Arguments
Skeptical Science New Research for Week #27 2026
Posted on 2 July 2026 by Doug Bostrom, Marc Kodack
Open access notables
Warming climate has lengthened global intense tropical cyclone seasons, Liu et al., Nature Communication
Intense tropical cyclones (TCs), which pose serious threats to human life and property, often occur within a short period of time each year, known as the intense TC season. Changes in the lengths of intense TC seasons under climate change are critical scientific and socioeconomic issues. While trends in overall TC seasons have been widely studied, the response of intense TC seasons to climate change remains underexplored. Here, we show that intense TC seasons have been lengthening globally since 1980, with statistically significant increasing trends ranging from 9.9–13.8 days/decade across all basins, equivalent to 7.4–21.9% increase in intense TC season lengths per decade. This is primarily due to the enhancing probability of off-season TCs experiencing rapid intensification, which is partly driven by oceanic warming. Meanwhile, changes in background atmospheric circulation play a role in the complexity of intense TC seasonality change. As a result, off-season TCs are more likely to develop into intense TCs. The findings in this study indicate an increasing exposure of human societies to intense TC risks outside historical seasonal norms. This suggests the urgent need for preparation and mitigation measures for the potential risks of intense TCs under future climate change.
Abrupt permafrost thaw drives exceptional carbon release across the Tibetan Plateau, Jia et al., Nature Communications
Climate warming is accelerating abrupt permafrost thaw, driving substantial carbon emissions. Retrogressive thaw slumps (RTSs) represent the most severe instance of abrupt permafrost thaw, yet their carbon emissions remain poorly quantified due to limited observations. Here, by synthesizing 4728 RTS incidents and 1862 in-situ CO2 and CH4 measurements from RTS-affected zones across the Tibetan Plateau, we estimate that the area of RTS susceptibility will expand by 17–19% by 2100 relative to 2022, driven primarily by precipitation changes. Compared to control areas, the ecosystem respiration rate in collapsed areas decreases by 14.4%, while CH4 release rate increases by 20.0%. The combined CO2 and CH4 release associated with RTS expansion increased 1.1-fold between 2016 and 2022. Under the intermediate Shared Socioeconomic Pathways scenario, carbon emissions from RTS-susceptible areas are projected to surge 2.7-fold by 2100. These findings highlight that abrupt thaw strengthens permafrost carbon-climate feedback in high-altitude regions, underscoring the urgent need for targeted permafrost protection strategies to achieve carbon neutrality goals.
Influence of seismic energy dissipation technology on carbon emission of building construction, Zhang et al., Scientific Reports
This study aims to simultaneously enhance structural safety and reduce carbon emissions using the seismic energy dissipation technology. Eight reinforced concrete frame structures with varying numbers of floors are selected as case studies in accordance with the Chinese design code. By incorporating additional energy dissipation devices, the required dimensions of structural components in structures with damper (SWD) are reduced compared with structures without damper (SWOD), thereby lowering carbon emissions and improving seismic performance. Both SWOD and SWD systems are designed for each of the eight reinforced concrete frame structures for comparative analysis. Structural component dimensions are calculated using SAUSG software, and key performance indicators, including the natural period and inter-story drift ratio, are analyzed to verify compliance with code-specified safety requirements. Engineering quantities and life-cycle energy consumption are quantified, including the production and transportation of materials, as well as construction and dismantling stages. The results indicate that SWDs reduce material and energy consumption, with average carbon emissions 17.4% lower than those of SWODs. This study provides a novel perspective on carbon emission reduction during the design phase and offers an effective technical pathway for the coordinated development of low-carbon buildings and seismic resilience.
Ideological drivers of climate obstruction and delay: political parties and public opinion in Spain, Ochoa et al., Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences
This study contributes to the growing body of international research examining how political actors strategically resist or slow down climate action despite scientific consensus. It combines a cross-sectional public opinion survey with a systematic analysis of political party manifestos. The study identifies clear ideological differences between parties and their supporters in regard to how climate change is framed and addressed. While most respondents acknowledge anthropogenic climate change and express support for stronger government action, significant segments resist lifestyle changes and consider resource extraction to be unavoidable. Left-leaning voters tend to emphasize collective responsibility and call for stronger public intervention. In contrast, conservative and far-right voters are more likely to downplay human causation, prioritize economic growth, and frame climate disruption as being driven by natural forces. Party programs across the political spectrum indeed mirror these tensions by promoting incremental rather than transformative measures. The Far-right nationalist narratives of sovereignty and securitization further serve to delegitimize mitigation efforts. The Old and New Right parties try to avoid regulations and thus oppose decisive government intervention in environmental matters. The findings show that political polarization plays a central role in shaping attitudes towards climate policy in Spain, in line with broader European trends whereby far-right parties promote climate delay narratives. The research also identifies that climate delay is a structural phenomenon, rooted in the intersection of ideologies such as capitalism, nationalism, and patriarchy, rather than a purely partisan one.
Negative partisanship, positive partisanship, and variation in climate policy attitudes on the political right, Huddart et al., PNAS Nexus
Conservatives are more likely than liberals to oppose climate policies, resulting in political polarization over climate change. Most research treats this gap as if it reflects two cohesive blocs on opposite sides of an issue. Drawing on original survey data from a probability sample of Canadians (n = 2,503), we find that while liberals are highly uniform in their orientation toward climate policies, conservatives are far more heterogeneous. Further analyses reveal conservatives' policy positions strongly correlate with their partisan affect—both the extent to which they dislike opposing liberals (negative partisanship) and the extent to which they like fellow conservatives (positive partisanship). These findings highlight the importance of considering variation within, and not just between, political sides. The results additionally suggest that reducing hostility toward the other side (particularly among conservatives) may facilitate cross-ideological climate coalitions.
From this week's government/NGO section:
Global trends in climate change litigation: 2026 snapshot, Joana Setzer and Catherine Higham, Global School of Sustainability, London School of Economics
The authors identify the following key trends for the period January to December 2025: in 2025, 249 new climate cases were filed, bringing the total since 1986 to more than 3,600 cases. Over three quarters of these cases have been filed since 2015, the year of the Paris Agreement. Cases have been filed across 62 countries, up from just 17 countries a decade ago. In 2025, cases were newly filed in Grenada, Guatemala, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Singapore and Zambia. • The United States remains the jurisdiction with the highest number of cases: 151 new cases were recorded in 2025, bringing the total to 2,078.
