feed production, supporting the livestock industry in achieving sustainability goals and contributing to global environmental conservation efforts. The unprecedented challenges presented by the increase in global population have placed substantial demands on the livestock industry for human nutrition, necessitating heightened animal productivity and leading to an increased demand for natural resources to produce animal feed. Feed producers are leading the charge, consistently refining formulations to adapt to the evolving needs of livestock, driven in part by the cost of over 50% associated with feed production. This paper critically analyses the pressing issues within feed formulation, addressing the requirement for environmentally sustainable practices amidst the challenges of climate change. The exploration extends to how advanced decision support tools can enhance formulation techniques and profitability and contribute to environmental sustainability. Through an in-depth review of current feed formulation technologies, encompassing their applications and limitations, this study aims to enhance the existing knowledge base. Additionally, we examined future trends, highlighting the essential role of connecting technologies to establish a resilient and sustainable system. The emphasis is on the potential of formulation techniques to positively impact the environment and enhance the overall quality and performance of the animals. This paper provides actionable insights to improve animal production by examining feed formulation models and decision support tools. The anticipated outcome is a more informed and sustainable decision-making process, addressing the multifaceted challenges confronted by the livestock industry and making contributions to global efforts in climate change mitigation and environmental stewardship in animal production agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Raumforschung und Raumordnung is the property of Oekom Verlag GmbH 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.)

The realization of the value of ecological products has led to an economic means for reducing carbon emissions in China. Tea is one of the most important cash crops and one of the most popular beverages in the world. Due to the complex the tea industrial chain, it is considered to be an industry with high carbon emissions. Ecological tea products with low-carbon attributes can be considered a linkage of ecology, economy, and society. Based on this, this paper presents research on low-carbon ecological tea (LCT). Herein, we construct the formational logic of low-carbon ecological products, explore the connotations of LCT, and form a conceptual pathway for realizing LCT to contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation. This paper starts from the upstream, midstream, and downstream of the industrial chain; it establishes three value realization pathways that keep, as a priority, the promotion of ecological industrialization, focus on restoration to improve the ecology of the industrial chain, and innovate technology to expand the industrial chain. The pathways are a set of low-emission production solutions that use techniques to enhance carbon sequestration in soil, reduce the use of fertilizers and pesticides, and help shift to clean energy from low-emission sources in the stages of plantation, processing, and distribution. In the process of realizing LCT, the government plays an important role, and its support and guidance are needed. Based on stakeholder theory, this paper builds an implementation mechanism that focuses on the micro perspective (users, organizations), integrates the mesoscopic perspective (industry), and relies on the macro perspective (government). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitigation actions needed to achieve the ambitions of the Paris agreement to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 °C or below 2 °C have to align with sustainable development. In the near term, this implies a better understanding of context-specific challenges in integrating sustainability with climate policies during the designing, planning, implementation and financing stages. Through a review of selected studies across regions, this paper draws out conclusions focussing on mitigation–sustainable development goal (SDG) trade-offs, with implications on costs and equity for different development contexts. Studies show that trade-offs depend on how the option is implemented and at what scale; mitigation options such as afforestation, biomass production and digitalisation are examples of this. Some options could also result in significant adverse environmental impacts as in the case of battery waste and raw material resources for electric vehicle (EV) or air pollution associated with compact urban development. We find the most important factors influencing equity include unequal access (e.g. urban green spaces and public transportation), high costs (e.g. EV) and financial constraints. Major knowledge gaps include (i) limited empirical evidence of SDG-related trade-offs associated with scaling up mitigation options, (ii) limited understanding of the extent to which benefits are experienced by different groups, (iii) an understanding of the extent to which local context was considered when assessing mitigation–SDG interaction, including the engagement of stakeholders and (iv) synergies and trade-offs associated with cross-sectoral policies. The paper recommends ex-post analysis of detailed and place-based cases that document how synergies and trade-offs emerged and how these were addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Catalana de Dret Ambiental is the property of Universitat Rovira I Virgili 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.)

