Climate Action Research Articles

Bridges over troubled waters: Climate clubs, alliances, and partnerships as safeguards for effective international cooperation?

AbstractDriven by the motivation to raise the ambition level of climate action and to foster the transformation of economies, current climate policy discourse revolves around ways to improve cooperation between industrialized countries and emerging economies. We identify three broad types of initiatives—multilateral-cross sectoral, multilateral, sector specific, and climate and development partnerships—and assess them for potentials to deliver on such objectives with a specific focus on industry transformation. This paper provides new reflections on the institutionalization of international climate cooperation. Specifically, we demonstrate the urgent need to understand what values, norms, and underlying principles drive a cooperation in order to draw conclusions on how to best institutionalize climate cooperation rules.in-use. We conclude that an overemphasis on a CO2 price and on carbon border adjustment mechanisms, such as in the context of the initial proposals for a cross-sectoral climate club envisaged by G7 countries, would have contributed to a further polarization of the international landscape. We find, however, that multilateral, sectoral alliances play an important role for international goal setting and the convergence on standards, metrics, and benchmarks. Based on our analysis, we recommend strengthening multilateral, sector-specific partnerships. These can be focused on sectoral topics as a connector between countries, allowing for a strategically-aligned, increasingly deep collaboration. However, for any initiative to succeed, processes of international institutionalization will be needed in order to agree on rules for implementation based on aligned interests and equity. Building such institutions may well serve as a steppingstone toward more durable cooperation structures between developed economies and emerging economies. In sum, no existing cooperation approach is perfect, but three actions may be taken to move the agenda forward: First, reform of the carbon border adjustment mechanism and removing it from the center of climate club discussions, second, coupling sectoral alliances with climate and development partnerships, and three, designing them in a way to address fears of political influence seeking and superimposition of global north agendas on the global south.

Transforming agricultural research and development systems to meet 21st Century needs for climate action

Transforming agricultural research and development systems to meet 21st Century needs for climate action

Integrating Remote Sensing and Ground-Based Data for Enhanced Spatial–Temporal Analysis of Heatwaves: A Machine Learning Approach

In response to the urgent global threat posed by human-induced extreme climate hazards, heatwaves are still systematically under-reported and under-researched in Thailand. This region is confronting a significant rise in heat-related mortality, which has resulted in hundreds of deaths, underscoring a pressing issue that needs to be addressed. This research article is one of the first to present a solution for assessing heatwave dynamics, using machine learning (ML) algorithms and geospatial technologies in this country. It analyzes heatwave metrics like heatwave number (HWN), heatwave frequency (HWF), heatwave duration (HWD), heatwave magnitude (HWM), and heatwave amplitude (HWA), combining satellite-derived land surface temperature (LST) data with ground-based air temperature (Tair) observations from 1981 to 2019. The result reveals significant marked increases in both the frequency and intensity of daytime heatwaves in peri-urban areas, with the most pronounced changes being a 0.45-day/year in HWN, a 2.00-day/year in HWF, and a 0.27-day/year in HWD. This trend is notably less pronounced in urban areas. Conversely, rural regions are experiencing a significant escalation in nighttime heatwaves, with increases of 0.39 days/year in HWN, 1.44 days/year in HWF, and 0.14 days/year in HWD. Correlation analysis (p<0.05) reveals spatial heterogeneity in heatwave dynamics, with robust daytime correlations between Tair and LST in rural (HWN, HWF, HWD, r>0.90) and peri-urban (HWM, HWA, r>0.65) regions. This study emphasizes the importance of considering microclimatic variations in heatwave analysis, offering insights for targeted intervention strategies. It demonstrates how enhancing remote sensing with ML can facilitate the spatial–temporal analysis of heatwaves across diverse environments. This approach identifies critical risk areas in Thailand, guiding resilience efforts and serving as a model for managing similar microclimates, extending the applicability of this study. Overall, the study provides policymakers and stakeholders with potent tools for climate action and effective heatwave management. Furthermore, this research contributes to mitigating the impacts of extreme climate events, promoting resilience, and fostering environmental sustainability.

How does climate change risk affect energy poverty? International evidence.

