Marine Heatwaves Overwhelm the Buffering Benefits of Marine Protected Areas: Two Decades of Collapse in a Mediterranean Gorgonian, Zentner et al., Global Change Biology
Marine heatwaves (MHWs) are driving mass mortalities of coastal foundation species globally, threatening their persistence and the ecosystems they support. However, long-term demographic evidence of these impacts at regional scales is scarce. Accordingly, whether ongoing conservation actions, mainly marine protected areas (MPAs), mitigate the impact of MHWs is still an open question. Here, we address these gaps by analysing over two decades of demographic monitoring data from 49 shallow (< 40 m depth) populations of the foundation gorgonian Paramuricea clavata paired with in situ temperature records across the north-western Mediterranean (38°–43° N, 0°–8° E). Using hierarchical Bayesian models, we estimated regional-scale trends and assessed the combined influence of MHW exposure and protection status. We found that increasingly frequent extreme thermal events have caused widespread mass mortality, resulting in a 45% median decline in biomass at the regional scale over the past two decades. Within this context of extensive decline, protection temporarily buffered MHW impacts by sustaining higher overall biomass, despite protected populations experiencing greater absolute losses. Taken together, these findings indicate that local protection alone cannot offset climate-driven mortality and underscore the urgent need to integrate conservation measures with global climate action to preserve shallow marine ecosystems.
Petermann Glacier on the brink: Progress, challenges and insights, Fahrner et al., Science Advances
Petermann Glacier (PG), the largest marine-terminating glacier in northern Greenland based on catchment area and ice discharge, plays a key role in modulating ice export from the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS). With an upstream catchment connected to the GrIS interior via a deep subglacial canyon, its future stability has major implications for sea level rise. This review synthesizes recent advances in understanding PG’s dynamics across three critical interfaces. At the surface, reanalysis data and regional climate models diverge from observations in estimates of air temperature and surface mass balance, underscoring the need for improved in situ data and models. At the ocean boundary, enhanced basal melting driven by subglacial runoff and Atlantic water intrusions is identified as dominant driver of recent mass loss of PG, with continued warming posing a serious threat to the stability of the floating tongue. At the bed, geophysical synthesis reveals complex geology, likely spatial variability in geothermal heat flux, and the megacanyon’s influence on seasonal hydrology and velocity fluctuations. An ongoing rifting event, initiated in September 2025, highlights PG’s vulnerability. The anticipated retreat reduces buttressing and brings the terminus closer to the grounding zone, where additional calving could trigger retreat and accelerate ice discharge. As one of Greenland’s largest floating ice tongues, PG may provide important insights into the stability of other marine-terminating glaciers across the GrIS. Improved observations, sustained monitoring of oceanographic and atmospheric parameters, and high-resolution modeling are critical for constraining projections of PG’s future and its role in GrIS stability.
Near-total loss of buttressing stresses observed on Pine Island Ice Shelf, West Antarctica, Wells-Moran et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Ice shelves, the floating extensions of the Antarctic Ice Sheet, provide critical buttressing stresses that resist the seaward flow of ice and help set the position of the grounding line, where the ice goes afloat. As buttressing stresses are diminished by thinning or fracturing and collapse of the ice shelf, glaciers tend to accelerate. Here, we focus on the response of Pine Island Ice Shelf (PIIS) in West Antarctica to multiple calving events and the disintegration of the lateral shear margins. Using observed time-series of the surface velocity fields between 2015 and 2024, we show multiple episodes of acceleration in ice flow and a marked reduction in the buttressing stresses. These observations show that PIIS experienced a significant reduction of its buttressing capacity during the observational record. We then investigate how a model glacier responds to loss in margin buttressing, and are able to broadly reproduce observations. By linking model simulations to observations, we recreate a timeline of buttressing loss on PIIS. These losses likely foreshadow a period of grounding line retreat and acceleration of Pine Island Glacier’s contribution to global mean sea level rise.
Failure to track a stable AMOC state under rapid climate change, Westen et al., Nature Climate Change
The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), a tipping element of the climate system, currently has an estimated global warming threshold for collapse of +4.0 °C (uncertainty range 1.4–8 °C). However, such a threshold may not be meaningful because AMOC stability depends on the rate of radiative forcing change, not a set temperature. Here we identify an AMOC stabilizing mechanism that operates on timescales slower than present-day warming rates. Slow forcing permits coherent adjustment of surface and interior ocean properties, supported by enhanced evaporation and reduced sea-ice extent, counteracting destabilizing feedbacks. Using a slow CO2 ramp (+0.5 ppm yr−1) climate model simulation, we explicitly demonstrate the AMOC remains stable up to +5.5 °C of global warming. By contrast, under faster CO2 ramps, the AMOC collapses at substantially lower warming levels (+2 °C). Our findings demonstrate rate-induced AMOC tipping and imply that limiting the rate of emissions is critical for reducing the risk of an AMOC collapse.
