npj climate actionPub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2026-02-27DOI: 10.1038/s44168-026-00347-5
Oscar Berglund, Colin J Davis, Samuel Finnerty
{"title":"Assessing claims of counterproductivity of Just Stop Oil's civil disobedience.","authors":"Oscar Berglund, Colin J Davis, Samuel Finnerty","doi":"10.1038/s44168-026-00347-5","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44168-026-00347-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A key development in the post-pandemic climate movement has been the rise of small-scale civil disobedience groups, who prioritise high-profile disruptions to gain media attention. The British group Just Stop Oil (JSO) have been one of the most publicised. In this paper we research the impact of JSO and ask if they have been counterproductive, as is often claimed. We make a significant contribution to the interdisciplinary literature on climate activism by proposing a two-dimensional framework for assessing counterproductivity. We conducted a rigorous mixed-methods study, analysing how JSO's campaigning influenced media reporting and public opinion. This included media content analysis and public opinion surveys to evaluate how JSO's protests shaped discourse on climate policy, public attitudes, and government responses. Our findings show that JSO achieved considerable media visibility, yet it has had limited success in broadening public awareness of climate change. However, they did contribute to increasing the salience of the issue of new oil and gas licences, compelling political actors to publicly address the matter. JSO have not been counterproductive in the sense that they have not turned public or policymakers against Net Zero policies. Their impact on support for the climate movement and state repression is more ambiguous.</p>","PeriodicalId":519998,"journal":{"name":"npj climate action","volume":"5 1","pages":"27"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12948662/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147329020","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
npj climate actionPub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2026-01-28DOI: 10.1038/s44168-026-00341-x
Phoebe Koundouri, Ebun Akinsete, Tony Capon, Rita R Colwell, Adel S El-Beltagy, Ismahane Elouafi, Jim Falk, Alberto Naveira Garabato, Charles F Kennel, Conrad Landis, Margaret Leinen, Ali Mashayek, Cherry A Murray, Ismail Serageldin, Kazuhiko Takeuchi, Makoto Taniguchi, Eleni Toli
{"title":"Systemic approaches for the protection of our oceans and marine environments.","authors":"Phoebe Koundouri, Ebun Akinsete, Tony Capon, Rita R Colwell, Adel S El-Beltagy, Ismahane Elouafi, Jim Falk, Alberto Naveira Garabato, Charles F Kennel, Conrad Landis, Margaret Leinen, Ali Mashayek, Cherry A Murray, Ismail Serageldin, Kazuhiko Takeuchi, Makoto Taniguchi, Eleni Toli","doi":"10.1038/s44168-026-00341-x","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44168-026-00341-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Protecting our oceans and advancing a sustainable blue economy require in-depth understanding of marine systems, driven by robust ocean observation, monitoring and valuation. Yet collecting reliable data remains time- and resource-intensive. This data is vital for scientists, emergency responders, and decision-makers to support early-warning systems and emerging tools like digital twins. Stronger support is therefore needed for data collection and its integration into systemic, innovative, and stakeholder-engaged ocean observation efforts.</p>","PeriodicalId":519998,"journal":{"name":"npj climate action","volume":"5 1","pages":"13"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12846913/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146088738","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
npj climate actionPub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2026-03-24DOI: 10.1038/s44168-026-00362-6
Ajaykumar Manivannan, Viktoria Spaiser, Tristan J B Cann, James Evans, Jordan P Everall, Max Falkenberg, David Garcia, Weisi Guo, Rico Herzog, Ilona M Otto, Yannick Oswald, Nicolò Pagan, Max Pellert, Charlie Pilgrim, Carlos Rodriguez-Pardo, Indira Sen, Alexander Sasha Vezhnevets
{"title":"Generative AI for climate governance and acceptability-constrained policy design.","authors":"Ajaykumar Manivannan, Viktoria Spaiser, Tristan J B Cann, James Evans, Jordan P Everall, Max Falkenberg, David Garcia, Weisi Guo, Rico Herzog, Ilona M Otto, Yannick Oswald, Nicolò Pagan, Max Pellert, Charlie Pilgrim, Carlos Rodriguez-Pardo, Indira Sen, Alexander Sasha Vezhnevets","doi":"10.1038/s44168-026-00362-6","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44168-026-00362-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Climate policies often fail when they clash with cultural values, social identities, and fairness perceptions. We propose Acceptability-Constrained Climate Policy Design (ACCPD), using large language models as \"cultural world models\" to simulate public responses before implementation. By embedding LLMs in generative agent-based models and physical system simulators, ACCPD aims to enable policymakers to co-optimize for climate-policy efficacy and social legitimacy. We discuss methodological limitations regarding representation and LLM opacity.</p>","PeriodicalId":519998,"journal":{"name":"npj climate action","volume":"5 1","pages":"37"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13008763/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147518115","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