Based on cross-country data from 2002 to 2019, we explore the impact of climate change risk (CCR) on energy poverty (EP), and the moderating role in the CCR-EP nexus is also discussed. The empirical results suggest that CCR can exacerbate EP, especially for rural areas. Moderating effect analysis shows that financial development, technological innovation, and adaptation readiness can modify the negative impacts of CCR on EP to some extent. Moreover, the impact of CCR on EP is heterogeneous, demonstrating that CCR is more likely to exacerbate EP in countries with low economic development, low economic freedom, high carbon intensity, and the Africa region. Our findings emphasize the challenge of balancing EP alleviation with climate change response and provide the policy guidance to promote coordinated development of CCR management and energy supply security.

Achieving a Water-Resilient Rotterdam: Past, Present and Future Perspectives

Rotterdam has a close and essential connection with water, both as a port city and a delta city. As a low-lying city situated in the estuary of the Rhine and Meuse rivers, most of the city (85 per cent) lies below sea level, and some areas are as low as 7 m beneath sea level. Except for the main port area, the remaining 15 per cent of the city lies in outer dike zones. Since evacuation is nearly impossible, adapting to climate change presents a significant challenge. This vulnerable delta city is continually revisiting its approach to water threats and climate change is demanding a new round of interventions. The historical fight against water is being abandoned in favor of living with water. Water connects and brings leverage. By creating more space for water and promoting blue-green infrastructure in the built environment, Rotterdam is becoming climate-resilient, greener and more livable. Rotterdam’s blue-green transformation to a sponge city of the future (2100) aims at achieving SDG 11 (“Sustainable Cities and Communities”) and has the potential to fulfill targets regarding climate action (SDG 13), the protection of water quality (SDG 6) and the restoration of biodiversity (SDG 14 and 15).

The Impact of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Performance on Dividend Policy and Economic Outcomes of Pakistani Firms: A Survey-based Research

The purpose of this study was to measure the effectiveness of environmental, social, and governance performance on the dividend policies of registered firms on the (PSX) Pakistan stock exchange. A data set of 261 respondents from the employees of companies listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange was collected and analyzed using Smart PLS 3. The findings of measurement model assessment and structural model were used for the analysis of the data. Based on the statistical data, the study found that environmental performance, social performance, and governance performance are three significant antecedents of the dividend policy of registered firms on the Pakistan stock exchange (PSX). The research has contributed to the literature about implications of dividend policy. The policy implications of this research are also significant for improving the dividend policy of firms registered on the Pakistan Stock Exchange. This study also aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and SDG 13 (Climate Action), by examining how ESG performance influences dividend policies in firms on the Pakistan Stock Exchange. The findings underscore the importance of integrating sustainability into corporate strategies to enhance financial outcomes and support global sustainability targets.

When concern is not enough: Overcoming the climate awareness-action gap.

Climate concern is on the rise in many countries and recent research finds that lifestyle- and behaviour-change could advance climate action; yet, individuals struggle to move their climate concern into action. This is known as the 'awareness-action inconsistency,' 'psychological climate paradox,' or 'values-action gap.' While this gap has been extensively studied, climate action implementation and policy-design seldom sufficiently apply that body of knowledge in practice. This Perspective presents a comprehensive heuristic to account for how individuals bring climate change into their awareness (climate action-logics), how they keep climate change out of their awareness (climate shadow), how social narratives contribute to shaping choices (climate discourses), and how systems and structures influence and constrain agency (climate-action systems). The heuristic is illustrated with an example of 15-Minute Cities in Canada. Understanding the multifaceted dilemma that weighs on people's sense-making and behaviours may help policy-makers and practitioners to ameliorate the climate awareness-action gap.

Worrying with Children and Water in ECEC: Exploring the Pedagogical framing Effects of Actions for Climate Change

Worrying with Children and Water in ECEC: Exploring the Pedagogical framing Effects of Actions for Climate Change

Enhancing salt marshes monitoring: Estimating biomass with drone-derived habitat-specific models