Fossil fuel emissions have rapidly worsened European heatwaves in just a few decades, Keeping et al., World Weather Attribution
Just weeks after a severe heatwave that broke all-time May records, Europe is experiencing another major heatwave that is breaking June and annual records. This is particularly remarkable given that June is not historically the hottest month in Western Europe. The authors assessed to what extent human-induced climate change altered the likelihood and intensity of the extreme heat in Western Europe. The analysis focuses on the 3 hottest days and nights over the most affected area and additional analysis of the 19 capitals of the affected countries. This June 2026 heatwave occurred under a circulation pattern broadly similar to historical analogues – Southerly Flow. However, a similar circulation pattern now produces significantly hotter temperatures than it did in the mid-20th century because the climate baseline has warmed. This summer shows that at 1.4°C of global warming, extreme heat is already reaching the limits of our societies’ ability to cope. The analysis shows that intense heat is increasing rapidly even in living memory, with such events tens to hundreds of times more likely since only 2003 and virtually impossible just 50 years ago.
120 articles in 58 journals by 790 contributing authors
Physical science of climate change, effects
AMOC response to historical freshwater increase, Devilliers et al., Nature Geoscience 10.1038/s41561-026-02028-8
Barents-Kara Sea Ice Variability Drives Stronger Tropospheric Anomalies Over East Asia After 2000 Due To Weakened Stratospheric Polar Vortex, Zhang et al., Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres 10.1029/2025jd046058
Declining tropical sea surface temperature variability under post-2050s greenhouse warming, Wang & Santoso, Nature Climate Change 10.1038/s41558-026-02684-z
Distinguishing the Direct Radiative, Surface Warming, and Ozone Mediated Contributions to the Acceleration of the Brewer–Dobson Circulation under Abrupt CO2 Forcing, Menzel et al., Journal of Climate 10.1175/jcli-d-25-0515.1
Reply to: AMOC response to historical freshwater increase, Pontes & Menviel, Nature Geoscience 10.1038/s41561-026-02029-7
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Temporal Variability of Ventilation in the Eurasian Arctic Ocean, Journal of Geophysical Research Oceans, 10.1029/2023jc020608 6 cites.
Observations of climate change, effects
Marine Heatwaves Have Increased in Frequency, Duration, and Depth Across Southeast Asia, Gulakaram et al., Journal of Geophysical Research Oceans Open Access 10.1029/2025jc023614
Tropical origins of the recent trends in Northern Hemisphere wintertime jet streams, Rivière et al., Nature Communications Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41467-026-74980-3
Warming climate has lengthened global intense tropical cyclone seasons, Liu et al., Nature Communications Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41467-026-74651-3
Warming Tropical Western Pacific Fuels More Frequent Winter Surface Wind Extremes over the South China Sea, Shi et al., Journal of Climate 10.1175/jcli-d-26-0047.1
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Climate-driven deoxygenation of northern lakes, Nature Climate Change, 10.1038/s41558-024-02058-3 77 cites.
Instrumentation & observational methods of climate change, effects
A Coordinated Framework for Global Climate Reanalyses, Cobb et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 10.1175/bams-d-25-0056.1
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Independent Quality Assessment of Essential Climate Variables: Lessons Learned from the Copernicus Climate Change Service, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 10.1175/bams-d-21-0109.1 18 cites.
Modeling, simulation & projection of climate change, effects
Assessing Earth's Energy Imbalance Trend in the Early 21st Century in Two High-Resolution Coupled Models, Chen et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2025gl121277
Past Global Warming Influence on Intense Typhoons Reaching Southern China During El Niño and La Niña Using a Variable Resolution Global Model, Zheng et al., Atmospheric Science Letters Open Access 10.1002/asl2.70052
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Collapsed upwelling projected to weaken ENSO under sustained warming beyond the twenty-first century, Nature Climate Change, 10.1038/s41558-024-02061-8 35 cites.
Advancement of climate & climate effects modeling, simulation & projection
Extreme Precipitation in the Contiguous United States in Gridded Analyses and a Convection-Permitting Model Simulation, Schumacher & Hill, Journal of Hydrometeorology 10.1175/jhm-d-25-0212.1
Observational Data for Next-Generation Climate Model Evaluation: Requirements, Considerations, and Best Practices, Beadling et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society Open Access 10.1175/bams-d-25-0079.1
Opinion: status, plans and needs of Southern Ocean modelling, Martin et al., Ocean science Open Access 10.5194/os-22-1429-2026
Unlocking Urban Climate Change Analysis in Global Kilometer-Scale Climate Simulations, Pedruzo-Bagazgoitia et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2025gl120583
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
General circulation models simulate negative liquid water path–droplet number correlations, but anthropogenic aerosols still increase simulated liquid water path, Atmospheric chemistry and physics, 10.5194/acp-24-7331-2024 34 cites.
Cryosphere & climate change
A Sea Ice Entrapment Event in the Southern Chukchi Sea: Analysis and Prediction, Moore et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2025gl121181
Detection and attribution of the role of anthropogenic climate change in industrial-era retreat of Pine Island Glacier, Bradley et al., cryosphere Open Access pdf 10.5194/tc-20-3443-2026
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Accelerating glacier volume loss on Juneau Icefield driven by hypsometry and melt-accelerating feedbacks, Nature Communications, 10.1038/s41467-024-49269-y 33 cites.
Sea level & climate change
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Stakeholder Driven Sensor Deployments to Characterize Chronic Coastal Flooding in Key West Florida, Earth s Future, 10.1029/2023ef003631 3 cites.
Paleoclimate & paleogeochemistry
Volcanic eruptions caused weakening AMOC during the preindustrial past millennium, Chen et al., Nature Communications Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41467-026-74873-5
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Past Earth warmed by tidal resonance-induced organization of clouds under a shorter day, Nature Geoscience, 10.1038/s41561-024-01469-3 3 cites.