npj climate actionPub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2026-08-22DOI: 10.1038/s44168-026-00420-z
Hywel T P Williams, Anrijs Abele, Arjun Biswas, Fai Fung, Jason A Lowe, Neha Mittal, Hailun X Xie
{"title":"Developing trustworthy AI for climate services at scale.","authors":"Hywel T P Williams, Anrijs Abele, Arjun Biswas, Fai Fung, Jason A Lowe, Neha Mittal, Hailun X Xie","doi":"10.1038/s44168-026-00420-z","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44168-026-00420-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Generative AI can help scale climate services to meet growing demand. This approach is illustrated here with two prototype AI systems designed to enhance access to climate data, support decision-making, and improve efficiency. Key concerns are identified around responsibility, quality, and trustworthiness of AI outputs. Emerging best practices in system development are linked to core principles of salience, credibility, and legitimacy, to ensure alignment with user needs and societal values.</p>","PeriodicalId":519998,"journal":{"name":"npj climate action","volume":"5 1","pages":"74"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13499697/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148809738","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
npj climate actionPub Date : 2025-01-01Epub Date: 2025-12-23DOI: 10.1038/s44168-025-00320-8
Bård Lahn, Ida Sognnaes, Erlend A T Hermansen
{"title":"Analysing the use of emissions scenarios in practice.","authors":"Bård Lahn, Ida Sognnaes, Erlend A T Hermansen","doi":"10.1038/s44168-025-00320-8","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44168-025-00320-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Emissions scenarios generated by Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs) are an important element in the IPCC's relevance for climate action, but little attention has been given to how scenarios are used in practice. This article draws on insights from Science and Technology Studies (STS) to develop a framework for analysing scenario use and provides an exploratory case study of scenario users in government and energy-related companies in Norway. We find that scenarios are used for contrasting purposes but are often actively interpreted and processed by informed users who are aware of different scenarios' strengths, limitations and uncertainties. Institutional ties, trust, and alignment in problem definition play important roles when organisations choose which scenarios to work with, and the political implications of scenario choice are frequently acknowledged. We conclude that more attention should be paid to the actual use of scenarios in discussions about the IPCC's policy relevance.</p>","PeriodicalId":519998,"journal":{"name":"npj climate action","volume":"4 1","pages":"117"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12727509/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145835921","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
npj climate actionPub Date : 2025-01-01Epub Date: 2025-08-28DOI: 10.1038/s44168-025-00282-x
Viktoria Spaiser, Nicole Nisbett
{"title":"Mobilising climate action with moral appeals in a smartphone-based 8-week field experiment.","authors":"Viktoria Spaiser, Nicole Nisbett","doi":"10.1038/s44168-025-00282-x","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44168-025-00282-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Effective climate change mitigation requires profound lifestyle changes and citizens' support for transformational climate policies. We present a comprehensive, highly granular, field-experiment dataset of people's self-reported, daily, real-life behaviours measured in CO<sub>2</sub>e across six domains, as well as their civic and political behaviour. The data (<i>N</i> = 156, 7615 repeated observations over 8 weeks) was collected via a bespoke smartphone app and is enriched by people's daily reflections on their change trajectories and by data on political leaning, emotions, agency, socio-demographics, values, attitudes and social norms. The study shows that exposing people to moral appeals results in overall carbon footprint reduction (particularly from heating, food and consumption), and in greater civic and political climate action, including among people leaning politically to the centre and right. However, the treatment could lead to some backlash, i.e. increased carbon footprint (particularly from food and car journeys) in people who hold egoistic values.</p>","PeriodicalId":519998,"journal":{"name":"npj climate action","volume":"4 1","pages":"81"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12394071/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144985622","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
npj climate actionPub Date : 2025-01-01Epub Date: 2025-09-06DOI: 10.1038/s44168-025-00288-5
John A Pollock, Brinley Kantorski
