Nature Sustainability最新文献

{"title":"Association of mortality and combined oxidative capacity of ozone and nitrogen dioxide","authors":"Yue Niu, Renjie Chen, Francesco Sera, Aleš Urban, Ana Maria Vicedo-Cabrera, Yasushi Honda, Veronika Huber, Yuming Guo, Shilu Tong, Micheline de Sousa Zanotti Stagliorio Coelho, Paulo Hilario Nascimento Saldiva, Eric Lavigne, Patricia Matus Correa, Nicolás Valdés Ortega, Samuel Osorio, Souzana Achilleos, Dominic Roye, Jouni J. K. Jaakkola, Niilo Ryti, Mathilde Pascal, Alexandra Schneider, Susanne Breitner-Busch, Alireza Entezari, Fatemeh Mayvaneh, Raanan Raz, Chris Fook Sheng Ng, Masahiro Hashizume, Gabriel Carrasco, Susana das Neves Pereira da Silva, Joana Madureira, Iulian-Horia Holobaca, Ho Kim, Whanhee Lee, Aurelio Tobias, Carmen Íñiguez, Yue Leon Guo, Shih-Chun Pan, Shanshan Li, Pierre Masselot, Michelle L. Bell, Antonella Zanobetti, Joel Schwartz, Antonio Gasparrini, Haidong Kan","doi":"10.1038/s41893-026-01875-y","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41893-026-01875-y","url":null,"abstract":"Ozone (O3) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) are two common gaseous pollutants that both possess oxidizing properties with consequences for human health and have an inextricable chemical relationship that could have distinct public health impacts when considered in combination. We examined the short-term associations of the combined oxidative capacity of O3 and NO2 (represented by Oxwt, the average of O3 and NO2 concentrations weighted by their standard electrode potential) with total, cardiovascular and respiratory mortality in 380 cities across 23 countries or regions between 1985 and 2020. Over 2 days (LAG01), a 10-ppb increase in Oxwt concentration was associated with an increase of 0.82% (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.55%, 1.10%) in total mortality, 1.09% (95% CI: 0.83%, 1.35%) in cardiovascular mortality and 0.88% (95% CI: 0.31%, 1.45%) in respiratory mortality. We also observed variations in this association by geographic region and study period. More deaths were attributable to Oxwt than to either O3 or NO2 but fewer than the sum of the two. Thus, Oxwt might be a valuable indicator for use in public health efforts to capture the combined effects of O3 and NO2. Ozone and nitrogen dioxide are air pollutants linked to adverse health outcomes, yet the impacts of their combined oxidative capacity across multiple regions are unclear. The authors assess the association between the combined oxidative capacity of ozone and nitrogen dioxide and daily mortality for 380 cities.","PeriodicalId":19056,"journal":{"name":"Nature Sustainability","volume":"9 9","pages":"1361-1370"},"PeriodicalIF":32.1,"publicationDate":"2026-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148981549","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Rooftop photovoltaic-powered electric vehicle charging for accelerated decarbonization","authors":"Linlin You, Rui Zhu, Paolo Santi, Carlo Ratti, A. T. D. Perera, Zihan Guo, Ziyi Huang, Shixiang Xing, Min Chen, Guonian Lü, Zheng Qin, Jinyue Yan","doi":"10.1038/s41893-026-01854-3","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41893-026-01854-3","url":null,"abstract":"Harnessing rooftop photovoltaic (RPV) generation to power electric vehicles (EVs) can substantially accelerate the renewable energy transition and carbon mitigation. Yet, the mismatch between electricity generation and charging demand, exacerbated by rapid EV adoption, introduces large uncertainties in charging capacity, economic feasibility and decarbonization potential. Here we assess the spatiotemporal scalability of PV-powered EV charging across 40 global cities, analysing 3.38 billion charging records from 22,000 charging piles. Under three charging strategies, influential factors affecting daily charging capacity (generation-to-demand ratio) across all urban microgrids of varying sizes consistently followed an exponential scaling law. By 2050, RPV generation is projected to double in each city (1.6–434.7 TWh yr−1), supported by rooftop area expansions aligned with the shared socioeconomic pathways and charging demand will rise 4–1,759-fold (1.5–10,451.7 GWh yr−1), driven by increased EV adoption under International Energy Agency scenarios. Under these evolving conditions, the annual charging capacity of each city declines but remains sufficient to meet 2050 charging demands. Across all cities, total revenue is projected at US$3,173.2 (±99.5) billion with accumulative carbon mitigation of 11.9(±0.4) Gt from 2025 to 2050. These results suggest that RPV-powered EV charging can remain economically viable and sufficient to meet growing demand across diverse urban settings through 2050. Matching rooftop solar output with electric vehicle charging demand remains a barrier to scaling solar-powered transport. A study now evaluates this across 40 global cities, showing that solar generation can meet the demand projected for 2050 with substantial economic and decarbonization benefits.","PeriodicalId":19056,"journal":{"name":"Nature Sustainability","volume":"9 9","pages":"1382-1394"},"PeriodicalIF":32.1,"publicationDate":"2026-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148981552","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Author Correction: Global expansion of the ecological impact of extra-urban road traffic","authors":"Maarten J. van Strien, Adrienne Grêt-Regamey","doi":"10.1038/s41893-026-01888-7","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41893-026-01888-7","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":19056,"journal":{"name":"Nature Sustainability","volume":"9 9","pages":"1470-1471"},"PeriodicalIF":32.1,"publicationDate":"2026-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.comhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-026-01888-7.