Biology & climate change, related geochemistry
A framework for climate-resilient forest planning and restoration: advances linking species distribution modelling, genetic adaptation and future climate scenarios, Chacón-Moreno et al., Frontiers in Forests and Global Change Open Access 10.3389/ffgc.2026.1735354
Climate Change Has Impacted Tree Growth in Temperate and Boreal Forests Since the Beginning of the 21st Century, a Meta-Analysis Tells Us, Sergeant et al., Global Ecology and Biogeography 10.1111/geb.70239
Climate change is causing more local extinction of temperate species than tropical species, [authors did not process], Nature Climate Change 10.1038/s41558-026-02671-4
Climate impacts on the multidiversity–multifunctionality relationship change with habitat type, Antiqueira et al., Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences Open Access 10.1098/rstb.2024.0392
Climate-Driven Range Dynamics of the Chinese Giant Salamander: Past, Present, and Future Projections From Ensemble Species Distribution Models, Zhao et al., Ecology and Evolution Open Access 10.1002/ece3.73474
Concepts and Methods for Identifying Species Niche Edges, Potentially Truncated Edges, and Climate Risks and Opportunities, Schlenker & Williams, Global Ecology and Biogeography Open Access 10.1111/geb.70241
Distinguishing leaf scorching from senescence under climate extremes, Bergström et al., Nature Climate Change 10.1038/s41558-026-02682-1
Historical Imprints and Future Shifts: Evolutionary Biogeography of Atlantic Reef Fishes Under Climate Change, Cord et al., Global Ecology and Biogeography 10.1111/geb.70259
Kelp forests modulate fish community dynamics and responses to ocean warming, Reis et al., Journal of Ecology Open Access 10.1111/1365-2745.70383
Mass mortality of avian migrants in New Mexico, USA, that coincided with an extreme weather event, Osterhaus et al., Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution Open Access pdf 10.3389/fevo.2026.1763394
Natural microcosms are bellwether model systems in ecology and evolutionary biology especially under climate change, Pincebourde & Borges, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences Open Access 10.1098/rstb.2024.0378
Over three-quarters of earthworm species lack protection in China, a crisis exacerbated by climate change, Zhou et al., Ecography Open Access 10.1002/ecog.08554
Prioritizing Conservation of Trailing-Edge Populations for Future Climate-Resilient Forests, Boyce et al., Global Change Biology Open Access 10.1111/gcb.70971
Relative importance of traits, climate, and threats to extinction risk in salamanders, Wang et al., Conservation Biology 10.1111/cobi.70281
Resource declines shape phenological and morphological responses to climate change, Probst et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 10.1073/pnas.2607714123
Rising tree mortality in France is associated with distinct seasonal climate anomalies, Schneider et al., Nature Communications Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41467-026-74613-9
Sea of Okhotsk warming impacts adult return abundance of southwestern marginal Chum salmon populations over four decades, Kim et al., Scientific Reports Open Access 10.1038/s41598-026-58635-3
Shifting growth–climate limitations in Canadian forests under recent climate change, Sang et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access pdf 10.1038/s43247-026-03713-7
Small ecosystems, big insights: tank bromeliads as model systems to investigate human-induced global changes, Antiqueira & Romero, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences Open Access 10.1098/rstb.2024.0393
Topography constrains the climatic response of treeline migration in Taiwan's subalpine forests, Chen et al., Ecography Open Access 10.1002/ecog.08500
Unique fingerprint of marine ectotherm body size change during hyperthermal crises, Nätscher et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Open Access 10.1073/pnas.2505564123
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
High temperatures reduce growth, infection, and transmission of a naturally occurring fungal plant pathogen, Ecology, 10.1002/ecy.4373 28 cites.
GHG sources & sinks, flux, related geochemistry
Abrupt permafrost thaw drives exceptional carbon release across the Tibetan Plateau, Jia et al., Nature Communications Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41467-026-74850-y
Blue carbon storage in surface sediments of seagrasses and mangroves for Mauritian inventories, Santos et al., Scientific Reports Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41598-026-58343-y
Carbon dioxide removals by tropical moist forests offset most land-use emissions across 18 Afrotropical countries, Verbiest et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access pdf 10.1038/s43247-026-03710-w
China's growing halogenated gas emissions and banks over 1980-2024: Impacts on ozone, climate, and trifluoroacetic acid, Bai et al., Advances in Climate Change Research Open Access 10.1016/j.accre.2026.04.009
Comment on Ju et al. (2025): Global Declines in Mangrove Area and Carbon Stock From 1985 to 2020, Bunting et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2025gl118093
Comment on “Tracking Ethane From Space Over a Large US Oil and Gas Region” by Francoeur et al., Millet et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2025gl119868
Concerns on the human-induced biospheric carbon sink in the Taklamakan Desert, Xu, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Open Access pdf 10.1073/pnas.2612132123
Global Peatland Carbon Pool Sizes: Current Estimates, Uncertainties, and Future Research Directions, Ren et al., Global Change Biology 10.1111/gcb.70882
Heterotrophic bacteria in the dark ocean are major contributors to CO2 fixation, [authors did not process], Nature Geoscience 10.1038/s41561-026-02014-0
Impacts of bed topography resolution on sea-level rise projections from coupled subglacial hydrology and ice dynamics for Thwaites Glacier, Antarctica, Ehrenfeucht & Dow, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A Mathematical Physical and Engineering Sciences Open Access 10.1098/rsta.2024.0545
Land Carbon Sink Distribution in Northern Eurasia Is Driven by Climate Change, Melnikova et al., Global Biogeochemical Cycles Open Access 10.1029/2025gb008971
Misattributed biospheric carbon sink to the Three-North Program in the Taklamakan Desert may lead to an impractical policy: A commentary, Gao et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Open Access 10.1073/pnas.2607916123
Multi-centennial response of marine carbon pumps to global warming, Khatiwala et al., Nature Climate Change 10.1038/s41558-026-02686-x
Multidecadal preindustrial methane variability can be explained by noise in the source–sink imbalance, Mei et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Open Access pdf 10.1073/pnas.2601235123
OzRiCa: an Australian riverine carbon database of concentrations, gas fluxes and isotopes, Ulloa-Cedamanos et al., Earth system science data Open Access pdf 10.5194/essd-18-2723-2026
Rapid changes in global river particulate organic carbon flux, et al., Nature Geoscience 10.1038/s41561-026-02034-w
Reply to Comment by Bunting et al. on “Global Declines in Mangrove Area and Carbon-Stock From 1985 to 2020”, Ju et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2025gl121242
Reply to Comment by Millet et al. on “Tracking Ethane From Space Over a Large US Oil and Gas Region”, Francoeur et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access pdf 10.1029/2026gl122208
Reply to Gao et al. and Xu: Greening the Taklamakan: Human efforts to convert desert into a carbon sink, Noor et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Open Access 10.1073/pnas.2609809123
Temperate wetlands lose climate-cooling capacity under warming, Ma et al., Nature Communications Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41467-026-74772-9
Thawing Siberian permafrost stabilizes organic carbon from recent plant litter inputs, Knoblauch et al., Biogeosciences Open Access pdf 10.5194/bg-23-3615-2026
Tidal Inundation Decreases Carbon Dioxide Exchange in an Irish Atlantic Saltmarsh, Jessen et al., Journal of Geophysical Research Biogeosciences Open Access 10.1029/2025jg009040
Top-down benchmark of US methane inventories reveals regional discrepancies in activity-based estimates, Worden et al., Atmospheric chemistry and physics Open Access 10.5194/acp-26-8855-2026
Warming dominates over circulation slowdown in reducing marine carbon storage under high-mitigation scenarios, [authors did not process], Nature Climate Change 10.1038/s41558-026-02687-w
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Human degradation of tropical moist forests is greater than previously estimated, Nature, 10.1038/s41586-024-07629-0 123 cites.