Salt marshes play a vital role in biodiversity conservation, coastal protection, and carbon sequestration. Estimating aboveground biomass (AGB) is crucial for quantifying the carbon sequestration capacity of the system. However, traditional fieldwork methods are time-consuming, demanding, and detrimental to marsh ecosystems. In this study, we propose utilizing low-altitude remote sensing techniques to collect high-resolution LiDAR and multispectral (MS) data for biomass assessment. With these datasets, we characterized salt marsh vegetation habitats through the analysis of vegetation indices (VIs) variability. LiDAR high-resolution topographic information aids in evaluating habitat distribution. Moreover, the Anthocyanin Reflectance Index 2 (ARI2), combined with the Digital Surface Model, allows for the identification and separation of the two habitats with distinct dominant species (Sarcocornia spp. and Sporobolus maritimus). The analysis of the annual cycle of VIs reveals the presence of seasonality. However, the VIs for the two vegetation classes exhibit dissimilar seasonal changes, indicating distinct growth mechanisms for each. Biomass models are created for each season in the annual cycle. Habitat-specific models exhibit higher precision (up to 99%) than models that treat species uniformly. Depending on whether the marsh is considered as a whole or separated into dominant habitats, differences in biomass estimation trends are observed. This implies that the two dominant species exhibit varying behaviours throughout the year, contributing to diverse biomass production. The study reveals a seasonal pattern in the total AGB, with the highest biomass value in summer and the lowest peak in spring, with annual variation accounting for only 9% of total output. The reduced AGB value in spring may be due to increased soil salinity and stress. The use of LiDAR and MS data from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is crucial for accurately distinguishing primary marsh habitats and creating detailed biomass models, with unprecedented accuracy. This method is user-friendly, repeatable, and cost-effective, enabling the study of salt marshes, evolutionary trends, and climate change response requiring less fieldwork.

Funding climate action but financing climate destruction? An exploration of hybridity in climate philanthropy and investments

Funding climate action but financing climate destruction? An exploration of hybridity in climate philanthropy and investments

Traditional Village Morphological Characteristics and Driving Mechanism from a Rural Sustainability Perspective: Evidence from Jiangsu Province

Traditional Village Morphological Characteristics and Driving Mechanism from a Rural Sustainability Perspective: Evidence from Jiangsu Province

Why We Must Stop Saying “Climate Apocalypse”: Symbols, Religious Social Memory, and Effective Climate Action

The apocalyptic framework has become a handy metaphor for climate change because this story, better than most others, is able to express the scope and severity of the transformation most scientists believe is coming to humanity’s planetary and social systems. Since the first Earth Day in 1970 (Bailey 2000) and increasingly in journalistic media, nongovernmental organization circles, scientific literature, academia, eco-activism, and youth culture, climate change is referred to in world-ending terms that are explicitly apocalyptic. Those who use the phrase “climate apocalypse” mean to spur serious confrontation with the facts of climate change, resulting in climate activism, whether in the form of climate change mitigation or shoring up societal resiliency. However, stories not only describe reality, they help shape reality, and “climate apocalypse” has the unintended effect of creating passivity, fear, paralysis, and naïve hope in its audience.

Governance effects of pollution reduction and carbon mitigation of carbon emission trading policy in China

China's carbon emission trading policy plays a crucial role in achieving both its “3060” dual carbon objectives and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 13 (SDG 13) on climate action. The policy's effectiveness in reducing pollution and mitigating carbon emissions holds significant importance. This paper investigated whether China's carbon emission trading policy affects pollution reduction (PM2.5 and SO2) and carbon mitigation (CO2) in pilot regions, using panel data from 30 provinces and municipalities in China from 2005 to 2019 and employing a multi-period difference-in-differences (DID) model. Furthermore, it analyzed the heterogeneity of carbon market mechanisms and regional variations. Finally, it examined the governance pathways for pollution reduction and carbon mitigation from a holistic perspective. The results indicate that: (1) China's carbon emission trading policy has reduced CO2 emissions by 18% and SO2 emissions by 36% in pilot areas, with an immediate impact on the “carbon mitigation” effect, while the “pollution reduction” effect exhibits a time lag. (2) Higher carbon trading prices lead to stronger “carbon mitigation” effect, and larger carbon market scales are associated with greater “pollution reduction” effects on PM2.5. Governance effects on pollution reduction and carbon mitigation vary among pilot regions: Carbon markets of Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, and Tianjin show significant governance effects in both “pollution reduction” and “carbon mitigation”, whereas Guangdong's carbon market exhibits only a “pollution reduction” effect, and Hubei's carbon market demonstrates only a “carbon mitigation” effect. (3) Currently, China's carbon emission trading policy achieves pollution reduction and carbon mitigation through “process management” and “end-of-pipe treatment”. This study could provide empirical insights and policy implications for pollution reduction and carbon mitigation, as well as for the development of China's carbon emission trading market.