Disrupting the “wrong” target? Climate protest tactics affecting entities deemed undeserving are perceived as immoral, unjust, and reduce activist support, Nylund et al., Journal of Environmental Psychology
In recent years, disruptive climate protest organisations—such as Extinction Rebellion, Just Stop Oil, and Last Generation—have sought to convey the urgency of the climate crisis through actions that deliberately interrupt daily life. Many of these tactics have targeted entities perceived as having relatively minimal responsibility for climate change, such as cultural institutions, art galleries, or the general public, whereas others have targeted entities seen as highly responsible, such as fossil fuel companies or governments that could regulate them. Yet little empirical work has examined how the perceived responsibility—and resulting perceived deservingness—of targets shapes public reactions to disruptive climate protest. Across two preregistered studies using US participants (Study 1; N = 246) and UK participants (Study 2; N = 640), we found that climate protest tactics directed toward targets deemed undeserving (vs. deserving) were judged as less moral, provoked greater anger at the activists, and reduced support for them. Study 2 further demonstrated that these actions were evaluated as more unjust. However, target deservingness did not affect support for the broader climate movement, cause, or policies. These findings highlight the importance of perceived target deservingness in forming public judgments of disruptive protest and suggest that climate activists may reduce backlash to their activism by directing tactics toward entities seen as more responsible for contributing to the climate crisis.
Temperature Check 2025–26, The Center for Climate Journalism and Communication, University of Southern California
Even though fewer Americans now hear about global warming and climate change through news, newspapers are still the top source of information for climate communicators. Climate communicators still prefer LinkedIn as their go-to social media platform for climate information, followed by Instagram and BlueSky. The use of X/Twitter for engaging in climate media continues to drop even more among climate communicators. Climate communicators are most concerned about the lack of climate action, global warming and the health impacts of climate change this year. Yet, the authors' survey shows climate communicators are also increasingly avoiding terms and phrases such as “climate change” and “global warming,” likely due to increasing politicization of the terms as well as pushback from the government as well as the public.
Climate Change in the American Mind: Politics & Policy, Spring 2026, Leiserowitz et al., Yale University and George Mason University
With the primaries in the 2026 midterm elections underway, the authors found that 58% of registered voters prefer to vote for a candidate for public office who supports action on global warming, while 14% prefer to vote for a candidate who opposes action. 42% would like to hear from political candidates more often about efforts to reduce global warming, while 23% would like to hear about this less often. 31% will only vote for a congressional candidate who supports increasing the use of renewable energy, while 7% will only vote for a candidate who supports decreasing the use of renewable energy. 25% will only vote for a candidate who supports decreasing the use of fossil fuels, while 14% will only vote for a candidate who supports increasing the use of fossil fuels.
Physical science of climate change, effects
Abrupt Increase in Marine Heatwave Accumulated Days Over the Gulf Stream Extension Around 2013 Linked to Subtropical Eastern Pacific Warming, Song et al., Journal of Geophysical Research Oceans 10.1029/2026jc024006
Failure to track a stable AMOC state under rapid climate change, Westen et al., Nature Climate Change Open Access 10.1038/s41558-026-02730-w
Intensified Oxygen Minimum Zone in Response to Both Insolation Maxima and Carbon Dioxide?Driven Warmth in the Tropical North Atlantic, Fayolle et al., Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology Open Access 10.1029/2026pa005463
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Deforestation amplifies climate change effects on warming and cloud level rise in African montane forests, Nature Communications, 10.1038/s41467-024-51324-7 26 cites.
Observations of climate change, effects
Enhanced Subsurface Warming of the Kuroshio Revealed by Long-Term Observations During 1965–2020, Du et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2025gl120916
From Rare to Recurrent: Intensifying Hot–Dry Extremes Across Romania, Nagavciuc & Ioni??, International Journal of Climatology Open Access 10.1002/joc.70559
Strong human fingerprint on low snowpack amid increasing volatility, Swain, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 10.1073/pnas.2620765123
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
The ocean losing its breath under the heatwaves, Nature Communications, 10.1038/s41467-024-51323-8 38 cites.
Instrumentation & observational methods of climate change, effects
A climate impact taxonomy operationalizing IPCC physical driver and risk concepts, Michaela et al., IIASA PURE (International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis) pmh:oai:pure.iiasa.ac.at:21196
A global high-resolution dataset of snowmelt runoff onset timing from Sentinel-1 SAR, 2015–2024, Gagliano et al., Earth system science data Open Access 10.5194/essd-18-5871-2026
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Toward Low-Latency Estimation of Atmospheric CO 2 Growth Rates Using Satellite Observations: Evaluating Sampling Errors of Satellite and In Situ Observing Approaches, AGU Advances, 10.1029/2023av001145 10 cites.