CO2 capture, sequestration science & engineering
Applying the Bow Tie Method to Evaluate Emerging Risk: The Case of Carbon Capture and Water Stress, Weisner et al., Risk Analysis Open Access pdf 10.1111/risa.70296
Biotechnological innovations in the realm of carbon capture, storage and utilization, Jofre et al., Frontiers in Climate Open Access pdf 10.3389/fclim.2026.1805906
Rethinking solvent regeneration pathways for maritime carbon capture, Shi et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-026-74909-w
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Organic blue carbon sequestration in vegetated coastal wetlands: Processes and influencing factors, Earth-Science Reviews, 10.1016/j.earscirev.2024.104853 59 cites.
Decarbonization
A risk-informed multicriteria framework for ocean current energy site selection for Small Island Developing States, Oladejo et al., Scientific Reports Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41598-026-56952-1
Batteries versus fuel cells for decarbonizing medium- and heavy-duty vehicles across applications, Woody et al., Nature Energy 10.1038/s41560-026-02095-6
Decoupling development from concrete, Kane, Nature Sustainability 10.1038/s41893-026-01883-y
Hyperbranched dielectric polymer networks exhibiting giant energy storage density at 250 °C, Ran et al., Nature Communications Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41467-026-74830-2
Influence of seismic energy dissipation technology on carbon emission of building construction, Zhang et al., Scientific Reports Open Access 10.1038/s41598-026-59044-2
Onshore Wind Energy Development Causes Localized but Lasting Shifts in Plant Community Composition and Function, Seifert et al., Ecology and Evolution Open Access 10.1002/ece3.73916
The PAINT database for operational concentrating solar power plant data following FAIR data principles, Phipps et al., KITopen Open Access 10.5445/ir/1000194409
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Understanding the large role of long-distance travel in carbon emissions from passenger travel, Nature Energy, 10.1038/s41560-024-01561-3 39 cites.
Geoengineering climate
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Public perceptions on solar geoengineering from focus groups in 22 countries, Communications Earth & Environment, 10.1038/s43247-024-01518-0 19 cites.
Black carbon
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Long-Term Trend in Black Carbon Mass Concentration Over Central Indo-Gangetic Plain Location: Understanding the Implied Change in Radiative Forcing, Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres, 10.1029/2024jd040754 15 cites.
Aerosols
Accelerated European Summer Warming Driven by Atmospheric Circulation Changes in Response to Aerosol Forcing, Roldán-Gómez et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2026gl122424
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Sensitivity of cloud microphysics to aerosol is highly associated with cloud water content: Implications for indirect radiative forcing, Atmospheric Research, 10.1016/j.atmosres.2024.107552 14 cites.
Climate change communications & cognition
A climate action intervention boosts key psychological drivers, increasing climate advocacy, sustainable eating and supporting education behaviours, Castiglione et al., Royal Society Open Science Open Access pdf 10.1098/rsos.260140
Climate change knowledge, attitude, risk perception, and health adaptation behavior in an urban megacity, Sakib et al., PLOS Climate Open Access 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000901
Climate-Related Disasters, Inequality, and Tax Morale in Sub-Saharan Africa, Nichelatti & Tagem, The Journal of Development Studies Open Access pdf 10.1080/00220388.2026.2658564
Fossil fuel phaseout, renewable energy, and just transition discourse at COP26 and COP28: A discourse network analysis of Instagram posts, Shakespear et al., Energy Research & Social Science Open Access 10.1016/j.erss.2026.104724
Fossil fuel reliance and public support for climate change mitigation: evidence from 105 countries, Klebl et al., Environmental Politics Open Access pdf 10.1080/09644016.2026.2691468
Ideological drivers of climate obstruction and delay: political parties and public opinion in Spain, Ochoa et al., Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences Open Access pdf 10.1007/s13412-026-01127-7
Media Portrayals of Net Zero: Stakeholders’ Perspectives and Climate Solutions Framing, Rhodes et al., Environmental Communication 10.1080/17524032.2026.2692085
Negative partisanship, positive partisanship, and variation in climate policy attitudes on the political right, Huddart et al., PNAS Nexus Open Access pdf 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgag094
Place, Climate Change and the Experience of Loss, Biasio & Velasco, Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews Climate Change Open Access 10.1002/wcc.70056
Public support for climate action is underestimated in the German political domain, Sevincer et al., PubData Open Access 10.48548/pubdata-3925
Responsibility, risk and climate policy support, Im, Environmental Sociology Open Access pdf 10.1080/23251042.2026.2691099
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Climate beliefs, climate technologies and transformation pathways: Contextualizing public perceptions in 22 countries, Global Environmental Change, 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2024.102880 33 cites.