The article discusses the growing interest in soil health and sustainable agriculture as a response to the challenges facing modern agriculture. It highlights innovative strategies such as precision agriculture, organic farming practices, and the integration of biofertilizers. The article categorizes the research papers in the special issue into four themes: nutrient management and soil health, soil management and agricultural sustainability, soil contamination and phytoremediation, and soil nitrogen management and environmental impact. The research papers explore various aspects of these themes, providing insights into enhancing soil productivity and promoting long-term environmental sustainability. The article emphasizes the importance of nurturing soil health and sustainability in the face of increasing demands for food production, environmental conservation, and climate change mitigation. [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of OECD Working Papers Fiscal Federalism is the property of Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development 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.)

This paper provides an overview of the current state of research on the evaluation methods of participatory processes in smart cities. Specifically, it aims to identify and analyze existing evaluation methods and frameworks for public participation (PP) in smart city development. The study focuses on the evaluation of participatory processes to find key indicators and enable an assessment of PP from multiple perspectives. A scoping literature review was conducted to analyze the past ten years of scientific literature on the topic. Relevant literature was retrieved from Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, and articles were selected based on a set of criteria to ensure quality and relevance. We found that digital participation, also known as "e-participation", is the most used method either exclusively or mixed with in-person methods. The level of participation achieved was mostly limited to the first two degrees of PP (i.e., information and consultation), and only a few papers addressed the highest degrees (i.e., agenda-setting and co-management). The impact on participants was mostly related to knowledge and skills, awareness raising, and satisfaction with the process and method. This paper highlights the potential to upskill citizens and enhance their understanding of sustainable urban development, fostering their commitment to achieving the United Nations' sustainability goals for climate change mitigation in the urban context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first paper of this special issue, "Climate Policy and Wealth Distribution" by Dao, [[1]] develops a model with intergenerational bequest transfers and climate damage on the wealth of heterogeneous households. A sound climate policy would have to reduce this "option value of waiting" due to commodity price uncertainties. According to scientific data, climate change and environmental deterioration have become severe issues threatening human society and sustainability. [Extracted from the article]

With increasing pressure to cut carbon emissions and develop sustainability plans, companies need carbon credits to offset emissions that cannot be eliminated from their operations, new global carbon exchange to launch in Singapore by 2021 end, the high-quality credit can bridge this gap and play an important role in the overall climate change mitigation strategy. The purpose of this research is to use the production data (including carbon emissions) of paper-making companies in Taiwan to establish a circular economy mathematical programming model and the concept based on the activity cost method (ABC) to explore the impact of different carbon emissions costs (such carbon tax, carbon cap-and-trade, etc.) on the company's production structure and profitability impact. The research results show that different carbon emission cost models have different effects on the company's optimal product-mix and profitability. The managerial implication is to combine the extensive application of the carbon emission credit mechanism, which can offset the carbon emissions in the production process and have a significant impact on the company's sustainable competitiveness. In addition, this study can also enable decision makers to understand the impact of different carbon emission cost models on the profitability of the company's product mix, which can be used as a reference for production planning decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper questions the dominance of market-based mechanisms (MBMs) as the primary means of climate change mitigation. It argues that, not only they are unsuccessful on their own terms, but also they actually make the task more difficult by the unintended consequence of normalising the act of polluting and crowding out alternatives. The theoretical contribution of the paper is to draw a link between two bodies of literature. The first is the business ethics literature on the dominance of market-based rather than direct regulation, and the second is the literature on market ethics, particularly the work of Michael Sandel on how MBMs crowd out non-market norms. The empirical contribution is to use the international maritime transport