Modeling, simulation & projection of climate change, effects
Catalogue of strong nonlinear surprises in ocean, sea-ice, and atmospheric variables in CMIP6, Angevaare & Drijfhout, Earth System Dynamics Open Access 10.5194/esd-17-1081-2026
Heat Extremes Within Hot Summer Seasons Intensify More Than in Average Summers Under Global Warming, Pfleiderer et al., Earth s Future Open Access 10.1029/2026ef008241
Intercomparison of a Regional Climate Model Ensemble for Selected European Catchments, Roque et al., International Journal of Climatology Open Access 10.1002/joc.70554
Pacific Warming Pattern Discrepancy Linked to Spurious Rainband in Climate Models, Wills & DiNezio, Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2026gl122859
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Increasing frequency and precipitation intensity of convective storms in the Peruvian Central Andes: Projections from convection?permitting regional climate simulations, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 10.1002/qj.4820 10 cites.
Advancement of climate & climate effects modeling, simulation & projection
Bridging the weather and climate divide with artificial intelligence, Camps?Valls et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-026-75787-y
Rapid Evaluation Framework for the CMIP7 Assessment Fast Track, Hoffman, Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) Open Access 10.5281/zenodo.21919074
Recent Temperature and Energy Imbalance Trends Point to Higher Estimates of Future Warming, Gyuleva et al., Earth s Future Open Access 10.1029/2026ef008356
The source of uncertainty in future warming and wetting projections over Northwest China, Wei et al., Advances in Climate Change Research Open Access 10.1016/j.accre.2026.08.008
Uncertainty in Land Carbon Fluxes Simulated by CMIP6 Models from Treatments of Crop Distributions and Photosynthetic Pathways, Ovwemuvwose et al., Biogeosciences Open Access pdf 10.5194/bg-23-5593-2026
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Uncertainties Inherent from Large-Scale Climate Projections in the Statistical Downscaling Projection of North Atlantic Tropical Cyclone Activity, Journal of Climate, 10.1175/jcli-d-23-0475.1 6 cites.
Cryosphere & climate change
Atmospheric Blocking Pattern as the Primary Driver of Subseasonal Greenland Ice Sheet Summer Melt Variability, Guo et al., International Journal of Climatology 10.1002/joc.70547
Data-driven equation discovery of a sea ice albedo parametrisation, Atmojo et al., cryosphere Open Access 10.5194/tc-20-4437-2026
Loss of hydroclimate archives in glacier-fed basins worldwide, Vystavna et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access pdf 10.1038/s43247-026-03825-0
Near-total loss of buttressing stresses observed on Pine Island Ice Shelf, West Antarctica, Wells-Moran et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Open Access 10.1073/pnas.2602994123
Petermann Glacier on the brink: Progress, challenges and insights, Fahrner et al., Science Advances Open Access 10.1126/sciadv.aee4522
Quick northward retreat of the permafrost boundary and controlling mechanisms in northeastern China, Zhou et al., Global and Planetary Change 10.1016/j.gloplacha.2026.105678
Strong human fingerprint on low snowpack amid increasing volatility, Swain, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 10.1073/pnas.2620765123
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
State of Wildfires 2023–2024, Earth system science data, 10.5194/essd-16-3601-2024 236 cites.
Sea level & climate change
Large-scale climate oscillations induce accelerated high tide flooding along the U.S. East Coast, Zhu et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access pdf 10.1038/s43247-026-03932-y
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Quantifying the Mean Sea Level, Tide, and Surge Contributions to Changing Coastal High Water Levels, Journal of Geophysical Research Oceans, 10.1029/2023jc020737 11 cites.
Paleoclimate & paleogeochemistry
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Late Pleistocene glacial terminations accelerated by proglacial lakes, Climate of the past, 10.5194/cp-20-1761-2024 3 cites.
Biology & climate change, related geochemistry
Antarctic greening is constrained by biology and requires field validation, Bokhorst et al., Nature Geoscience 10.1038/s41561-026-02076-0
Climate change and conservation of caecilians (order Gymnophiona): prediction of distributional shifts and risk assessment in Chiapas, Mexico, Cabrera-Hernández et al., Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution Open Access pdf 10.3389/fevo.2026.1886733
Faster, bigger, more severe: Extreme wildfire spread sets the stage for forest ecosystem change in western and boreal North America, Coop et al., Science Advances Open Access 10.1126/sciadv.aeg5802
Food Plant Availability Constrains Climatic Niches of Host?Specialized Europe?Centred Butterflies, Rashid et al., Diversity and Distributions Open Access pdf 10.1111/ddi.70245
Linear resistance but threshold-controlled recovery of vegetation to compound heatwave–drought extremes, Zhou et al., Global and Planetary Change 10.1016/j.gloplacha.2026.105668
Mapping climate-related forest risks: An index-based approach, Martes & Köhl, PLOS Climate Open Access pdf 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000931
Marine Heatwaves Overwhelm the Buffering Benefits of Marine Protected Areas: Two Decades of Collapse in a Mediterranean Gorgonian, Zentner et al., Global Change Biology Open Access pdf 10.1111/gcb.71052
Quantifying the alpha diversity of vascular plants vulnerable to climate change in protected areas, Wan et al., Global and Planetary Change 10.1016/j.gloplacha.2026.105679
Terrestrial Arthropod Responses to Arctic Cryosphere Degradation, Gillespie & Høye, Global Change Biology Open Access pdf 10.1111/gcb.71062
The Biodiversity of Retreating Glaciers Leaves an Ecological Legacy in Emerging Soil Communities, Cantera et al., Global Change Biology Open Access pdf 10.1111/gcb.71040
Using a “Super” El Niño to understand how lakes respond to climate extremes, Culpepper et al., PLOS Climate Open Access pdf 10.1371/journal.pclm.0001021
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Climate change and California’s terrestrial biodiversity, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 10.1073/pnas.2310074121 42 cites.