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148981541","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sustainable battery recycling through spatial and technological alignment","authors":"Xi Tian \u0000 (, ), Fei Peng \u0000 (, ), Jon McKechnie, Amir F. N. Abdul-Manan, Yaobin Liu \u0000 (, ), Fanran Meng \u0000 (, )","doi":"10.1038/s41893-026-01851-6","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41893-026-01851-6","url":null,"abstract":"End-of-life (EOL) battery recycling is crucial for sustainable energy transition, yet existing systems often suffer from spatial, technological and policy mismatches that limit environmental benefits. Here we present a multi-scale analytical framework that integrates machine learning, life-cycle assessment and spatial integrated scenario modelling to evaluate the environmental footprint and resource recovery potential of battery recycling systems. This framework enables high-resolution projections of battery retirement trends, assessment of recycling technologies and optimization of supply–demand strategies. Using China as a case study, we analysed EOL battery flows across 364 cities and over 300 recycling projects involving 24 battery chemistries. The results reveal that, during 2020–2030, total EOL battery volumes amount to 16.67–19.99 Mt, with a northeast–southwest–northwest hotspot migration pattern. Interprovincial coordination can increase treatment capacity utilization by 67.12% but cannot eliminate spatial mismatches between EOL battery supply and available treatment capacity. Our optimization scenarios show that supply–demand planning could reduce emissions by up to 44% and increase lithium recovery by 53%. This work provides a scalable tool for designing low-carbon, high-efficiency battery recycling systems, contributing to the circular economy and energy transitions. Battery recycling has a crucial role in enabling circular economy and sustainable energy transition. This study presents a multi-scale analytical framework to assist the design of low-carbon, high-efficiency battery recycling systems.","PeriodicalId":19056,"journal":{"name":"Nature Sustainability","volume":"9 9","pages":"1455-1469"},"PeriodicalIF":32.1,"publicationDate":"2026-06-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.comhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-026-01851-6.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148981504","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Uniting forces for green carbon chemicals","authors":"Peter McNeice, Andreas J. Vorholt","doi":"10.1038/s41893-026-01852-5","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41893-026-01852-5","url":null,"abstract":"The shift towards renewable carbon for producing everyday chemicals hinges on innovative strategies to utilize sustainable feedstocks. By synergizing catalysis and reaction engineering, scientists can now incorporate renewable fatty acids into high-value end products, enhancing the potential of a circular bioeconomy.","PeriodicalId":19056,"journal":{"name":"Nature Sustainability","volume":"9 9","pages":"1295-1296"},"PeriodicalIF":32.1,"publicationDate":"2026-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148981542","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Forcing self-metathesis reaction beyond thermodynamic equilibrium for green chemicals","authors":"Filip Struzik, Mariusz Milewski, Anna Kajetanowicz, Karol Grela","doi":"10.1038/s41893-026-01847-2","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41893-026-01847-2","url":null,"abstract":"Amid the shift from a petrochemical-based economy to a fully renewable and biodegradable future, chemists must innovate transformations that balance renewability with cost-effectiveness and competitiveness. For over 40 years, self-cross metathesis of biosourced oleic acid esters has been limited to 50% conversion by thermodynamic equilibrium conditions. Here we developed a method to drive this reaction to complete conversion—doubling its productivity—via in situ distillation of the volatile byproduct 9-octadecene. Optimized reactive distillation of ethyl oleate affords near-quantitative yields (80–90%) of valuable diethyl (E/Z)-9-octadecenedioate, using set-ups with large evaporation areas and short vapour paths (for example a three-way adapter or molecular distillation apparatus) at 80–90 °C with carbene-based ruthenium metathesis catalysts at low loadings. Under the same conditions, the