{"title":"Weathering the storm: youth vulnerability and resilience during the climate crisis.","authors":"John A Pollock, Brinley Kantorski","doi":"10.1038/s44168-025-00288-5","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44168-025-00288-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Teens are experiencing an increase in the incidence of anxiety and depression. Climate change adds uncertainty. Dire predictions and unknown impacts contribute to teens' worldview, increasing concerns that add to their normal stressors and anxiety; and for some, this becomes overwhelming. Here, we present a new perspective on teen mental health education and the impact of learning about climate change. We conclude that a comprehensive education can integrate the facts of global climate change, along with the progress in climate mitigation together with mental health education.</p>","PeriodicalId":519998,"journal":{"name":"npj climate action","volume":"4 1","pages":"82"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12413992/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145025092","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A systematic analysis of disability inclusion in domestic climate policies.","authors":"Sébastien Jodoin, Amanda Bowie-Edwards, Katherine Lofts, Sajneet Mangat, Bianca Adjei, Alexandra Lesnikowski","doi":"10.1038/s44168-025-00228-3","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44168-025-00228-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We provide the first systematic analysis of whether, how, and to what extent people with disabilities and their human rights are included in two subsets of climate policies adopted by 195 parties to the Paris Agreement. We found that only 41 parties mention people with disabilities in their nationally determined contributions (NDCs), whereas only 75 do so in their adaptation policies. Moreover, these references are rarely accompanied by concrete measures to include people with disabilities, their rights, or their knowledge in climate decision-making. Our findings demonstrate that states are generally not abiding by their obligations to respect, protect, and fulfill the human rights of persons with disabilities under international and domestic law. This exposes people with disabilities to climate-related harm and reinforces, rather than disrupts, the inequities they face in societies around the world. It also fails to harness the multiple benefits associated with a disability-inclusive approach to climate action.</p>","PeriodicalId":519998,"journal":{"name":"npj climate action","volume":"4 1","pages":"24"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11876069/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143568852","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
npj climate actionPub Date : 2025-01-01Epub Date: 2025-11-19DOI: 10.1038/s44168-025-00309-3
Kate Donovan, Rowan Jackson, Siona O'Connell, Dulma Karunarathna, Arry Retnowati, Esti Anantasari, YoungHwa Cha, Dominique Niemand, David C Harvey, Andrew Dugmore
{"title":"Mobilising cultural heritage for locally owned adaptation.","authors":"Kate Donovan, Rowan Jackson, Siona O'Connell, Dulma Karunarathna, Arry Retnowati, Esti Anantasari, YoungHwa Cha, Dominique Niemand, David C Harvey, Andrew Dugmore","doi":"10.1038/s44168-025-00309-3","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44168-025-00309-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Climate change adaptation planning and implementation has been criticised for following linear steps that can limit local suitability, scalability and sustainability. We argue that meaningful climate change adaptations incorporate a diversity of voices using cultural heritage for situated and multi-generational interventions. Here, we present examples of risk narratives and adaptive strategies developed through engagement with cultural heritage, balancing knowledge of environment with local livelihoods, histories, values and meaning.</p>","PeriodicalId":519998,"journal":{"name":"npj climate action","volume":"4 1","pages":"104"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12629986/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145592627","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
npj climate actionPub Date : 2025-01-01Epub Date: 2025-03-29DOI: 10.1038/s44168-025-00212-x
Sarah Elven, Jorge Luis Castañeda Núñez, Samantha de Martino, Michelle Dugas, Sayan Kundu
{"title":"Behavioral savings sessions increase the pursuit of solar products among refugees in Uganda.","authors":"Sarah Elven, Jorge Luis Castañeda Núñez, Samantha de Martino, Michelle Dugas, Sayan Kundu","doi":"10.1038/s44168-025-00212-x","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44168-025-00212-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>De facto exclusion of vulnerable populations from markets for energy-efficient technologies can result in multiple barriers to access. For example, exclusion can lead to limited knowledge about available products, an inability to distinguish high-quality from low-quality devices, and limited options for financing, making products seem unobtainable. However, behaviorally informed interventions can offer promising solutions in such contexts, even where exclusion is the result of structural causes. This paper uses a randomized control trial to consider the potential of such interventions for refugees in Uganda in the context of certified solar markets. We evaluate a behaviorally-informed information and savings session embedded in Village Savings and Lending Association (VSLA) meetings, finding evidence for increased pursuit of certified solar products in the treatment group two months later. Results manifest through the barriers described, with increased knowledge, trust in solar companies, financial inclusion through savings group support, and aspirations mediating effects.</p>","PeriodicalId":519998,"journal":{"name":"npj climate action","volume":"4 1","pages":"32"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11954683/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143757514","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}