GHG sources & sinks, flux, related geochemistry
From Stable to Labile: Forest Expansion Drives Changes in Alpine Soil Carbon Fractions, Man et al., Journal of Geophysical Research Biogeosciences 10.1029/2026jg009751
Implementing methane dynamics into the LPJmL6 model, Schaphoff et al., Geoscientific model development Open Access 10.5194/gmd-19-7615-2026
Net lateral carbon export from eroding United States Atlantic and Gulf Coast marshes, Vittorio et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access pdf 10.1038/s43247-026-03911-3
No single rule explains how climate affects carbon storage in tropical forests, Uriarte & Macedo, Nature 10.1038/d41586-026-02291-0
Persistent Shelf?to?Basin Export of Bioavailable Dissolved Organic Carbon in the Arctic Ocean, Gao et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2026gl124640
Soil carbon gains from salt marsh recovery in China, Zheng et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access 10.1038/s43247-026-03944-8
Soil Moisture Thresholds for the Temperature Sensitivity of Ecosystem Respiration, Zhang et al., Global Change Biology 10.1111/gcb.71066
Sphagnum and herbaceous net ecosystem exchanges in a Pyrenean peatland: a long-term study using the ISBA model, Garisoain et al., Biogeosciences Open Access pdf 10.5194/bg-23-3407-2026
Uncertainty in Land Carbon Fluxes Simulated by CMIP6 Models from Treatments of Crop Distributions and Photosynthetic Pathways, Ovwemuvwose et al., Biogeosciences Open Access pdf 10.5194/bg-23-5593-2026
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
An Independent Evaluation of GHGSat Methane Emissions: Performance Assessment, Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres, 10.1029/2023jd039906 27 cites.
CO2 capture, sequestration science & engineering
Cities need robust carbon dioxide removal strategies to meet net-zero targets, Ulpiani et al., Nature Climate Change 10.1038/s41558-026-02676-z
CO2 geological storage in China: a mini review of technical options, trade-offs, and pathways toward carbon neutrality, Zhao, Frontiers in Earth Science Open Access 10.3389/feart.2026.1873039
Influence of Deep?Sea Carbonate Sediments on the Long?Term Durability of Carbon Storage From Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement, Acksen et al., Global Biogeochemical Cycles Open Access 10.1029/2026gb009203
Techno-economics and value judgments of modeling biochar production for carbon removal in climate change mitigation scenarios, Dorndorf et al., Energy Research & Social Science Open Access 10.1016/j.erss.2026.104882
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Enhanced silicate weathering accelerates forest carbon sequestration by stimulating the soil mineral carbon pump, Global Change Biology, 10.1111/gcb.17464 65 cites.
Decarbonization
Impacts of solar panels on vegetation biomass shift with climate aridity, Zhai et al., AMBIO 10.1007/s13280-026-02466-z
Phased fuel transition for low-carbon shipping, Li et al., Nature Sustainability Open Access 10.1038/s41893-026-01907-7
Projected impacts of future offshore wind farms on coastal precipitation over the Northwest European shelf, Akhtar et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access pdf 10.1038/s43247-026-03852-x
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Challenges and opportunities in truck electrification revealed by big operational data, Nature Energy, 10.1038/s41560-024-01602-x 72 cites.
Geoengineering climate
Unveiling the Shortwave Absorption Spectra of Alumina Aerosols: Radiative Implications for Solar Radiation Modification, Kapoor et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2026gl121668
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
An assessment of ocean alkalinity enhancement using aqueous hydroxides: kinetics, efficiency, and precipitation thresholds, Biogeosciences, 10.5194/bg-21-3551-2024 31 cites.