Agronomy, animal husbundry, food production & climate change
Adoption of climate smart agriculture for enhancing socio-ecological resilience: a systematic review of evidence from Punjab, Pakistan, Ullah et al., Frontiers in Environmental Science Open Access pdf 10.3389/fenvs.2026.1853469
Climate change and oil palm: impacts and adaptation strategies for resilient production, Ramachandrudu et al., Frontiers in Climate Open Access pdf 10.3389/fclim.2026.1862586
Environmental claims, climate promises, and ‘greenwashing’ by meat and dairy companies, Bach et al., PLOS Climate Open Access 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000773
Genetic technologies to enhance crop nutritional value under climate change, Straeten et al., Nature 10.1038/s41586-026-10593-6
Increased Likelihood and Intensification of Global Agricultural Droughts Under Compound Meteorological Droughts and Hot Extremes, Zhang et al., Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres 10.1029/2025jd045918
Increasing irrigation demand coincides with declining irrigation development potential under climate change, Sun et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access pdf 10.1038/s43247-026-03775-7
Leveraging farmers’ social networks to improve co-production and dissemination of climate information services in SSA: a systematic review, Appiah et al., Climate and Development 10.1080/17565529.2026.2689985
Promoting climate resilience through learning-based behavioural change: Insights from an agent-based model of a coastal farming community in Guangxi, China, Nie et al., Environmental Science & Policy Open Access 10.1016/j.envsci.2026.104375
Spatially explicit temperature optima improve climate impact assessment of global crop productivity, Wang et al., Nature Communications Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41467-026-74564-1
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Soil carbon maintained by perennial grasslands over 30 years but lost in field crop systems in a temperate Mollisol, Communications Earth & Environment, 10.1038/s43247-024-01500-w 28 cites.
Hydrology, hydrometeorology & climate change
Impacts of Meteorological, Hydrological, and Compound Droughts on the Precipitation–Runoff Relationship Across Timescales, An et al., Earth s Future Open Access 10.1029/2025ef006795
Increasing global threat of outburst floods from overlooked small alpine lakes, Ahmed et al., Nature Sustainability 10.1038/s41893-026-01873-0
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Non-stationary low flow frequency analysis under climate change, Theoretical and Applied Climatology, 10.1007/s00704-024-05081-8 10 cites.
Climate change economics
Comprehensive national climate damage assessments framework applied to the UK, Rising et al., Nature Climate Change 10.1038/s41558-026-02665-2
Improving economic impact assessment of climate change with machine learning, Orlov & Sillmann, Nature Communications Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41467-026-73956-7
Multi-channel analysis suggests the UK faces large climate-related losses, [authors did not process], Nature Climate Change 10.1038/s41558-026-02664-3
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Asset-level assessment of climate physical risk matters for adaptation finance, Nature Communications, 10.1038/s41467-024-48820-1 41 cites.
Climate change mitigation public policy research
Carbon emission trading scheme, induced technological change, and green innovation: Evidence from listed companies in China, Tang et al., Energy Policy 10.1016/j.enpol.2026.115335
From policy to reality: Forecasting Spain's vehicle fleet trajectory toward 2030 climate targets, Díaz-Díaz et al., Energy Policy 10.1016/j.enpol.2026.115298
Malleable Preferences and the Normative Desirability of Demand-Side Solutions to Climate Change, Berger & Creutzig, Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews Climate Change Open Access 10.1002/wcc.70079
Planning, policy, and accountability: Managing the renewable energy transition for sustainable development in Nigeria, Adedokun, Energy Research & Social Science Open Access 10.1016/j.erss.2026.104706
The impact of the UK's withdrawal from the EU ETS on firms' carbon emissions: evidence from the UK ETS, Chiappari et al., Climate Policy 10.1080/14693062.2026.2691436
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Diversifying heat sources in China’s urban district heating systems will reduce risk of carbon lock-in, Nature Energy, 10.1038/s41560-024-01560-4 51 cites.
Climate change adaptation & adaptation public policy research
Addressing barriers in climate action planning: an analysis based on six Italian territories, Ravazzoli et al., Frontiers in Climate Open Access pdf 10.3389/fclim.2026.1828407
Assessing adaptive capacity to multi-hazard climate health risks in China's provinces and core cities, Hong et al., Urban Climate 10.1016/j.uclim.2026.102890
Refined Modeling of Arctic Circumpolar Building Stock Increases Estimated Mid-Century Permafrost Degradation Damages, Manos et al., Earth s Future Open Access 10.1029/2026ef008578
Severe droughts in Senegal are linked to increased family reunification at migration destinations in Europe, Savas, Nature Communications Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41467-026-74655-z
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
The challenge of closing the climate adaptation gap for water supply utilities, Communications Earth & Environment, 10.1038/s43247-024-01272-3 22 cites.
Climate change impacts on human health
Assessing adaptive capacity to multi-hazard climate health risks in China's provinces and core cities, Hong et al., Urban Climate 10.1016/j.uclim.2026.102890
Climate change knowledge, attitude, risk perception, and health adaptation behavior in an urban megacity, Sakib et al., PLOS Climate Open Access 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000901
Emerging heat resilience demands among tourist destinations for building responsible tourism: An empirical investigation in 291 A-level scenic spots in Chongqing, China, Mao et al., Urban Climate 10.1016/j.uclim.2026.102877
Urban compound humid-heat exposure: Health risks, mitigation challenges, and pathways toward integrated adaptation, Qian et al., Urban Climate 10.1016/j.uclim.2026.102881
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Temperature-related neonatal deaths attributable to climate change in 29 low- and middle-income countries, Nature Communications, 10.1038/s41467-024-49890-x 44 cites.
Climate change impacts on human culture
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Assessing potential impacts of climate change on China’s ski season length: a data-constrained approach, Theoretical and Applied Climatology, 10.1007/s00704-024-05075-6 3 cites.