Climate Change Responses of High-Elevation Polylepis Forests

The high mountain forests on Earth are characterized by sharp environmental heterogeneity, high species endemism, and unique phenotypic adaptations. Yet, global warming is jeopardizing this ecosystem as no other as some forests may have nowhere to go beyond the mountain’s summits. One of the most human-endangered high-elevation ecosystems is the Polylepis forest. Despite its vulnerability, forecasting climate reactions in this distinctive high mountain forest type remains a formidable challenge. Therefore, in this study, we modeled climate change responses of high-elevation allopatric Polylepis sericea and P. quadrijuga (Rosaceae) in the northern Andes. The analysis took into account VIF-prioritized bioclimatic variables for near-to-present and future (2081–2100 MPI-ESM1-2-HR) conditions. Model selection was carried out following the AUC scores of 12 MaxEnt and six machine learning algorithms. Predictive power reached 0.97 for MaxEnt’s model fc.H_rm.1 (H-1). Results indicate a moderate vulnerability of P. sericea, with a 29% loss of area in the trailing edge, due to climate change for the period 2081–2100. On the other hand, P. quadrijuga is likely to experience even larger distribution losses, up to 99%, for the same period. The findings of this study suggest that P. quadrijuga, as compared to P. sericea, exhibits a restricted ability to maintain the corresponding habitat requirements in the face of climatic change. Higher niche specialization of P. quadrijuga in the environmentally heterogeneous Eastern Cordillera contrasts with the more generalist nature of P. sericea in the topographically less complex Central Cordillera. In addition to climate change, this trend may be exacerbated by the detrimental effects of agriculture, mining, and an expanding rural population, which represent significant human-driven pressures yet to be modeled in the northern Andean highlands. Yet, based on previous studies, the historical population dynamics during the past glacial cycles suggests that range shifts could play a more significant role at deeper time scales than previously forecasted in the species’ reaction to climate change. Additionally, Polylepis forests may be able to endure at the current locations via local adaptation and plasticity, major drivers of the phenotypic variation in long-lived trees, counteracting the vulnerability scenario under a niche conservatism hypothesis. Ultimately, the modeling procedure employed in this study provides insights into the potential effects of climate change on Polylepis forests 70 years from now. Oncoming studies may consider alternative responses inherent to the gene pool of the species and the interaction with edaphic and biotic agents. We advocate for the application of comparable estimations in other high-elevation tree communities found at the tree line.

We cannot afford another lost year for food and climate action

ABSTRACT In recent years, recognition has grown of the significant role that food systems play in driving climate change, constituting about one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions, while also playing a key role in sequestering carbon and adapting to climate changes. The COP28 climate conference signaled a pivotal shift, spotlighting food and agriculture in discourse. However, despite pledges and declarations, concrete plans and targets to address emissions from food chains remain elusive. Urgent action is imperative to transform food systems and avert surpassing critical warming thresholds.

Introducing ‘New Cosmopolitanisms’

In May 2023,  the editorial board of Cosmopolitan Civil Societies hosted an online conference on ‘New Conceptualisations of Cosmopolitanism’. Discussions were rich and varied, across two days and several panels. The event was an experiment for the journal. This Special Issue is the result. There are ten papers in this Special Issue, falling into three broad fields of debate: four on themes of cosmopolitics, ethnonationalism and the national state; three on aspects of work, gender and cosmopolitan identification; and three on issues of climate action, land use and environmentalism. The editorial introduction seeks to summarise papers and draw out some common themes for wider debate.

Climate Change and Mental Health (A Global Analysis)

Climate change and its corresponding consequences have been recognized as one of the dominating issues of global concern. Many governments of various nations are currently making efforts to mitigate the undesirable consequences of climate change. The essay is focused on carrying out an analysis of the effect of climate change on mental health in the United Kingdom. The paper presented a methodological framework for the diverse and multiple channels by which climate change impacts on a person’s mental health. In connection with this, this methodological analysis led to the conceptualization of the variables that link or mediate the effect of climate change on human mental health and corresponding well-being. There was an exploration of evidence-based analysis of climate change modifies the variables that impact mental health; this will take care of the expression of the diverse pathways of effect. The essay recognizes that despite the mental health dangers and risks associated with climate change, adopting a strategic climate action can also be a window of opportunity to harness its impact and engage in proactive and preventable measures.