Z-stereoretentive catalyst delivers pure Z-isomers (>99% purity) of 9-octadecene and diethyl 9-octadecenedioate in 85% yield each. Notably, the developed scalable catalytic reactive distillation proceeds without any solvent and is practically waste-free. The 100% renewable carbon-based products of this reaction can be used for the sustainable production of lubricants and plastics or as building blocks for other valuable substances—for example, in the synthesis of pheromones or macrocyclic fragrances. The self-cross metathesis of oleic acid esters enables synthesis of valuable, fully biosourced chemicals, but its productivity is thermodynamically limited to 50%. Here the authors overcome this limit to double the reaction yield by using a reactive distillation set-up.","PeriodicalId":19056,"journal":{"name":"Nature Sustainability","volume":"9 9","pages":"1419-1428"},"PeriodicalIF":32.1,"publicationDate":"2026-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148981509","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Global patterns of reservoir sedimentation and overlooked risks in small reservoirs","authors":"Kai Liu, Chenyu Fan, Chunqiao Song, Jim Best, Jida Wang, Linghong Ke, Yoshihide Wada, Dongfeng Li, Dai Yamazaki, Anjun Deng, Jiaming Na, Md Safat Sikder, R. Iestyn Woolway","doi":"10.1038/s41893-026-01859-y","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41893-026-01859-y","url":null,"abstract":"Reservoir sedimentation is an escalating threat to global water security. While most existing assessments focus on large, well-managed reservoirs, they overlook the vast and vulnerable network of smaller reservoirs, which hampers our understanding of global sedimentation risks. Here we present a high-resolution global assessment of reservoir sedimentation in over 550,000 reservoirs, ~95% of which are <1 km2, based on a physics-guided machine learning model and a comprehensive reservoir inventory. Sedimentation rates have been underestimated in over 75% of reservoir-bearing regions when large reservoirs alone are considered. This oversight conceals a loss in global average reservoir water storage of 7.3% ± 2.8% per decade, with nearly one in five reservoirs now facing high-risk status. We identify 16 global high-sedimentation hotspots across the Western Americas and Afro-Eurasian Sediment Belts, threatening water supplies to over 2 billion people and impacting ~26% of global irrigated land. Without intervention, we project that, by 2060, more than half of all reservoirs could become functionally inoperable, including 58.6% of small and 38.1% of large reservoirs. These findings highlight an urgent need for targeted, nature-based sediment management, particularly in dryland regions, where small reservoirs are critical for domestic water access and food production. Global reservoirs are under threat from increasing sedimentation rates, which threaten infrastructure function and storage capacity. A focus on large reservoirs underestimates the scale of the problem and the importance of resilient small reservoirs for global water security.","PeriodicalId":19056,"journal":{"name":"Nature Sustainability","volume":"9 9","pages":"1325-1337"},"PeriodicalIF":32.1,"publicationDate":"2026-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148981544","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Energy-efficient electrified ethylene synthesis in CO-starved environment","authors":"Yuanjun Chen, Pengfei Ou, Xinyue Wang, Rui Kai Miao, Yuxin Chang, Adnan Ozden, Xiao-Yan Li, Jianan Erick Huang, Weiyan Ni, Roham Dorakhan, Jinqiang Zhang, Ke Xie, David Sinton, Edward H. Sargent","doi":"10.1038/s41893-026-01849-0","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41893-026-01849-0","url":null,"abstract":"Electrochemical synthesis using carbon monoxide (CO) has the potential to offer sustainable ethylene (C2H4) production. However, there is a trade-off between the energy efficiency and the single-pass carbon efficiency achieved in such systems, especially at the outlet of a high-single-pass-carbon-efficiency reaction environment where the system becomes starved of CO. Here we pursued catalysts that achieve efficient C–C coupling even at a low CO concentration near the outlet of a high-single-pass-carbon-efficiency reactor, by enhancing CO coverage on the catalyst surface to facilitate the deoxygenation of the key intermediate *CHCOH, and thereby steer the reaction towards ethylene. The use of a nitrogen- and phosphorous-co-doped carbon layer obtained simultaneously 38% ethylene energy efficiency and 73% single-pass carbon efficiency at 200 mA cm−2. We estimate a total energy cost of C2H4 production of 141 GJ t−1. When the CO is derived from CO2 reduction and the CO2 feedstock is obtained through direct air capture, and wind electricity is employed, the cradle-to-gate carbon intensity reaches −2.5 t CO2e t−1 C2H4, much lower than a +2.2 t CO2e t−1 carbon footprint of C2H4 synthesis based on naphtha cracking. This work provides a viable strategy to enable electrified ethylene production in a CO-starved environment. Electrochemical carbon monoxide (CO) reduction offers a viable approach to sustainable