Other
Accelerating Regime Restructuring of Ozone Sensitivity From VOC-Limited to Transitional With Heatwave Intensification, Zhang et al., Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres Open Access pdf 10.1029/2026jd046849
Revisiting the global budget of atmospheric glyoxal: updates on terrestrial and marine precursor emissions, chemistry, and impacts on atmospheric oxidation capacity, Zhang et al., Atmospheric chemistry and physics Open Access pdf 10.5194/acp-26-5123-2026
Stratospheric Ozone Depletion Causes Southern Ocean Surface Cooling, Li et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2025gl120200
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Assessing of the county-level synergy between CO2 emissions and PM2.5 pollution in Shandong Province, China, International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 10.1007/s13762-024-05861-9 2 cites.
Informed opinion, nudges & major initiatives
Early-warning systems unfit for compound disasters, Alcântara & Mantovani, Discover Hazards Open Access pdf 10.1007/s44475-026-00052-1
US funding uncertainties threaten to sink key global oceanography projects, Witze, Nature 10.1038/d41586-026-02028-z
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Achieving the Kunming–Montreal global biodiversity targets for blue carbon ecosystems, Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, 10.1038/s43017-024-00566-6 60 cites.
Book reviews
Capitalism at the limit: a political ecology of a world in crisis, Nyberg, Environmental Politics 10.1080/09644016.2026.2696665
Articles/Reports from Agencies and Non-Governmental Organizations Addressing Aspects of Climate Change
Generator Interconnection Interim Progress Report. Customer Reviews of the Seven U.S. Regional Transmission System Operators, Campbell et al., Advanced Energy United
Generator interconnection – the grid-connection process for large-scale projects like solar, wind, and energy storage – continues to be one of the biggest barriers for project developers and is preventing energy supply from keeping up with skyrocketing energy demand. While grid operators have made meaningful strides in reducing interconnection queue backlogs and improving planning processes, significant challenges remain. The authors evaluate how each grid operators is progressing since an initial 2024 assessment at fixing these bottlenecks, and outlines policy solutions to speed connection to the transmission grid. Grid operators have, with varying levels of success, cleared the backlog of projects while also preparing and implementing process changes for future review cycles. However, in many places, reforms have been slow, delays have been common, project withdrawal rates remain high, post-interconnection delays are both persistent and opaque, and fast-track workarounds have primarily benefitted costly thermal-generation projects. Project developers (interconnection customers) still generally face uncertainty with respect to both the cost and time to connect to the grid.
Climate, Peace and Security Fact Sheet: Lake Chad, Iversen et al., Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
The ongoing insecurity in the Lake Chad region—which intersects Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria—cannot be understood in isolation from climate and environmental change. Climate change-related stressors—such as increasingly variable precipitation and drought—contribute to existing tension and conflict between different communities by exacerbating scarcity of natural resources, including land, water and food. Such pressures amplify the tensions between local community members, refugees and internally displaced people and between livelihood groups such as arable farmers, fishers and pastoralists. Through its destabilizing effects on livelihoods, climate change can further increase vulnerability to recruitment by violent extremist organizations, such as Boko Haram and Islamic State–West Africa Province and other unidentified armed groups and bandit networks, that operate throughout the region.
Short-Term Energy Outlook, US. Energy Information Administration
Electricity generation. Above-average temperatures this summer contribute to a 3% increase in forecast U.S. electricity generation compared with the summer of 2025. This growth is met by increased generation from renewable fuel sources, with solar generation increasing by 19% and wind generation increasing by 10%. Generation from coal is forecast to decrease by 2%. Natural gas generates about the same amount of electricity it did last summer
Delivering Positive Energy, Energy Transition Institute, Robert Gordon University
The authors prepared the report to support decision and policy makers in shaping a coherent and pragmatic pathway for the North East of Scotland’s energy future. Drawing on the analytical framework and scenarios established in Robert Gordon University’s Striking the Balance report (2025), this regional assessment reflects the specific industrial strengths, workforce capabilities and economic dependencies of the North East. It has been developed in collaboration with, and part-funded by, Scottish Enterprise, ensuring both analytical rigor and alignment with regional economic priorities.
Integrated Resource Plan 2026 (Preliminary Final), Tennessee Valley Authority
TVA’s 2026 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) and associated programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) evaluate the long-term demand for power in the TVA region, the resource options available for meeting that demand, and the potential economic, operating, and environmental impacts of these options. Consideration of stakeholder input is integral to TVA’s IRP process. The IRP will provide strategic direction for meeting the region’s energy needs between now and 2050, establishing a strong planning foundation and informing TVA’s next long-range financial plan.
The Price of 5 A Day?, Will Stronge and Luiz Garcia, The Autonomy Institute
Climate change is on course to make fresh fruit and vegetables unaffordable for many across the next two decades as it disrupts the production of UK’s imported and domestic produce. Heat waves are projected to add around 11% to the price of the UK’s top twenty fruit and vegetables by 2035 and around 68% by 2050 under a high emissions scenario, on top of normal inflation. Imported tropical fruit such as melons, oranges, bananas, easy peelers and grapes will rise 12% to 14% by 2035 and 80% to 93% by 2050 on these climate grounds alone. Compounded with estimated normal inflation, total average shelf prices of the overall basket of fruit and veg will reach upwards of 170% above today’s level by 2050. This means that climate-flation will be contributing 40% of total inflation across the basket of basic goods by 2035 and over 60% of it by 2050. Climate change will have gone from a junior contributor to the dominant driver of shelf-price inflation on fresh produce inside the working lifetime of someone in their thirties today. It is essential to note that the authors only included the effects of heat waves on the cost of food in the UK and uses a standard baseline for CPI inflation. They do not factor in other climate-related effects on food production, such as flooding as well as second order effects, e.g. infrastructure degradation, soil erosion, water quality and so on. Nor are geopolitical effects on inflation included which are often intertwined with climate and resource factors.
Protecting BC workers in a warming climate: Recommendations for WorkSafeBC, Susanna Klassen and Anelyse Weiler, BC Policy Solutions and the Worker Solidarity Network
British Columbia's current heat exposure regulations are outdated and insufficient to protect workers from the risks of extreme heat. Implement a straightforward trigger temperature approach. Prioritize worker involvement in developing regulations. Update protocols to reflect current research, especially for acclimatization, shade, drinking water access, rest breaks without pay disruption, sanitation and worker training. Protect workers from employer retaliation. Strengthen enforcement systems. Develop enforcement partnerships with worker groups. Enforce regulations proactively. ‘Name and shame’ bad bosses. Support improvements and coordination beyond Occupational, Health and Safety (OHS) regulation.
