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Ten new insights in climate science 2023
- Mercedes Bustamante, Joyashree Roy, Daniel Ospina, Ploy Achakulwisut, Anubha Aggarwal, Ana Bastos, Wendy Broadgate, Josep G. Canadell, Edward R. Carr, Deliang Chen, Helen A. Cleugh, Kristie L. Ebi, Clea Edwards, Carol Farbotko, Marcos Fernández-Martínez, Thomas L. Frölicher, Sabine Fuss, Oliver Geden, Nicolas Gruber, Luke J. Harrington, Judith Hauck, Zeke Hausfather, Sophie Hebden, Aniek Hebinck, Saleemul Huq, Matthias Huss, M. Laurice P. Jamero, Sirkku Juhola, Nilushi Kumarasinghe, Shuaib Lwasa, Bishawjit Mallick, Maria Martin, Steven McGreevy, Paula Mirazo, Aditi Mukherji, Greg Muttitt, Gregory F. Nemet, David Obura, Chukwumerije Okereke, Tom Oliver, Ben Orlove, Nadia S. Ouedraogo, Prabir K. Patra, Mark Pelling, Laura M. Pereira, Åsa Persson, Julia Pongratz, Anjal Prakash, Anja Rammig, Colin Raymond, Aaron Redman, Cristobal Reveco, Johan Rockström, Regina Rodrigues, David R. Rounce, E. Lisa F. Schipper, Peter Schlosser, Odirilwe Selomane, Gregor Semieniuk, Yunne-Jai Shin, Tasneem A. Siddiqui, Vartika Singh, Giles B. Sioen, Youba Sokona, Detlef Stammer, Norman J. Steinert, Sunhee Suk, Rowan Sutton, Lisa Thalheimer, Vikki Thompson, Gregory Trencher, Kees van der Geest, Saskia E. Werners, Thea Wübbelmann, Nico Wunderling, Jiabo Yin, Kirsten Zickfeld, Jakob Zscheischler
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- Journal:
- Global Sustainability / Volume 7 / 2024
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 01 December 2023, e19
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- Article
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- Open access
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Non-technical summary
We identify a set of essential recent advances in climate change research with high policy relevance, across natural and social sciences: (1) looming inevitability and implications of overshooting the 1.5°C warming limit, (2) urgent need for a rapid and managed fossil fuel phase-out, (3) challenges for scaling carbon dioxide removal, (4) uncertainties regarding the future contribution of natural carbon sinks, (5) intertwinedness of the crises of biodiversity loss and climate change, (6) compound events, (7) mountain glacier loss, (8) human immobility in the face of climate risks, (9) adaptation justice, and (10) just transitions in food systems.
Technical summaryThe Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Assessment Reports provides the scientific foundation for international climate negotiations and constitutes an unmatched resource for researchers. However, the assessment cycles take multiple years. As a contribution to cross- and interdisciplinary understanding of climate change across diverse research communities, we have streamlined an annual process to identify and synthesize significant research advances. We collected input from experts on various fields using an online questionnaire and prioritized a set of 10 key research insights with high policy relevance. This year, we focus on: (1) the looming overshoot of the 1.5°C warming limit, (2) the urgency of fossil fuel phase-out, (3) challenges to scale-up carbon dioxide removal, (4) uncertainties regarding future natural carbon sinks, (5) the need for joint governance of biodiversity loss and climate change, (6) advances in understanding compound events, (7) accelerated mountain glacier loss, (8) human immobility amidst climate risks, (9) adaptation justice, and (10) just transitions in food systems. We present a succinct account of these insights, reflect on their policy implications, and offer an integrated set of policy-relevant messages. This science synthesis and science communication effort is also the basis for a policy report contributing to elevate climate science every year in time for the United Nations Climate Change Conference.
Social media summaryWe highlight recent and policy-relevant advances in climate change research – with input from more than 200 experts.
9 - Business
- Edward Barbier, Colorado State University
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- Book:
- Economics for a Fragile Planet
- Published online:
- 24 March 2022
- Print publication:
- 31 March 2022, pp 246-275
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Summary
Chapter 9 examines the evidence of growing adoption and initiatives by corporations, businesses and the financial system to incorporate actions to mitigate environmental risks and improve the global environment, and look in particular at the possibility of private sector action to move toward better environmental stewardship. Firms increasingly find that improved environmental performance reduces their overall cost of capital and their attractiveness to potential investors. However, better environmental scarcity and risk management by firms requires a range of complementary policies for green financing and investment; ending the underpricing of nature; and taxing major biosphere exploiters. Corporations that are willing to become biosphere stewards should also collaborate with governments in collective action to address global environmental risks.
12 - America at a Crossroads
- Shanti Gamper-Rabindran, University of Pittsburgh
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- Book:
- America's Energy Gamble
- Published online:
- 06 January 2022
- Print publication:
- 13 January 2022, pp 463-502
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Summary
The Trump administration inflicted long-term damages on America’s health, economy and environment. But America can still reset its path toward an energy transition that shares benefits with local communities hosting renewable energy projects and that supports the economic diversification of communities reliant on oil and gas extraction. The Biden administration reorientated federal agencies’ actions under existing laws to support the clean energy transition. These actions – strengthening environmental regulations, requiring mandatory corporate disclosure on climate risks and aligning federal leasing of public lands and seas and permitting-processes to value conservation and climate mitigation – can help incentivize investment flows into renewable energy and low-carbon economic activities. Ambitious federal investments into clean energy infrastructure and assistance to oil- and gas-reliant communities requires legislative actions. With Republicans who support both economic progress and environment and climate protection no longer a strong voice in Congress, the budget reconciliation process may well be the unique avenue for Democrats to enact legislation on public investments to accelerate the energy transition. The voices of younger Republicans who favor climate protection, alongside those of their Democrat counterparts, offer some hope that Congress will be forced to return to bipartisan stewardship of America’s air, water, lands and seas.