Black carbon
Black carbon emissions and climate impacts of cost-saving Arctic transit shipping through 2050, Yi et al., Nature Sustainability 10.1038/s41893-026-01877-w
Aerosols
Sea Surface Temperature Feedbacks and Convective Organization Mediate the Tropical Circulation Response to Aerosols, Sokol & Wright, Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2026gl122829
Climate change communications & cognition
A Rapid Systematic Map of Youth Engagement With Marine Environments in a Changing Climate, Ceglia et al., Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews Climate Change Open Access 10.1002/wcc.70087
Disrupting the “wrong” target? Climate protest tactics affecting entities deemed undeserving are perceived as immoral, unjust, and reduce activist support, Nylund et al., Journal of Environmental Psychology Open Access 10.1016/j.jenvp.2026.103184
Inoculating Voters Against Misinformation in Greenspace Ballot Measures, Pitas & Zou, Journal of Environmental Psychology Open Access pdf 10.1016/j.jenvp.2026.103164
Media Framing of Climate Change and Its Dual Impact on Subjective Well-Being and Pro-Environmental Engagement, Lei & Yu, Journal of Environmental Psychology 10.1016/j.jenvp.2026.103178
Youth climate activism and the Global South gap in environmental citizenship research, Mubarak et al., Journal of Environmental Psychology 10.1016/j.jenvp.2026.103182
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Can large language models estimate public opinion about global warming? An empirical assessment of algorithmic fidelity and bias, PLOS Climate, 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000429 29 cites.
Agronomy, animal husbundry, food production & climate change
Adoption levels of climate-smart agricultural practices through agricultural innovation systems among women smallholder farmers in Tanzania, Ndosi et al., Frontiers in Climate Open Access pdf 10.3389/fclim.2026.1891580
Bridging local decisions and regional forest strategies under climate risks: a flexibility-based optimization framework, Labarre et al., Annals of Forest Science Open Access 10.1186/s13595-026-01355-5
Climate Change Intensifies Cropland Drought Exposure in the Indus River Basin During the 21st Century, Hussain et al., International Journal of Climatology 10.1002/joc.70544
Climate Transitions in the Argentine Pampas Exceed Global Rates and Reshape Crop Exposure: A Multi?Period Köppen–Geiger Analysis (1901–2020), Brendel, International Journal of Climatology 10.1002/joc.70558
Disentangling the nonlinear responses of rainfed rice growth to climatic factors in South and Southeast Asia, Sun et al., Global and Planetary Change 10.1016/j.gloplacha.2026.105673
High-resolution climate-driven potential evapotranspiration to assess climate change impacts on Mediterranean agriculture, Fonseca et al., Frontiers in Climate Open Access 10.3389/fclim.2026.1854734
Institutions and climate risk adaptation among smallholder livestock farmers in North Wollo Zone, Ethiopia, Yilma et al., PLOS Climate Open Access 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000751
Methane mitigation in ruminants for sustainable livestock production in tropical climates, Oke et al., Discover Environment Open Access pdf 10.1007/s44274-026-00971-2
Quantifying methane and ammonia emissions from beef cattle finishing systems under sorghum and corn diets, Santos et al., Agricultural and Forest Meteorology Open Access pdf 10.1016/j.agrformet.2026.111368
Systematic review of resilience pathways for smallholder farmers in semi-arid Southern Africa, Mutatu et al., Discover Sustainability Open Access 10.1007/s43621-026-04328-w
Winter wheat yield responses to extreme heat in the North China Plain: GGCMI-AgMIP model evaluation and a heat-stress phenology improvement in JULES-crop, You et al., Agricultural and Forest Meteorology Open Access 10.1016/j.agrformet.2026.111404
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Reducing climate change impacts from the global food system through diet shifts, Nature Climate Change, 10.1038/s41558-024-02084-1 105 cites.
Hydrology, hydrometeorology & climate change
Hot Droughts Increase the Likelihood and Impacts of Abrupt Drought?to?Pluvial Transitions Worldwide, Fu et al., Earth s Future Open Access 10.1029/2026ef008638
Physical Constraints on Future Tibetan Plateau Summer Precipitation: Emergent Relationships and Pareto Optimal Ensembles, Li et al., International Journal of Climatology 10.1002/joc.70560
Rapid Increases in Heat?Driven Extreme Moisture Demand in the Southern Amazon, Chang et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2026gl123139
Riverine flood risk mapping using GIS–AHP and climate-driven hydrodynamic simulations in an alpine basin of the Indus River system, Jamshed et al., PLOS Climate Open Access pdf 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000915
The Portrait of Flood Risk in Italy: Past, Present and Future, From 1870 to 2100, Pavesi et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2026gl122987
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Rapid intensification of tropical cyclones in the Gulf of Mexico is more likely during marine heatwaves, Communications Earth & Environment, 10.1038/s43247-024-01578-2 45 cites.
Climate change economics
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Renewable energy and CO2 emissions in developing and developed nations: a panel estimate approach, Frontiers in Environmental Science, 10.3389/fenvs.2024.1405001 44 cites.
Climate change and the circular economy Climate change mitigation public policy research
Climate change mitigation practices in Porto's Atlantic-front municipalities: A comparative analysis, Leitão et al., Urban Climate 10.1016/j.uclim.2026.103094
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Feasibility of peak temperature targets in light of institutional constraints, Nature Climate Change, 10.1038/s41558-024-02073-4 47 cites.
