Sarah Schöngart, Zebedee Nicholls, Roman Hoffmann, Setu Pelz, Carl-Friedrich Schleussner
{"title":"High-income groups disproportionately contribute to climate extremes worldwide","authors":"Sarah Schöngart, Zebedee Nicholls, Roman Hoffmann, Setu Pelz, Carl-Friedrich Schleussner","doi":"10.1038/s41558-025-02325-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-025-02325-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Climate injustice persists as those least responsible often bear the greatest impacts, both between and within countries. Here we show how GHG emissions from consumption and investments attributable to the wealthiest population groups have disproportionately influenced present-day climate change. We link emissions inequality over the period 1990–2020 to regional climate extremes using an emulator-based framework. We find that two-thirds (one-fifth) of warming is attributable to the wealthiest 10% (1%), meaning that individual contributions are 6.5 (20) times the average per capita contribution. For extreme events, the top 10% (1%) contributed 7 (26) times the average to increases in monthly 1-in-100-year heat extremes globally and 6 (17) times more to Amazon droughts. Emissions from the wealthiest 10% in the United States and China led to a two- to threefold increase in heat extremes across vulnerable regions. Quantifying the link between wealth disparities and climate impacts can assist in the discourse on climate equity and justice.</p>","PeriodicalId":18974,"journal":{"name":"Nature Climate Change","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":30.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143915380","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Peichao Gao, Yifan Gao, Yang Ou, Haewon McJeon, Gokul Iyer, Sijing Ye, Xiaofan Yang, Changqing Song
{"title":"Author Correction: Heterogeneous pressure on croplands from land-based strategies to meet the 1.5 °C target","authors":"Peichao Gao, Yifan Gao, Yang Ou, Haewon McJeon, Gokul Iyer, Sijing Ye, Xiaofan Yang, Changqing Song","doi":"10.1038/s41558-025-02353-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-025-02353-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Correction to: <i>Nature Climate Change</i> https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-025-02294-1, published online 24 March 2025.</p>","PeriodicalId":18974,"journal":{"name":"Nature Climate Change","volume":"39 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":30.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143915381","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Individualized cost–benefit analysis does not fit for demand-side mitigation","authors":"Sebastian Berger, Felix Creutzig","doi":"10.1038/s41558-025-02330-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-025-02330-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The desirability of demand-side options depends on their mitigation potential and well-being implications. Work from the IPCC suggests that demand-side mitigation is estimated to reduce emissions by 40–70% in end-use sectors while being consistent with similar or increased levels of human well-being<sup>1</sup>. Based on a cost–benefit case study from Beijing, China, Tan-Soo et al.<sup>2</sup> show that eight out of 12 policies allegedly incur individual welfare losses and seven result in social welfare loss. Using the approach of Tan-Soo et al., we show that the results hinge on assumptions worthy of debate. We show that an approach that is more sophisticated psychologically—accounting for endogenous preferences, for example—flips the central findings, leading to overall positive effects of demand-side mitigation on welfare.</p><p>Tan-Soo et al.’s finding that two-thirds of all demand-side climate mitigation options result in social welfare loss contrasts with previous findings that more than two-thirds of demand-side mitigation options improve eudaimonic well-being<sup>1</sup>. This difference raises critical questions on the methodology and conceptual understanding of costs, preferences and well-being. Here we open the discussion on the appropriate methodology. We applaud Tan-Soo et al.’s attempt to quantify the (social) welfare of demand-side options, but find their assumptions in contrast with our own understanding of how demand-side options need to be evaluated<sup>1,3,4,5</sup>.</p>","PeriodicalId":18974,"journal":{"name":"Nature Climate Change","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":30.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143898095","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Reply to: Individualized cost–benefit analysis does not fit for demand-side mitigation","authors":"Jie-Sheng Tan-Soo, Ping Qin, Yifei Quan, Jun Li","doi":"10.1038/s41558-025-02331-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-025-02331-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><span>replying to</span> S. Berger & F. Creutzig <i>Nature Climate Change</i> https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-025-02330-0 (2025)</p><p>We are deeply grateful to Berger and Creutzig<sup>1</sup> for their thorough review of our study and for providing insightful critiques. Upon careful consideration of their comments, we identify two primary criticisms, which we address individually below.</p>","PeriodicalId":18974,"journal":{"name":"Nature Climate Change","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":30.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143898096","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Max Rietkerk, Vanessa Skiba, Els Weinans, Raphaël Hébert, Thomas Laepple
