Analyses in 2022

Human diets exert a range of pressures on the environment. This study, using a sample of French adults, finds that the processing and packaging behind diets rich in ultra-processed foods create pressures involving energy use in particular.

Transitioning the global energy system to renewables will likely expand energy transition minerals and metals (ETMs) projects to sensitive territories. Across 5,097 projects globally, greater than half of the ETM resource base appears to be located on or near the lands of Indigenous and peasant peoples whose rights to consultation are embedded in United Nations declarations.

Progress towards global targets for clean water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) is advanced through evidence-informed decision-making. This study finds that the data from the only global school WASH database published by the Joint Monitoring Programme are amenable to statistical analysis but cannot yet support rigorous quantitative research.

The environmental implications of meeting the needs of the poorest are under debate. By showing substantial inequalities in natural resource claims and responsibility for ecological damage globally, this study estimates and discusses the impacts of achieving just access on the Earth system.

Electronic waste can harm the environment when not properly disposed of, but as a source of valuable materials, it could benefit the economy with adequate end-of-life management. This study shows the scale of the problem and assesses the potential of diverse management solutions across the United States.

Soil erosion is driven by multiple natural processes, which may occur concurrently and exacerbate the threat to soil functioning of arable land. Accurate accounting of the drivers and location of soil erosion is needed to guide monitoring and mitigation efforts across the European Union.

Achievement of global spatial targets for protected areas is not being matched by quality of management. This study quantifies current shortfalls in numbers of rangers and other personnel for those areas and assesses future requirements as more areas are set aside.

Sand has become an increasingly scarce critical resource. As a result of changing climate, Greenland now receives large deposits of glacially derived sand along its coasts. Local communities broadly support domestic, environmentally mindful economic sand extraction.

Recovering from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic while achieving environmental goals requires creative policy measures. This study analyses the sustainability co-benefits of reducing sugar consumption through redirecting existing sugar cropland to alternative uses via sugar taxation.

Poor access to safe drinking water is a major global sustainability issue. Solar disinfection provides a feasible solution. Here the authors examine the potential of five most typical types of this technology, revealing their unique challenges and opportunities.

The Sustainable Development Goals were launched as a worldwide governance framework, but little is known about their actual political impacts. This study shows evidence that the Sustainable Development Goals have had largely a discursive influence and only limited transformative political impact.

The increasing demand for technological products across the world pushes further the consumption of most metals, resulting in growing sustainability concerns. This study examines a yearly cohort of 61 extracted metals over time and estimates their lifetimes and losses throughout their life cycles.

The sheer scale of global development aid projects and funding can be almost impenetrable for researchers and policymakers to derive broad trends, let alone specific topics. This machine learning analysis looks at 3.2 million separate aid activities over the past two decades to find clusters and categories for better targeting of development funds.

The environmental effectiveness of procurement incentives for electric vehicle (EV) sales depends on the behaviour of EV adopters. This study explores such a relationship and how procurement policies should be designed in order to achieve emissions reduction and be economically efficient.

Controlled use of fire for subsistence and smallholder livelihoods has undoubtedly shaped ecosystems but we have limited research on the practices and extent. This analysis of nearly 600 case study locations finds fire use is changing in ways that could pose risks to smallholder livelihoods as well as wildlife and biodiversity.

SDG interactions have been a focus of research for some time now, and this analysis finds a dynamic and nonlinear change in how the SDGs interact with each other as a nation progresses towards sustainability.

Using different high-resolution satellite datasets, this study analyses gross forest carbon loss associated with forest removal over the tropics during the twenty-first century focusing on regional fluxes and trends, as well as drivers of loss, both aspects rarely studied in previous work.

Greater photovoltaic deployment is critical to reducing global greenhouse gas emissions, but the associated aluminium (Al) demand could pose a substantial global warming threat. Decarbonizing the electricity used for Al production and using less primary Al are the best ways to mitigate emissions.