National Survey on Energy and the Environment, Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion
In 2025 a record number of Americans indicated that there is solid evidence of increasing temperatures on Earth, with 77% of individuals maintaining this opinion in the most recent wave of the National Survey on Energy and the Environment (NSEE). The 77% level is the highest mark recorded since the NSEE was initiated in 2008. The long-term partisan divides on the existence of evidence of climate change were once again present in 2025 with 94% of Democrats indicating that there is solid evidence of rising temperatures on the planet compared to 52% of Republicans and 80% of Americans unaffiliated with a political party. Among the majority of Americans that believe there is solid evidence of rising temperatures on Earth, most attribute the change to human activity (56%) or a combination of human activity and natural patterns (22%). Over 6 in 10 Americans agree that they have personally experienced the effects of climate change, with partisan affiliation playing a major role in this perception. While 8 out of 10 Democrats report experiencing the effects of climate change, only one third of Republicans stated that they had felt such effects. As the federal government reversed many of its previous efforts to reduce climate change in 2025, a solid majority (59%) of Americans indicated that the federal government has a great deal of responsibility to reduce global warming. About 2 out of 3 Americans agree that if the federal government fails to address climate change it is their state’s responsibility to address the problem.
How Can the World Bank Integrate Climate Action and Disability Inclusion in Transport?, Bank Information Center
Cases from Colombia and Ghana illustrate the disconnect between climate action and disability inclusion, showing how accessibility remains overlooked in the design of climate resilient and low-carbon transport systems. If the World Bank continues to treat disability inclusion and climate action as two separate issues, it risks creating or reinforcing new mobility barriers for persons with disabilities while missing opportunities to expand accessible mass transit systems that support transport decarbonization. The findings reinforce that achieving Paris-aligned transport systems requires more than reducing emissions; it also requires prioritizing transport systems that are inclusive and accessible for all.
Global trends in climate change litigation: 2026 snapshot, Joana Setzer and Catherine Higham, Global School of Sustainability, London School of Economics
The authors identify the following key trends for the period January to December 2025: in 2025, 249 new climate cases were filed, bringing the total since 1986 to more than 3,600 cases. Over three quarters of these cases have been filed since 2015, the year of the Paris Agreement. Cases have been filed across 62 countries, up from just 17 countries a decade ago. In 2025, cases were newly filed in Grenada, Guatemala, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Singapore and Zambia. • The United States remains the jurisdiction with the highest number of cases: 151 new cases were recorded in 2025, bringing the total to 2,078.
World Risk Poll Report 2026, Gallup, Lloyd’s Register Foundation
The poll is the first and only global, nationally representative study of worry about, and harm from, the risks people face to their safety. It draws on more than 143,000 interviews conducted across 140 countries and territories throughout 2025, many of them places with little or no official data on safety and risk. The authors offer a rare view of how people experience and perceive the risks in their lives, from the everyday hazards facing millions, such as unsafe food and water or danger on the roads, to the generational and existential risk of climate change. The authors turn to that last risk in depth. Climate change is the only threat the poll frames as generational, asking people to weigh it not as it stands today but over the next 20 years. Alongside the long-running measure of personal concern, the 2025 edition introduces a new question on what people believe most others in their country think.
Climate Change and Culture: Reimagining an inclusive, sustainable and creative future, Mariana Mazzucato, University College of London Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose
Climate change is driving systems toward tipping points that require urgent action, and the cost of inaction far outweighs the cost of action. Yet the case cannot be made in the language of economics alone. Technocratic solutions cannot make a different future feel possible, desirable, or worth its cost. That is what arts and culture can do. From visual arts to music and design, they can become the social infrastructure of a just transition: how societies imagine alternative futures, build the legitimacy to pursue them, and hold together as change happens. Yet culture is still treated as peripheral to the economy: a cost to be cut rather than a precondition for transformation. The author sets out four shifts that place culture at the center of a new economy: shaping a new direction for economic growth that is inclusive, creative and sustainable; building legitimacy from the bottom up, with communities shaping climate policy through their lived experience; recognizing cultural institutions and coalitions as essential infrastructure, from national bodies to community spaces; and funding culture as investment, not expenditure, with the “creative bureaucracies” to co-create what comes next
Renewables save $750 million in electricity subsidies in Türkiye, Ça?lar Çeliköz, Ember
Record renewable generation in the first five months of 2026 drove wholesale electricity prices to historic lows in Türkiye. The decline in wholesale prices reduced the gap between market prices and the residential tariff, lowering the level of government support required for household electricity bills. As a result, the government saved $746 million in electricity subsidies during the first five months of 2026. In the first five months of 2026, electricity generation from renewable sources increased by 32% year-on-year to 87 TWh, the highest level on record. As a result, renewables accounted for 61% of total electricity generation, marking the highest share recorded in the past 26 years. In May 2026, wholesale electricity prices fell to their lowest level since the market was established in 2011. The share of renewables, which have significantly lower generation costs than fossil fuels, rose by 17 percentage points compared to May 2025 to reach 73%, helping drive wholesale electricity prices down.
Fossil fuel emissions have rapidly worsened European heatwaves in just a few decades, Keeping et al., World Weather Attribution
Just weeks after a severe heatwave that broke all-time May records, Europe is experiencing another major heatwave that is breaking June and annual records. This is particularly remarkable given that June is not historically the hottest month in Western Europe. The authors assessed to what extent human-induced climate change altered the likelihood and intensity of the extreme heat in Western Europe. The analysis focuses on the 3 hottest days and nights over the most affected area and additional analysis of the 19 capitals of the affected countries. This June 2026 heatwave occurred under a circulation pattern broadly similar to historical analogues – Southerly Flow. However, a similar circulation pattern now produces significantly hotter temperatures than it did in the mid-20th century because the climate baseline has warmed. This summer shows that at 1.4°C of global warming, extreme heat is already reaching the limits of our societies’ ability to cope. The analysis shows that intense heat is increasing rapidly even in living memory, with such events tens to hundreds of times more likely since only 2003 and virtually impossible just 50 years ago.