Climate change adaptation & adaptation public policy research
Deferred climate-related migration, Melillo, Frontiers in Climate Open Access 10.3389/fclim.2026.1800309
Evaluating urban heat adaptation strategies for extreme heatwaves in complex terrain: A case study of Grenoble, France, Gabeiras et al., Urban Climate 10.1016/j.uclim.2026.103059
Intention versus reality: insights from the implementation of the Green Climate Fund's adaptation project in Ethiopia, Kidane et al., Climate Risk Management Open Access 10.1016/j.crm.2026.100870
Opportunities for pathways approaches for adapting to complex climate change risks, Sparkes et al., Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability Open Access pdf 10.1016/j.cosust.2026.101721
Widening climate adaptation gaps in the Chinese expressway network under climate change, Huang et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access pdf 10.1038/s43247-026-03913-1
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Relational geographies of urban unsustainability: The entanglement of California’s housing crisis with WUI growth and climate change, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 10.1073/pnas.2310080121 25 cites.
Climate change impacts on human health
Drought dynamics explain once in a century yellow fever virus outbreak in Brazil with implications for climate change, Caldwell et al., Science Advances Open Access 10.1126/sciadv.adz6832
Exceeding human heat tolerance in a warming, ageing world: a global projection modelling study, Kong et al., The Lancet Planetary Health Open Access 10.1016/j.lanplh.2026.101494
Exceeding human heat tolerance in a warming, ageing world: a global projection modelling study, Kong et al., The Lancet Planetary Health Open Access 10.1016/j.lanplh.2026.101494
The effect of natural climate variability on future vector-borne disease suitability: A mathematical modelling study, Kaye et al., PLOS Climate Open Access 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000877
Urban heat vulnerability in a warming climate in Denmark: Projected temperature-related mortality for Copenhagen and the remaining areas, Kloster et al., Urban Climate Open Access pdf 10.1016/j.uclim.2026.103093
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Climate change and public health in California: A structured review of exposures, vulnerable populations, and adaptation measures, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 10.1073/pnas.2310081121 20 cites.
Climate change & geopolitics
Strategic objectives underpin national climate pledges, Fransen & Meckling, Nature Communications Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41467-026-76467-7
The ocean as a unifying agenda across the climate, biodiversity, and land degradation conventions, Geddes et al., npj Ocean Sustainability Open Access 10.1038/s44183-026-00227-9
Other
The Critical Role of Moisture in the Record?Breaking Warm Event Over East Antarctica in March 2022, Cui et al., Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres 10.1029/2026jd047167
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Government participation in virtual negotiations: evidence from IPCC approval sessions, Climatic Change, 10.1007/s10584-024-03790-7 4 cites.
Informed opinion, nudges & major initiatives
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
State of polar climate (2025), Advances in Climate Change Research, 10.1016/j.accre.2024.08.004 20 cites.
Ruta Energetica 2026–2030 (Energy Roadmap), Government of Chile
Chile se encuentra en una etapa decisiva de su transición energética, enfrentando el desafío de consolidar los avances alcanzados durante la última década y, al mismo tiempo, responder a nuevas exigencias en materia de seguridad energética, crecimiento económico y competitividad internacional. La presente Ruta 2026–2030 tiene por objetivo acelerar y robustecer la transición energética del país, promoviendo una agenda que combine seguridad del suministro, modernización institucional, competitividad económica, y desarrollo territorial equilibrado. Para ello, se busca impulsar una transición energética con foco en la seguridad, posicionando a la energía como un motor habilitante del crecimiento, inversión, empleo, productividad e innovación. En este marco, la Ruta define las prioridades estratégicas y lineamientos de acción que orientarán la gestión sectorial durante el período 2026–2030. (Chile is at a decisive stage in its energy transition, facing the challenge of consolidating the progress made during the last decade and, at the same time, respond to new demands in terms of energy security, economic growth, and international competitiveness. This roadmap 2026–2030 aims to accelerate and strengthen the energy transition of the country, promoting an agenda that combines security of supply, institutional modernization, economic competitiveness, and balanced territorial development. To this end, it seeks to promote a energy transition with a focus on security, positioning energy as an enabling engine growth, investment, employment, productivity and innovation. In this framework, the roadmap defines the strategic priorities and guidelines for action that will guide sectoral management during the period 2026–2030.)
he Demand Stack: An Assessment of the Benefits, Hledik et al., Uplight
The authors analyzed the potential for Demand Stack implementation to unlock new demand response (DR), time-of-use (TOU) rate, and energy efficiency (EE) capabilities for a representative SPP utility’s service territory. The “Demand Stack” represents a set of strategic initiatives to expand the impact and effectiveness of each individual utility’s demand-side management (DSM) portfolio through a more integrated approach to program design and implementation. Operationally, the Demand Stack allows a portfolio of demand-side programs to be collectively deployed and dispatched to reliably address system needs, similar to conventional supply-side resources. The range of Demand Stack strategies includes regulatory, operational, and behavioral measures that can enable new program offerings, increase enrollment, and improve the performance and cost-competitiveness of the portfolio. The authors focus exclusively on the quantifiable impacts that Demand Stack strategies could have by 2030 for a representative portfolio of demand-side offerings.