sector to illustrate the way market-based regulation renders alternatives such as direct regulation and supply-side approaches invisible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper demonstrates the strong link between the implementation of a GHG emission mitigation policy and the reduction of human health risk related to air pollution in Russia. The human health risk analysis method was introduced in Russia in the late 1990s. After a few pilot studies, this method has been in studies in several Russian cities with high populations and high air pollution. These studies demonstrate that among the hundreds of pollutants controlled by Russian law, a handful are responsible for up to 90% of human health risk from air pollution (PM$_{10}$ and SO$_{2}$ contribute the most). Fossil fuel combustion is the main source of the aforementioned conventional pollutants. This paper provides an overview of local ancillary benefits studies in selected Russian cities. The countrywide energy study presented in this paper proves that reduction of GHG emissions in the power generation sector would result in the reduction of these conventional pollutants in all regions. A major challenge for Russia in this process is a potential increase of the share of coal in the fuel mix. Such a change would result in the additional loss of 118,000 years of life countrywide. In the Central and Volgo-Viatsky regions additional mortality could increase by more than 30%. As a result of a GHG mitigation policy that avoided an increase in the coal share of the fuel mix could produce ancillary benefits in 2010 around $60 per ton of CO2 emission reduction in power sector alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The agricultural sector in Moldova is highly exposed to natural factors and hazards, resulting in uncertain incomes and high production volatility. Crop insurance plans against different risks plays a crucial role in supporting farmers' yield and revenues. The aim of this paper is to assess the development of subsidizing production risk insurance policy as a method to enhance agricultural resilience and alleviate the effects of climate change in Moldova. The analyzed data is based on the analysis of regulatory documents for policies regarding subsidizing productions risks insurance. For data analysis, secondary data provided by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), and Agency of Interventions and Payments in Agriculture (AIPA) was used. The data refer to the amount of subsidies applications for risks insurance, insured areas cultivated with different crops and its harvests, main risks insured by farmers, distribution of subsidies for risks insurance by development regions and the insurance companies. The subsidization of crop production risk insurance in Moldova has played a vital role in bolstering agricultural resilience and minimizing the adverse effects of climate change. By offering assistance to farmers and promoting the implementation of risk management practices, the government's objective is to stabilize income levels and promote sustainable growth in the agricultural sector. Nevertheless, it is crucial to continuously monitor and evaluate these policies to ensure their efficacy and fair distribution of subsidies across various regions and insurance providers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With this paper we explore and discuss the priorities of and possible goal conflicts between authenticity and climate change in heritage gardens. How can climate change mitigation, adaptation, resilience, and cultural heritage conservation be combined in heritage gardens? Our study was guided by the following research question: How do gardeners negotiate climate change and authenticity in heritage gardens? From Rachel Carson's Silent Spring in the 1960s through to the 2002 report Gardening in the Global Greenhouse and the recent Gardening in a Changing World in 2022 mankind's impact on the environment and the emerging climate change has been the focus of increasing attention. By investigating and interviewing multiple gardeners our objective was to pinpoint common challenges, as well as what can be learned from one another within the field of gardening and heritage conservation. The case study method was adopted for this study, involving three head gardeners in the United Kingdom. Interviews were conducted with Joseph Atkin at Aberglasney Gardens, Claire Greenslade at Hestercombe Gardens, and Steve Lannin at Iford Manor about their expertise and knowledge. The gardeners expressed concern regarding climate change and the challenges it poses. The interviewees shared their experience with drought, reduced use of pesticides and herbicides, and the peat legislation in relation to their role as head gardeners. We argue that authenticity and the traditional gardening practised before the advent of power tools, plastic, peat issues, and uninformed transportation can be part of the solution to loss of biodiversity and climate change. This paper identifies some of the obstacles encountered in relation to negotiating questions of authenticity and climate change in heritage gardens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Raumforschung und Raumordnung is the property of Oekom Verlag GmbH 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.)

