Research articles

Most of the greenhouse gas emissions embedded in China’s exports come from provinces with carbon-intensive energy mixes. Reducing the carbon intensity of production in these regions is a targeted means of addressing the climate–trade dilemma.

Landfill disposal of solid waste is one of the largest sources of methane emissions. Analysis of gas collection systems at more than 850 US landfill sites suggests that emissions have been underestimated by as much as 140 million tonnes per year.

The economic impact of carbon dioxide and methane release from thawing Arctic permafrost due to global warming could be enormous unless action is taken to minimize the scale of the release.

Coastal flood risk is strongly influenced by sea-level rise and changes in tropical cyclone activity, but these factors are usually considered independently. Research now accounts for their joint contribution to coastal flood hazard for the US East Coast over the 21^st century.

Contributions to historical climate change vary substantially among nations. A new method of quantifying historical inequalities using carbon and climate debts can inform discussions about responsibility for cutting emissions in the future.

Improved mechanistic understanding of greenhouse gas-induced change in Northern Hemisphere atmospheric circulation reveals a tendency of models to overestimate future mid-winter rainfall along the North American west coast.

The IPCC is widely accepted as an authoritative voice representing knowledge on climate change. A network analysis shows that authorship of a key report remains UK- and US-centric, however, with a handful of disciplines dominating input.

The combination of rising CO₂ and temperature is expected to increase primary production in the Arctic Ocean. This study uses observations and experimental data from the European sector to show that primary productivity may double in the spring.

Clean energy can provide different health and environmental benefits depending on location. Modelling shows that renewable energy and energy-saving projects could deliver annual benefits of up to US$210 million across six locations in the USA.

Ocean warming will cause widespread changes in species richness and assemblage composition over coming decades, with important implications for both conservation management and international ocean governance.

Modelling reveals that Dubai in the Persian Gulf region, Tampa in Florida, and Cairns in Australia are at risk of extreme tropical cyclones—‘grey swan’ events—capable of inducing surge impact beyond anything experienced in the historical record.

Corporations need to reduce their greenhouse-gas emissions to help avoid dangerous climate change. A new method for setting emissions targets, which can also be used to assess corporate climate performance and increase accountability, is proposed.

Emissions analysis shows that projects abating two greenhouse gases in Russia under the Joint Implementation mechanism increased waste gas generation, suggesting that plant operators may have generated more waste gas while increasing credit revenues.

A newly developed modelling approach reveals how future global climate change might severely dampen economic growth in poorer countries, while increasing the variability of growth in both poorer and richer countries.

Climatic extremes can dramatically impact biodiversity. Now, research using comprehensive data on British butterflies reveals how drought and changes in habitat (area and fragmentation) interact to affect population stability.

Contrary to expectation, some fish species living around CO₂ vents—natural ‘laboratories’ for studying the effects of ocean acidification—show increased abundance due to indirect positive effects of acidification on habitat and food resources.

Public perceptions of climate change policies change over time. A national survey shows that although acceptance of the carbon pricing policy stayed stable throughout the election campaign, this did not indicate support for the policy.

A shift from coral to macroalgae dominance of reef systems affected by volcanically acidified waters around Maug (Mariana Islands, North Pacific Ocean) increases fears that reef corals will be displaced by algae as a result of ocean acidification.

The thermal comfort standards developed in the 1960s were based on the average male. Altering these standards to account for female metabolic rates could save energy and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions from buildings.

A series of simple and communicable risk metrics for agriculture are developed by integrating information on the interacting systems of climate, crops and economy under different climate and adaptation scenarios.