Americans Oppose AI Data Centers in Their Area, Jeffrey Jones, Gallup
Seven in 10 Americans oppose constructing data centers for artificial intelligence in their local area, including nearly half, 48%, who are strongly opposed. Barely a quarter favor these projects, with 7% strongly in favor. These results, from a March 2-18 Gallup survey, represent the first time Gallup has asked about data center construction, a topic that has met fierce opposition from local residents in many parts of the country. The March survey asked people to rate their level of concern about the environmental impact of AI data centers. Forty-six percent say they worry a great deal and 24% a fair amount, largely mirroring the degrees of opposition to data center construction. Half of opponents mention data centers’ excessive use of resources, including 18% each mentioning their use of water and energy. Sixteen percent mention a related environmental concern of pollution, including noise pollution and air and water pollution.
The Environmental Cost of Artificial Intelligence: Carbon, Water, and Land Footprints, Aczel et al., United Nations University
The authors examine one of the most underexplored consequences of AI’s rapid expansion: the environmental footprints of the energy required to power it. As artificial intelligence becomes embedded in economies, public services, research, communication, and everyday life, it depends on a growing physical infrastructure of data centers, advanced chips, cooling systems, electricity grids, water resources, land, and critical mineral supply chains. The report shows that AI is not only a digital technology, but also a material system with measurable environmental costs. The authors frame AI’s environmental footprint as a governance and justice challenge, not only a technical problem. The benefits of AI often flow across borders and sectors, while the environmental burdens of data center siting, electricity demand, water withdrawals, land use, mineral extraction, and e-waste can be concentrated in specific communities and regions. To address these risks, the authors call for a responsible AI ecosystem grounded in transparency, efficiency by design, equity and environmental justice, lifecycle responsibility, global cooperation, and sustainable use. By making AI’s carbon, water, and land footprints visible and comparable, the authors provide a practical basis for integrating AI into energy, climate, water, and land-use planning, ensuring that innovation advances without shifting environmental costs onto vulnerable communities.
Advancing Industrial Electrification in Pennsylvania, Quinn et al., The 2035 Initiative, University of California, Santa Barbara
Pennsylvania has one of the largest and most energy-intensive manufacturing sectors in the country, making it a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and local air pollution. This also makes it one of the best near-term opportunities to deploy cleaner, more efficient manufacturing technologies. The Reducing Industrial Sector Emissions in Pennsylvania (RISE PA) program has allocated $396 million to industrial decarbonization, making the Commonwealth an early leader in this area. The authors explore one way the state can effectively deploy its resources: low- and medium-temperature (LMT) process heat electrification. Building on national-scale engineering models, the authors identify how electrification of Pennsylvania’s industrial sector can deliver cost-effective emissions reductions, long-term health benefits for Pennsylvanians, and economic growth in the manufacturing sector.
Global Justice Report, Aggarwal et al., World Inequality Lab
The authors attempt to set out a new vision for global progress in the 21st century: grounding human development and equality in planetary habitability. They explore the conditions under which the world could move toward this horizon and traces an economically and ecologically consistent transition path from 2026 to 2100. Their main conclusion is simple: it is possible to reconcile planetary habitability and high well-being for all, but only if the transformation rests on three pillars simultaneously. Fast decarbonization of energy systems is necessary. But we also need a major shift toward sufficiency – understood as a sharp reduction in labor hours and material footprint and large changes in consumption patterns, food habits, land use, and forest cover. In addition, neither decarbonization nor sufficiency can be financed and politically sustained without a drastic reduction in inequality of income, wealth and power, both between countries and within them. The compression of global inequality is not only compatible with deep decarbonization; it is a necessary condition for shared prosperity on a finite planet.
Temperature Check 2025–26, The Center for Climate Journalism and Communication, University of Southern California
Even though fewer Americans now hear about global warming and climate change through news, newspapers are still the top source of information for climate communicators. Climate communicators still prefer LinkedIn as their go-to social media platform for climate information, followed by Instagram and BlueSky. The use of X/Twitter for engaging in climate media continues to drop even more among climate communicators. Climate communicators are most concerned about the lack of climate action, global warming and the health impacts of climate change this year. Yet, the authors' survey shows climate communicators are also increasingly avoiding terms and phrases such as “climate change” and “global warming,” likely due to increasing politicization of the terms as well as pushback from the government as well as the public.
The New Geopolitics of LNG: Asia’s Energy Security in a Divided World, Andrews-Speed et al., The National Bureau of Asian Research
Liquefied natural gas constitutes a growing share of the global energy mix and is an increasingly important element of the energy mix in Asia. The authors examine the role of liquefied natural gas in the energy strategies of the United States, Japan, and China and assess the implications of deepening geopolitical divides for Asia’s future energy security.