ethylene production, but remains challenging under low CO availability. This study shows how to achieve efficient and selective ethylene synthesis in a CO-starved environment.","PeriodicalId":19056,"journal":{"name":"Nature Sustainability","volume":"9 9","pages":"1429-1440"},"PeriodicalIF":32.1,"publicationDate":"2026-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148981554","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A circular hydrothermal refinery for sustainable aviation fuel from food waste","authors":"Buchun Si, Zixin Wang, Jamison Watson, Sabrina Summers, Yalin Li, Siying Yu, Hong Yang, Zhibin Yang, Joshua S. Heyne, Jinyue Jiang, Zhiyong Jason Ren, Hemin Ma, Chaoyuan Wang, Pengsen Wang, Yuanhui Zhang","doi":"10.1038/s41893-026-01848-1","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41893-026-01848-1","url":null,"abstract":"The aviation industry faces a formidable challenge in transitioning to carbon-neutral flight without compromising the rigorous performance standards of jet engines. While hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of wet waste offers a transformative pathway for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production, its potential remains hindered by biocrude quality and the environmental burden of the aqueous phase (HTL-AP). Here we present an integrated hydrothermal refinery that converts food waste into a high-performance SAF candidate through a closed-loop process of HTL, catalytic upgrading and HTL-AP valorization. Our refined fuel—composed predominantly of cycloalkanes (70.5 wt%)—exhibits a higher heating value and lower freezing point than conventional Jet A. Critically, unlike alcohol-to-jet or hydrotreating esters and fatty acids (HEFA) pathways, this HTL-derived SAF meets flash point and viscosity constraints as a 100% drop-in fuel without blending. We further address the ‘waste’ bottleneck by employing partial electrooxidation and electrodialysis to recover high-purity acetic acid (91.6% of organics) and nutrients (>76.9%) from the HTL-AP, while simultaneously generating sufficient hydrogen to sustain the biocrude hydrotreating stage. Techno-economic and life-cycle analyses reveal that while electricity costs currently influence the minimum fuel selling price, the integration of renewable energy and optimized electrochemical recovery can achieve market competitiveness (US$3.82 GGE−1) and a net-negative carbon footprint (−8.5 kg CO2e GGE−1). These findings establish a circular, carbon-negative framework for transforming urban organic waste into high-density aviation energy. Decarbonizing aviation is critical for global sustainability. The authors show a circular hydrothermal refinery transforming food waste into a 100% drop-in sustainable aviation fuel rich in cycloalkanes.","PeriodicalId":19056,"journal":{"name":"Nature Sustainability","volume":"9 8","pages":"1232-1242"},"PeriodicalIF":32.1,"publicationDate":"2026-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148785254","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bird migration and wind-energy production across Western Europe","authors":"Silke Bauer, Raphaël Nussbaumer, Damire Ariel Rojas Tito, Judy Shamoun-Baranes, Andrew Farnsworth","doi":"10.1038/s41893-026-01853-4","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41893-026-01853-4","url":null,"abstract":"With global ambitions to decarbonize the energy system, wind power capacity will continue to increase dramatically worldwide. This raises concerns about environmental impacts of wind energy infrastructure and operations, particularly for collision of aerial wildlife. Using a network of weather surveillance radars, we quantified numbers, timing and spatial extent of nightly and annual large-scale bird movements over Western Europe. We also mapped onshore wind turbines and calculated potential energy production using wind speed and distribution data. Integrating bird movement patterns, turbine characteristics and energy production, we estimated the number of birds that are potentially at risk of collision because they fly in proximity to wind turbines and at heights of rotating blades. To demonstrate potential for designing measures to mitigate risk to aerial biodiversity, we derive curtailment scenarios and compare costs and benefits for energy production and conserving biodiversity and show that surprisingly efficient trade-offs may be possible. Our findings contribute to broader efforts for minimizing impacts from wind energy production on migratory bird populations while endeavouring to ensure adequate energy supply. Renewable wind energy can aid decarbonization efforts; however, the impacts of wind turbines on migrating birds remain unclear. The authors study the potential risks of wind energy installations on migrating bird populations across Western Europe and assess potential trade-offs between wind energy and conservation.","PeriodicalId":19056,"journal":{"name":"Nature Sustainability","volume":"9 8","pages":"1180-1187"},"PeriodicalIF":32.1,"publicationDate":"2026-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148785281","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}