B I Sustainability and Climate Change i b is a peer-reviewed publication dedicated to furthering the science of sustainability, sustainable development, and climate change. The editorial team of B I Sustainability and Climate Change i b invites you to submit your manuscript for consideration. [Extracted from the article]

The debate on the benefits of renewable electrification in late industrializing economies has mostly focused on improved electricity access and climate mitigation arguments. The literature pays less attention to understanding the opportunities for sustainable industrialization. This paper contributes to the latter with insights from a case study of Solinc East Africa, a Kenyan solar module manufacturer that has remained in the market, despite intense competition from imports of low-cost solar panels. Drawing on in-depth fieldwork in the solar energy sector in Kenya, we apply a global value chain framework to explore how and why Solinc has been able to sustain its business. Our findings highlight the challenges of localizing solar manufacturing in Kenya and suggest it may only be possible in rare instances. Specifically, a unique combination of circumstances and factors were revealed that enabled Solinc to gain several advantages including (i) initial access to knowledge and materials from upstream linkages; (ii) downstream integration and partnerships with key distributors and customers; (iii) close proximity to customers; and (iv) provision of complementary and increasingly high value-added services. Our findings present a more positive perspective on the localization of related services, which we argue deserves more attention in the sustainable industrialization debate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to set up a review of the scientific literature concerning the circular economy, called to become a viable alternative to the linear "take-make-dispose" approach and assure sustainability. It synthesizes, in a logical order, the main aspects regarding the circular economy versus linear economy and has a critical approach comparatively pointing out the benefits and restrains. The two economic models are illustrated in schemas in such a way to clearly distinguish the difference in their objectives, principles and benefits. Also, the study presents the key policies and initiatives of the circular economy, highlighting the EU's commitment and the metrics for measuring the circularity. Regarding the circular agriculture, it is emphasized the efficiency in resource use, recycling, and waste reduction, closed nutrient loops, biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation, food production and consumption, and the creation of economic value. Circular agriculture practices such as agroforestry, crop rotation, composting organic farming, and regenerative agriculture are also presented. Circularity in agriculture should cease to be seen merely as a concept, it should be considered a necessity for building a sustainable and resilient economy of the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Should climate activists be optimistic or pessimistic about the climate crisis and their efforts to confront it? This paper analyses common narratives in the climate movement through the lens of the philosophical traditions of optimism and pessimism, arguing for three points. Firstly, most dominant narratives within the climate movement resemble philosophical optimism through their commitment to political progress and inherent value of climate action. Secondly, optimistic narratives within the climate movement should be rejected, as climate optimism places an overwhelming mental burden on climate activists and drives the climate movement towards bad responses to the inefficacy problem. Finally, the paper sketches pessimism as a better framework that can act as a moral source for climate activists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Gestión y Análisis de Políticas Públicas, Nueva Época (GAPP) is the property of Instituto Nacional de Administracion Publica 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.)

This document is a special issue of the journal "Plants" that focuses on the soil-plant-water system and its interactions. The articles in this issue cover a wide range of topics, including climate change and soil water deficits, forest and woody plant ecosystems, and alternative crop production methods. The studies explore the effects of drought on plant growth and development, the impact of different inter-row soil management techniques on soil water content, and the response of plants to phosphorus addition. The issue also includes research on zero discharge cultivation of cucumbers and indoor vegetable production methods. The authors highlight the importance of studying the soil-plant-water system as an interconnected system and identify areas for further research. [Extracted from the article]

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]

The association between economic growth and environmental degradation is well documented. However, the link between business climate and ecological footprint remains an open question. This paper therefore explores the extent of the influence of business climate on environmental degradation in Africa. The impacts of business climate are estimated in a panel of 35 African countries observed over the period 2006–2018, using ecological footprint to account for environmental degradation. Panel spatial consistent correlation estimation technique, system generalized method of moments and method of moment panel quantile regression are used to estimate the model. The results show that business climate contributes to environmental degradation in developing economies. A 1% increase in business climate distorts environmental quality by 17.8%. The study reveals that although many development experts often encourage the ease of doing business policy, it does not come without its own potential damaging repercussion for the ecological environment. The paper contributes to the empirics by suggesting a new model that integrates the quantitative impacts of business climate on ecological footprint. Policymakers need to understudy how business firms can incorporate a better responsiveness toward the ecosystem. An improvement in business