Drivers of supply and demand of terrestrial animal source food, Tak et al., Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Diverse foods derived from livestock production systems, including grazing and pastoralist systems, and from the hunting of wild animals, provide high-quality proteins, important fatty acids and various vitamins and minerals – contributing to healthy diets for improved nutrition and health. Challenges related to high resource utilization and pollution, food–feed competition, greenhouse gas emissions, antimicrobial resistance and animal welfare, as well as zoonotic and food-borne diseases, accessibility and affordability, need to be solved if agrifood systems are to become more sustainable.
Clean industry rising: the foundation of resilient value chains, Mission Possible Partnership
The authors highlight the acceleration in the shift to decarbonized industrial production. The latest wave of projects includes clean fuels, chemicals, fertilizers and metals: the industrial essentials needed to grow food, build infrastructure, manufacture goods and move the products that underpin modern economies. As the need for more resilient industrial systems intensifies, clean industry is emerging as a strategic advantage. The authors explore the trends in detail, including country progress, analysis of which projects are progressing along the announced pipeline and the new clean industry value chains that are taking shape worth an estimated $4.7 trillion.
China Carbon Neutrality Tracker 2025 Annual Report Green and Low-Carbon Transition in China's Provincial Level Regions: A Decade in Review, Li et al., Institute for Global Decarbonization Progress
As China's "dual carbon" targets have been enshrined as national strategy and the "1+N" policy framework continues to take shape, the country's green and low-carbon transition has moved into a phase of accelerated implementation at the subnational level. Given China's vast territory and the significant differences among provincial level regions1 in economy, energy mix, and resource endowments, the transition varies notably across regions in terms of starting points, pathways, and outcomes. Therefore, systematically tracking subnational climate action carries significant potential to inform policymaking and ensure the timely achievement of China's "dual carbon" goals. The authors apply Subnational Low-Carbon and Green Index for China (Subnational LOGIC), an indicator tool developed by iGDP, to track and quantitatively assess the low-carbon transition of 30 provincial level regions between 2013 and 2022. Subnational LOGIC encompasses 26 specific indicators under four categories: carbon productivity; carbon emissions including six sub-categories covering energy, power, industry, buildings, transport, and agriculture; environmental conditions and land use; and policy systems and public participation, together capturing the overall quality of regional economic growth and progress on sectoral emission reductions.
Gas share in global power mix has declined for a fifth consecutive year, Malgorzata Wiatros-Motyka, Ember
The author examines how the role of gas in the global power sector is changing as renewable electricity expands across major economies. She explores long-term trends in gas-fired generation globally and across key markets, including the G7, China, India and Brazil.
Climate Change in the American Mind: Politics & Policy, Spring 2026, Leiserowitz et al., Yale University and George Mason University
With the primaries in the 2026 midterm elections underway, the authors found that 58% of registered voters prefer to vote for a candidate for public office who supports action on global warming, while 14% prefer to vote for a candidate who opposes action. 42% would like to hear from political candidates more often about efforts to reduce global warming, while 23% would like to hear about this less often. 31% will only vote for a congressional candidate who supports increasing the use of renewable energy, while 7% will only vote for a candidate who supports decreasing the use of renewable energy. 25% will only vote for a candidate who supports decreasing the use of fossil fuels, while 14% will only vote for a candidate who supports increasing the use of fossil fuels.
The Intersection of Data Center Development, Water Availability, and Environmental Justice In California, Stewart-Frey et al., NEXT 10
The authors assess the intersection of direct water use by data centers with water availability and distribution in California, focusing on the potential effect of large-scale data center operations on local water resources. The authors also evaluate how data centers might affect the water access and sustainability for communities located near these facilities, highlighting potential disparities in water access for particularly vulnerable communities. As part of this assessment, the authors developed a comprehensive database of California data centers, as well as a newly developed index to evaluate water scarcity and community vulnerability.
Banking on Climate Crisis. Fossil Fuel Finance Report 2026, Lusiani et al., Banking on Climate Chaos Coalition
Affordable energy, environmental justice, respect for human rights, and a livable climate are all critical pillars of society, and all profoundly influenced by choices made by the world’s largest banks. Many of these banks continue to put their — and others — money into the fragile fossil fuel energy system, which has become a source of great wealth for the few and a deepening fault line of vulnerability for everyone else. At a time of great change in the global energy sector, this 17th edition of the Banking on Climate Chaos report tracks these financing choices by the world’s largest banks and provides a roadmap of how to phase out bank financing for fossil fuels.
SLCP Impact Report: A decade of driving decent working conditions, The Social and Labor Convergence Program
In 2025, SLCP added new climate data points to the Converged Assessment Framework (CAF) ensuring alignment with Human Rights Due Diligence requirements and recognizing that climate change is no longer solely an environmental sustainability issue, but that it directly affects worker wellbeing too. The authors who that 69% of facilities are not preparing for climate effects and have not yet made a formal plan for dealing with climate change. This is particularly urgent given that 16% of SLCP facilities maintain indoor temperatures exceeding 31°C, a level that sits dangerously close to or above recognized safe heat thresholds for workers.
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Posted by Doug Bostrom on Thursday, 20 August, 2026
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