{"title":"Ambiguity of early warning signals for climate tipping points","authors":"Max Rietkerk, Vanessa Skiba, Els Weinans, Raphaël Hébert, Thomas Laepple","doi":"10.1038/s41558-025-02328-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-025-02328-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p>There is concern that climate change might lead to abrupt and irreversible changes in parts of the Earth system at so-called tipping points. Theoretical considerations suggest that statistical measures can be used to detect early warning signals (EWSs) for reduced resilience, which could be interpreted as an increased proximity to climate tipping points. Here we discuss limitations of commonly used EWSs and their detection and discuss how alternative explanations can lead to resilience loss in the absence of tipping points. We argue for better testing of the existence of tipping points, beyond the application of EWSs, and propose a method to better quantify the probability of approaching tipping points using EWSs.</p>","PeriodicalId":18974,"journal":{"name":"Nature Climate Change","volume":"16 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":30.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143884864","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Government efforts to reduce fossil fuel subsidies have failed at a very high rate","authors":"Paasha Mahdavi, Michael L. Ross, Evelyn Simoni","doi":"10.1038/s41558-025-02304-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-025-02304-2","url":null,"abstract":"Many governments have adopted policies to reduce fossil fuel subsidies, but these policies almost always fail within three years. Policymakers should find new strategies to trim subsidies and promote renewable energy without triggering political backlash.","PeriodicalId":18974,"journal":{"name":"Nature Climate Change","volume":"28 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":30.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143853223","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Shasha Wang, Wenfeng Zhan, Bingbing Zhou, Shilu Tong, TC Chakraborty, Zhihua Wang, Kangning Huang, Huilin Du, Ariane Middel, Jiufeng Li, Zihan Liu, Long Li, Fan Huang, Manchun Li
{"title":"Dual impact of global urban overheating on mortality","authors":"Shasha Wang, Wenfeng Zhan, Bingbing Zhou, Shilu Tong, TC Chakraborty, Zhihua Wang, Kangning Huang, Huilin Du, Ariane Middel, Jiufeng Li, Zihan Liu, Long Li, Fan Huang, Manchun Li","doi":"10.1038/s41558-025-02303-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-025-02303-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p>It is known that the urban heat island (UHI) effect could increase mortality in hot seasons, yet its potential health benefits during cold spells are often overlooked. Here we assess the beneficial and detrimental impacts of the UHI effect and associated cooling strategies on temperature-related mortality in more than 3,000 cities worldwide by integrating multi-source datasets. This study finds that the UHI effect reduces global cold-related mortality, surpassing the increase in heat-related mortality more than fourfold. Widely implemented urban cooling strategies, including green and reflective infrastructure, can have an adverse net effect in high-latitude cities but benefit a few tropical cities. We propose seasonal adjustments to roof albedo as an actionable strategy to reduce heat- and cold-related mortality. Our findings highlight that urban heat can protect against mortality in most non-tropical cities in the cold season, emphasizing the importance of seasonally and place-based adaptive UHI mitigation strategies to reduce temperature-related mortality.</p>","PeriodicalId":18974,"journal":{"name":"Nature Climate Change","volume":"43 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":30.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143857279","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Urban heat islands increase or reduce mortality in different cities","authors":"","doi":"10.1038/s41558-025-02310-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-025-02310-4","url":null,"abstract":"Urban heat islands are known to increase heat-related mortality, but a global analysis of more than 3,000 cities reveals that urban heat islands also substantially reduce cold-related mortality — a more than fourfold offset, globally. Although commonly used cooling strategies benefit some tropical cities, they harm others at higher latitudes, and instead a seasonally adaptive approach to heat mitigation is needed.","PeriodicalId":18974,"journal":{"name":"Nature Climate Change","volume":"7 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":30.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143857506","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Joao Morim, Thomas Wahl, D. J. Rasmussen, Francisco M. Calafat, Sean Vitousek, Soenke Dangendorf, Robert E. Kopp, Michael Oppenheimer
{"title":"Observations reveal changing coastal storm extremes around the United States","authors":"Joao Morim, Thomas Wahl, D. J. Rasmussen, Francisco M. Calafat, Sean Vitousek, Soenke Dangendorf, Robert E. Kopp, Michael Oppenheimer","doi":"10.1038/s41558-025-02315-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-025-02315-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Understanding extreme storm surge events that threaten low-lying coastal communities is key to effective flood mitigation/adaptation measures. However, observational estimates are sparse and highly uncertain along most coastal regions with a lack of observational evidence about long-term underlying trends and their contribution to overall extreme sea-level changes. Here, using a spatiotemporal Bayesian hierarchical framework, we analyse US tide gauge record for 1950–2020 and find that observational estimates have underestimated likelihoods of storm surge extremes at 85% of tide gauge sites nationwide. Additionally, and contrary to prevailing beliefs, storm surge extremes show spatially coherent trends along many widespread coastal areas, providing evidence of changing coastal storm intensity in the historical monitoring period. Several hotspots exist with regionally significant storm surge trends that are comparable to trends in mean sea-level rise and its key components. Our findings challenge traditional coastal design/planning practices that rely on estimates from discrete observations and assume stationarity in surge extremes.</p>","PeriodicalId":18974,"journal":{"name":"Nature Climate Change","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":30.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143841508","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Carbon uptake rate dominates changes in vegetation productivity over time","authors":"","doi":"10.1038/s41558-025-02316-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-025-02316-y","url":null,"abstract":"In the past decades, the duration and rate of carbon uptake have increased, enhancing ecosystem productivity. The uptake rate has a larger effect than the duration has on the temporal changes in productivity. Changes in productivity during the early and the late growing seasons are asymmetric, owing to inconsistent changes in the duration of carbon uptake over time.","PeriodicalId":18974,"journal":{"name":"Nature Climate Change","volume":"28 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":30.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143837133","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}