activities monitoring can help to mitigate the ecological footprint issues in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of new transformational technology, known as the fourth industrial revolution, has crucially opened a new window to green economic growth. The transition to low carbon, green economy, and green sustainability has gained momentum simultaneously in developed and developing countries. The greening policy echoes the pending climate change and its entrenching disruptions. Financial technology, or FinTech seems to be a promising direction in unlocking the green dilemma; to be concrete, FinTech and the green economy are separately documented in the literature. Against this background, the current study investigates the intersection between green economic growth and FinTech by conducting a systematic-cum-bibliometric analysis of published papers in the Scopus database with the goal of first examining the role and opportunities of implementing green FinTech as a stimulus for transition towards green economic growth in African countries and, second, identifying knowledge gaps and future policy and research directions by developing an integrated framework to help African countries in the transition to green economic growth and green FinTech. The results illustrate an increasing trend in research attention towards the green FinTech concept and its relationship with green economic growth, climate change, and greening rules and standards. A deep inspection of the mined papers indicates that future research trajectories are oriented into five different mainstreams: technology and instruments in digital finance; regulation, policies, and green FinTech; climate risk mitigation through FinTech; FinTech and environmental quality; green finance and climate change mitigation. Based on these research directions, an integrated framework was conceptualised that aims to deliver green economic growth using FinTech as a vehicle of transition for African countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Renewable energy and climate change are vital aspects of humanity. Energy is needed to sustain life on Earth. The exploration and utilisation of traditional fossil-based energy has led to global warming. The exploration and use of fossil-based energy have significantly contributed to global warming, making the shift to renewable energy crucial for mitigating climate change. Renewable energies offer a sustainable alternative that does not harm the environment. This review aims to examine the role of machine learning (ML) in optimising renewable energy systems and enhancing climate change mitigation strategies, addressing both opportunities and challenges in this evolving field. The vital significance of renewable energy and measures to circumvent climate change in modern civilisation is first contextualised in the review. It draws attention to the difficulties encountered in these fields and describes the exciting potential of ML to solve them. Important discoveries highlight how ML can improve renewable energy technology scalability, dependability and efficiency while enabling more precise climate change projections and practical mitigation strategies. Simultaneously, issues including ethical considerations, interpretability of models and data quality demand attention. Method: This review conducted a systematic literature analysis on the application of ML in renewable energy and climate change mitigation. It involved a comprehensive search, selection, and analysis of recent studies, focusing on ML's role in energy forecasting, predictive maintenance, and climate modelling. The review synthesised key developments, challenges, and future directions, emphasising the need for ongoing transdisciplinary research to fully realise ML's potential in advancing sustainable energy solutions. Result: The review found that machine learning significantly enhances renewable energy system efficiency, scalability, and climate change mitigation through improved forecasting, predictive maintenance, and climate modelling. However, challenges like ethical concerns, model interpretability, and data quality persist. Ongoing research is essential to fully leverage ML's potential in these areas. Short conclusion: The paper highlights how machine learning can be used to revolutionise the energy and climate change mitigation industries for sustainable futures. It promotes ongoing transdisciplinary research and innovation to fully realise ML's synergistic potential and tackle urgent global issues. In the end, the review advances our knowledge of how to use ML to hasten the transition to a future that is more robust and sustainable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change mitigation is a pressing global challenge that requires reducing CO2 emissions without hindering economic growth. Using an extended Kaya identity, Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI), and Tapio decoupling indicator, this paper investigates the spatio-temporal variations, drivers, and decoupling of CO2 emissions from economic growth in 150 countries from 1990 to 2019, considering regional disparities and income-based inequalities. The findings reveal increasing CO2 emissions between 1990 and 2019, with notable fluctuations in certain 5-year intervals. CO2 emission growth varied significantly by region, with countries like China, the USA, India, and Japan experiencing rapid increases. Economic growth emerged as the primary driver of CO2 emission growth, and its impact strengthened over time. Population growth also contributed significantly to CO2 emissions, particularly in middle- and low-income countries. The study identifies energy and carbon intensity as crucial mitigating factors that weaken CO2 emissions, offering hope for effective climate change mitigation. Furthermore, the degree of decoupling between economic growth and CO2 emissions varied among countries in the same region, with high-income countries demonstrating stronger decoupling compared to upper-middle-income countries, which accounted for 71% of global CO2 emission increase. These findings underline the imperative of accounting for income levels and regional differences in formulating CO2 emission mitigation strategies. Also, the study emphasizes the pressing necessity for cohesive