A Novel Approaches to 6th-Order Delay Differential Equations in Toxic Plant Interactions and Soil Impact: Beyond Newton-Raphson

Abstract This paper focuses on investigating a 6th-order delay differential equation root within the context of toxic interactions between competing plant populations and their impact on soil dynamics. The study introduces a novel approach for approximating solutions to nonlinear delay differential equations, drawing inspiration from the fundamental principles of Newton-Raphson's method. This technique leverages the complex root theorem to ensure stability, enabling it to effectively handle widely dispersed roots within dynamic systems. Consequently, this approach holds considerable potential for a diverse array of applications. The analysis introduces time delay into a nonlinear dynamical system and explores the system's threshold value. At this threshold, the dynamical system's stability undergoes fluctuations, and observations of Hopf bifurcation phenomena are made. The study also successfully identifies both real and complex roots of the dynamical system. Visualization of the dynamic system is accomplished using MATLAB-generated graphical representations. Moreover, this research's implications extend to the realm of climate action and terrestrial ecosystems, underscoring its significance for promoting a sustainable environment and fostering healthy life on land.

Applying global warming levels of emergence to highlight the increasing population exposure to temperature and precipitation extremes

Abstract. The swift and ongoing rise of global temperatures over the past decades led to an increasing number of climate variables showing statistically significant changes compared to their pre-industrial state. Determining when these climate signals emerge from the noise of internal climate variability (i.e., estimating the time of emergence, ToE) is crucial for climate risk assessments and adaptation planning. However, robustly disentangling the climate signal from internal variability represents a challenging task. While climate projections are communicated increasingly frequently through global warming levels (GWLs), the ToE is usually still expressed in terms of time horizons. Here, we present a framework to robustly derive global warming levels of emergence (GWLoE) using five single-model initial-condition large ensembles (SMILEs) and apply it to four selected temperature and precipitation indices. We show that the concept of GWLoE is particularly promising to constrain temperature projections and that it proves a viable tool to communicate scientific results. We find that > 85 % of the global population is exposed to emerged signals of nighttime temperatures at a GWL of 1.5 °C, increasing to > 95 % at 2.0 °C. Daily maximum temperature follows a similar yet less pronounced path. Emerged signals for mean and extreme precipitation start appearing at current GWLs and increase steadily with further warming (∼ 10 % population exposed at 2.0 °C). Related probability ratios for the occurrence of extremes indicate a strong increase with widespread saturation of temperature extremes (extremes relative to historical conditions occur every year) reached below 2.5 °C warming particularly in (sub)tropical regions. These results indicate that we are in a critical period for climate action as every fraction of additional warming substantially increases the adverse effects on human wellbeing.

Navigating the climate change minefield: the influence of metaphor on climate doomism

Climate doomism is an increasing concern for climate change communication. In the United States, this opinion regarding anthropogenic climate change is now more prevalent than climate skepticism, and is the primary reason cited for opposition to climate action. Doomism is the belief that catastrophic warming of the planet is now inevitable, and that effective mitigation is impossible. The behaviors resulting from this view are comparable to the result of climate skepticism: doomism produces paralyzing eco-anxiety and subsequently inaction. Prior work has hypothesized that the rise in climate doomism and eco-anxiety is linked to climate change risk communication. This study investigates the possibility that the metaphoric language used to communicate the severity and urgency of climate change could inadvertently promote doomism. We employ a survey model to test the influence of metaphoric language on perception of urgency, feasibility, and individual agency in relation to the climate crisis. American English-speaking participants (N = 1,542) read a paragraph describing climate change either as a “cliff edge” or “minefield,” with human agency manipulated to be present or absent. Responses were considered to be doomist if they reported a high sense of urgency, paired with a low sense of feasibility and/or agency; this indicates they have a high awareness of the risks associated with the climate crisis, but a low belief that it will be addressed, and/or that their actions can produce meaningful change. Use of either metaphor improved perceived feasibility without a reduction in urgency, indicating that metaphor is an effective climate communication strategy for conveying risk without promoting doomism. However, metaphoric presentation is only effective when paired with human agency, suggesting that agency is a necessary component for successful metaphoric climate communication strategies.