Valuing the Future. Pennsylvania’s Shrinking Economic Fossil Fuel Footprint Leaves a Widening Fiscal Gap, Cohn et al., Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis
Pennsylvania’s budget deficit will widen as state spending outpaces tax receipt growth. The largest economic contributions from the state’s coal industry, its petrochemical sector, and its natural gas business are several years in the rearview. Tax credits that are 26 times the size of effective tax rates on the fossil fuel industry are adding fuel to the fire. The state’s tax policy toward natural resource extraction should be revised to align industry contributions with policy goals.
Enquête Sur la Surexposition des Quartiers Populaires aux Vagues de Chaleur (Survey on the Overexposure of Working-Class Neighborhoods Heat Waves), Fondation Pour le Logement des Défavorisés (Foundation for the Housing of the Disadvantaged)
The authors analyze the latest trends and data on living in kettle housing (uninsulated apartments) by examining summer fuel poverty in working-class neighborhoods. They present recommendations on how people can move out of these types of apartments.
Eye on the Market, Michael Cembalest, JP. Morgan Asset and Wealth Management
The author looks at energy arguments, battles and debates: the affect of data centers on power prices, the cost of solar plus storage as baseload power, the “primary energy fallacy” that ignores waste heat, the true cost of small modular reactors, Germany’s decision to shut down nuclear, China’s dominance of renewable supply chains, solid oxide fuel cells as turbine alternatives, the materiality of demand response, staffing cuts at the EIA, the hype around geothermal and geologic hydrogen, the misplaced fascination with small country energy transitions, satellite vs factor-based oil & gas basin methane emissions, the mostly profitless EV industry, xAI mobile gas plant permits, negligible progress on carbon capture and renewable fuels.
Let The Sun In: Clean Energy Is The Cheapest Way To Meet Rising Demand, Pierpont, Energy Innovation Policy and Technology
To better understand how to best meet growing demand in today’s changing electricity landscape, the authors conducted a national analysis examining two futures for meeting electricity demand through 2030: one where the U.S. doubles down on fossil fuels as demand accelerates, consistent with the current federal policy approach, and another where America takes full advantage of clean energy to meet growing electricity use. They found that meeting America’s expected demand growth with a fossil fuel-heavy approach will add $29.7 billion annually to customer bills by 2030. However, the clean energy scenario reduces overall costs to meet load growth by $5.1 billion annually that year compared to a high fossil scenario, a savings of 17 percent. These costs will be passed through to both existing and new customers, and policymakers in many states are working to ensure that large, rapidly growing customers like data centers pay their fair share. This means the cost of meeting America’s expected electricity demand growth will be significant, but doing it with a clean energy portfolio reduces the overall system cost.
States at the wheel: A state policy scorecard on electric vehicle readiness, Shriya Methkupally and Mark Muro, Brookings
State policies promoting electric vehicles (EVs) lie at the center of the action in the wake of federal policy retrenchment, but they vary widely. The authors benchmark states’ EV policy implementation, with scores ranging from zero to 11 out of a possible 13. The highest scores are clustered in the Northeast, West Coast, and a handful of other states. Six states—mostly in the South—have no EV policies in place, scoring zero across all indicators. High-scoring states use a combination of policies across consumer incentives, charging infrastructure, environmental standards, market access laws, and public procurement. Charging infrastructure and procurement are the most consistent gaps among mid-scoring states. Ten of the 12 mid-tier states score minimally on charging infrastructure policies and near zero on EV fleet procurement targets. The scorecard points to different next steps for different types of states. High-scoring states should prioritize preserving adopted policies; mid-tier states should focus on filling gaps; and low-scoring states should prioritize low-cost entry points.
Improving Future U.S. Drought Assessment, Overpeak et al., National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
The authors examine how drought assessment can better account for nonstationarity, or shifts in drought conditions and behaviors over time. The authors explore how climate variability and change, along with evolving water and land management practices, are altering drought characteristics and affecting the usefulness of traditional assessment approaches that rely on historical baselines. The authors propose a framework for incorporating nonstationarity into drought assessment to support decision-making and future resilience. They outline a two-pronged approach that addresses both short-term operational needs, such as drought monitoring and early warning, and long-term planning for water management, infrastructure, and adaptation. The authors also highlight opportunities to strengthen drought indicators, affect data, and scientific understanding of drought dynamics to support more effective drought assessment across the United States.
Home Buying in the Energy Transition, The Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative
The authors investigated the influence of energy efficiency and clean energy technologies on the home-buying process. What information about the home’s energy efficiency is readily available? How important would this information be for consumers as they evaluate potential homes? Are realtors able to promote efficiency in listings and tours, and to what degree are they able to educate consumers who may be looking for answers about energy efficiency? The research uncovered multiple opportunities for improvement throughout the home-buying process – opportunities for creating win-win-win outcomes for all participants.
Transition Minerals Tracker; Key findings 2026, Gómez et al., Business and Human Rights Tracker
The solutions to the climate crisis are today well known: full fossil fuel phase-out and swift deployment of wind and solar capacity, coupled with general electrification. This critical new energy expansion is helping to fuel a global mining boom for copper, cobalt and the other transition minerals – accelerated by growing competition and pressure from other expanding sectors such as tech and defense. But increasing mineral demand is also fueling environmental and human rights risks. New data reveals a dramatic surge in human rights abuses linked to the mines supplying materials for the global energy transition. The authors document the human rights implications of mining operations for key minerals used in renewable energy, electrification, and battery technologies, since 2010. These allegations are closely linked to rising social conflict around mining operations and should raise concern across the renewable energy value chain, from mining companies to end-users of their products.
2026 State of Reliability. Assessment Overview of 2025 Bulk Power System Performance, The North American Electric Reliability Corporation
The report is a high-level summary of the most important and actionable topics affecting the Bulk Power Supply (BPS) and how these are being addressed along with a comprehensive annual analytical review of BPS reliability for the 2025 calendar year. The analysis provides an unbiased, data-driven look at the BPS’s reliability, identifying ongoing challenges, and informing future looking assessments. This overview seeks to inform regulators, policymakers, and industry leaders of the most significant reliability risks facing the BPS.
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