global coordination to facilitate the transition toward a low-carbon economy. Such collaborative endeavors are paramount in our collective pursuit to combat climate change effectively, safeguarding the well-being and sustenance of our planet for future generations. As policymakers, it is imperative to integrate these insights into decision-making processes to chart a sustainable and resilient course forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy-inefficient buildings are a major driver of climate change. The aging, energy inefficient housing occupied by low-income households in the US and other high-income countries is a driver of notable environmental and health disparities as well. Public policies for alleviating the financial and health burdens of energy inefficient housing have existed for decades, but fallen short of reaching most households in need. This paper proposes a promising new approach to filling gaps left by public programs -- one that relies on mobilizing the tools of private governance, carbon offsetting and the voluntary carbon market (VCM) to finance energy upgrades for low-income households. We develop a new and readily applicable methodology for calculating energy and carbon savings from efficiency upgrades based on readily accessible publicly available data. Tailored to the needs of estimating energy and carbon savings from efficiency upgrades to low-income units, rentals in particular, this methodology can be fruitfully deployed in monetizing the carbon savings from efficiency driven reductions in household energy use. Specifically, we propose packaging the emission reductions generated through energy savings as carbon offsets, then selling these offsets on the voluntary carbon market to generate financing for energy upgrades to low-income homes not served by public energy efficiency programs. Given the multiple economic and health co-benefits from low-income energy upgrades, we expect that carbon offsets generated through such upgrades will be attractive to many corporate and institutional offset buyers, particularly those who seek to fulfill climate commitments while also advancing economic and human development in their host communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomass is a clean and green renewable energy source that can address the energy needs of rural India. This paper is a case study of three villages—Ranoli, Pranpura, and Kishanpur—in Bawal tehsil of Haryana, India, assessing the biomass resource and power generation potential, greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), and climate impact. The results show that study area can produce 2.13 kt of biomass annually, equivalent to 258.6 kW of power, with biomass resource density ranging between 0.167 and 0.205 kt/km2. The estimated emissions from biomass power generation are 453.91 t of CO 2 , 1.79 t of CH 4 , and 0.174 t of N 2 O . The global temperature change potential (GTP) climate metric is used to estimate the impacts of biomass power emissions on global surface temperature, showing that the first year's emissions would increase the global temperature by 0.27, 1, and 0.54 nK for biomass, coal, and natural gas-based power, respectively. The study highlights the potential of biomass in climate change mitigation and identifies challenges, such as spatio-temporal distribution, low power density, and competing uses, that need to be addressed for its large-scale adoption. Overall, this study contributes to the understanding of biomass energy potential and its role in sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a collection of datasets holding information on the energy and climate action plans of 6,850 municipalities, taking part in the transnational initiative of the Global Covenant of Mayors (GCoM). This collection includes commitments for reducing net GHG emissions by at least 20% by 2020, 55% by 2030 and becoming climate neutral by 2050. The signatories commit to addressing any of the three pillars of the initiative, namely climate change mitigation, adaptation and energy access. Following two previous releases, the third release of the GCoM collection is introduced, with closing date September 2022. The datasets include information on the action plans and monitoring reports as they are self-reported by signatories, undergoing a quality-harnessing procedure before publication. Additionally, an external comparison is developed with the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR v7), controlling for comparable sources and activity sectors, ensuring the usability of the GCoM datasets for relevant research on local policies and their effects on reducing the impact of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change, attributable to human activity, is increasingly contributing to a global health crisis. The scale, nature and timing of adverse effects on physical and mental health, via direct and indirect pathways, vary within and between regions but there are common challenges that can be tackled by better integrated mitigation and adaptation actions. The actions described in this paper would have benefits for health if appropriately implemented, both by reducing the health risks of climate change and from the ancillary (co‐)benefits of mitigation such as from reduced air pollution as a result of phasing out fossil fuels. There are unprecedented health threats from climate change but also unprecedented opportunities to use scientific knowledge to inform policy and practice. Much can be done now to use the evidence already available to effect rapid and decisive action as well as generating new evidence to support effective policy development and implementation. This paper draws on an inter‐regional, inclusive, project by the InterAcademy Partnership, the global network of more than 140 academies of science, engineering and medicine, to summarise evidence available worldwide in order to help inform options for policy making. A particular focus is on clarifying climate change mitigation and adaptation solutions and their implementation for the benefit of the most vulnerable groups. The present authors actively participated in managing this project which encouraged academies to capture diverse impacts and policy options by evaluating and synthesising evidence from their own countries to inform policy for collective and customised action at national, regional and global levels. Using a systems‐based approach, recommendations from the project in this publication are transdisciplinary and multisectoral. Despite the accumulating evidence, protecting and improving human health have not yet become major focal points in global climate change policy discussions. Drawing on the IAP project outputs, we strongly recommend that health and health equity must now come to the foreground, accompanied by much greater allocation of climate finance to health‐related programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flash droughts, characterized by rapid onset and development, present significant challenges to agriculture and climate mitigation strategies. Operational drought monitoring systems, based on precipitation, soil moisture deficits, or temperature anomalies, often fall short in timely detection of these events, underscoring the need for customized identification and monitoring indices that account for the rapidity of flash drought onset. Recognizing this need, this paper introduces a global flash drought inventory from 1990 to 2021 derived using the Soil Moisture Volatility Index (SMVI). Our work expands the application of the SMVI methodology, previously focused on the United States, to a global scale, providing a tool for understanding and predicting these rapidly developing phenomena. The dataset encompasses detailed event characteristics, including onset, duration, and severity, across diverse climate zones. By integrating atmospheric variables through their impact on soil moisture, the inventory offers a platform for analyzing the drivers and impacts of flash droughts, and serves as a large, consistent dataset for use in training and evaluating flash drought prediction models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The North-South divide forms the central axis along which scholars study the contemporary global order. Yet many countries fall in-between the cracks of a world divided into core and periphery. This paper develops a structural account to understand the position of countries in this space of in-betweenness. The focus is on Central and Eastern Europe. I draw on already existing scholarship on liminalities, the varieties of capitalism and transition studies to argue that a liminal identity of in-betweenness goes hand-in-glove with a domestic logic of transitioning, as the state seeks to move somewhere else. Furthermore transitioning dynamics position the state in the semi-periphery, as the transition to the civilizational core requires capital and know-how from abroad. The resulting semi-peripheral position further underlines the liminal identity. The paper uses this apparatus to understand why CEE countries are typically climate change laggards within the EU. Their continuing liminal identity results in frustration over and resistance against the schooling tendencies of Brussels and Western European capitals. The dynamics of a sense of imposition of climate change mitigation policies stem from CEE's liminal positioning as apprentices, but the reasons for the perceived alienness of such policies are located in domestic societal dynamics, and CEE countries' economic structure. The specific political structures of communism and the communist transition have strengthened particularistic personal ties of friendship and family between individuals and the localities they live in, while simultaneously weakening general and abstract conceptions of the public good. Accordingly initiatives for preserving specific localities can be strong, but conceptions of protecting an abstract, global climate, are not well developed. Additionally, the material costs of protecting the climate are higher in post-communist economies due to their comparative advantage in resource and labour intensive industries, their reliance on foreign capital, and a lack of domestic innovations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first climate action stocktake cycle under the Paris Agreement was completed in 2023 to assess global progress on mitigation, adaptation, and climate finance goals. State-driven action needs to be complemented by sectoral efforts, and this paper builds on the first Tourism Stocktake undertaken in 2023 that examined climate action in the tourism sector. First, an expert elicitation survey was conducted to validate and deepen the findings from the stocktaking activity. Second, an analysis of the Stocktake's 40 metrics was undertaken against six criteria of indicator quality. The expert survey revealed a sector still in the early stages of implementing its climate response, with a consensus that 2030 tourism emission reduction targets would not be achieved. Tourism policy and investment were deemed inconsistent with climate ambitions, and current adaptation is insufficient for projected climate change, so that future impacts will restrict tourism development in some destinations. Analysis of the metrics exposed significant data gaps and a core set of 13 robust metrics to measure change over the next stocktaking cycle is identified. The paper concludes with recommendations to advance sector capabilities and collaboration to monitor progress on climate action for an updated Tourism Stocktake in 2026. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Green Deal (EGD) represents the most ambitious environmental policy framework in European history, aimed at improving the health and well-being of citizens and future generations through climate action and becoming the first climate-neutral region in the world by 2050. The EC has initiated the European Democracy Action Plan and the European Climate Pact to include the participation of citizens in a meaningful way to help achieve these goals (i.e. not simply a tokenistic gesture or box-ticking exercise). While these efforts to ensure greater citizen participation and deliberation in environmental policy are good first steps, there is still a lack of clarity about what meaningful citizen engagement should look like. This paper will propose that for such efforts to be successful, we need to assess different perspectives in the debate and provide recommendations based on this. This paper provides a systematic review of various approaches within the academic literature on citizen participation and deliberation in environmental policy (ecocentrism, biocentrism, ecomodernism, ecofeminism, environmental pragmatism, environmental citizenship, environmental rights, and environmental justice). Following this, we provide a list of 16 criteria (in five thematic sections) for policymakers, civil society organisations (CSOs), and society, to ensure meaningful citizen participation and deliberation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public participation in local governance is crucial for effective climate action and for ensuring that policies are designed in a way that respects the rights of communities. Policy developments and choices are shaped by the groups that participate, by the ideas that they hold, and by the institutions that enable and constrain their participation. This paper seeks to understand local climate change governance in Ireland by identifying the environmental interests and the ideas of the groups that participate, and by examining how they engage with institutionalised local policymaking processes and with the organisations that represent the officially recognised views of the country's national environmental movement. An analysis of survey data collected from the groups that are members of one of Ireland's Public Participation Networks shows that a majority of groups are small, rural, voluntary, interested in a wide variety of environmental issues and have a pro-ecological worldview. Most groups follow a pro-institutional advocacy strategy at the local level, while only a minority interact with the national environmental movement, mostly limiting their engagement to the acquisition of information. This paper contributes to the literature that examines how interests, ideas, and institutions shape public participation in local climate politics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global climate issue is becoming increasingly serious, and studying the energy transition (ET) has proven to be an effective solution to this problem. The essence of climate mitigation is to address the issue of ensuring the public health (pH) of human beings. Still, the definitions of ET in existing literature are inconsistent, and Many researches overlook the definitions of ET in official documents and discuss the relationship between ET and pH. Therefore, this research utilizes panel data from 107 countries over the period 2000–2020 to construct an energy transition indicator based on the definition from the World Economic Forum (WEF). It also examines the link between ET and pH using a two-way fixed effects regression. In the current turbulent international environment, this paper also investigates this link in the context of composite risk control (CRC), financial risk control (FRC), economic risk control (ERC), and political risk control (PRC). The results show that ET can significantly improve pH, a conclusion that remains significant after being subjected to a range of robustness tests. The study exploring the mechanism impact on the relationship between ET and pH shows that CRC, FRC, ERC, and PRC all strengthen the effect of ET on pH, and the mechanism effect varies considerably between high-income and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs); ET is more significantly affected by the mechanism in LMICs than in high-income countries. Furthermore, this paper illustrates that ET does not differ by gender in improving pH among infants, while there are gender differences in adults by using the instrumental variable regression and GMM regression to mitigate the endogenous and heteroscedasticity issue for heterogeneity test. The study in this paper can not only inspire policy researchers on which aspects to promote ET, but also provide a direction for improving pH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Miyawaki method, developed by Akira Miyawaki, restores natural forests by planting diverse native species in compact spaces, rapidly creating compact, resilient ecosystems. Initially successful in Japan, its global application bloomed but remains rare in Mediterranean urban areas despite benefits like biodiversity enhancement and climate change mitigation. This method's effectiveness in Mediterranean climates, which face unique challenges like urban heat islands and biodiversity loss, is underexplored in literature and practice. We are leading a project in Italy to identify optimal plant assemblages, addressing the method's documentation gap in urban settings. It explores the potential of Tiny Forests to provide ecosystem services and improve urban liveability against climatic extremes. This note paper details the methodological steps undertaken in this experimental application, offering a tailored approach to test the method's adaptability and impact in Mediterranean urban environments, suggesting a significant opportunity for urban greening and resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the rhetoric and argumentation of two prominent environmental activists, Greta Thunberg and Chris Packham. From the perspective of Ecolinguistics, Thunberg has given voice to a generational movement for change, galvanising young people everywhere through high-profile protests and speeches. Packham represents British mainstream environmentalism, notably as the presenter of the acclaimed nature documentary 'Springwatch'. We argue that their influence partially stems from their alignment with dominant cultural narratives: Thunberg's emphasis on intergenerational discord and Packham's connection to the natural world. We analyse both figures via the lens of the 'emotionalisation of media discourse', highlighting argumentation strategies that feature expressions of negative emotions of which anger is a type. Thunberg's famous 'How dare you?' outburst at the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit and Packham's statement to Novara Media, 'I am more angry now than at any point since my 20s', exemplify this trend. We explore the pragmatic implications of their argumentative and discursive strategies, suggesting that while both have significantly elevated the profile of ecological activism, their discourse may also have a potentially divisive aspect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]