Editorials

Although central to the global energy mix, certain technologies like nuclear energy receive comparatively little attention at Nature Energy. We aim to reflect the diversity of innovation driving the energy transition, including critical advances in systems design and engineering that enable these technologies.

In this month’s issue we talk to six experts about the impact of research on critical energy policy issues and strategies for researchers to engage decision-makers effectively.

With the start of a new year, we take a moment to look back at a selection of standout papers from 2024 in Nature Energy, exploring their key contributions and prospective influence.

Inconsistent reporting on energy materials and devices in research papers underscores the need for standardized protocols and greater transparency. Collaborative benchmarking initiatives are paving the way for more reliable and reproducible results.

Changes in the political landscape following this year’s elections in Europe and the USA will have implications for the energy transition and energy policies. This will have knock-on effects for energy researchers in terms of funding, collaboration and the direction of future energy technologies.

Large datasets are increasingly widespread and valuable to researchers in the energy sector. Nature Energy has a dedicated article format — the Resource article — for their dissemination.

To improve the usefulness of the Solar Cells Reporting Summary as a standalone report, we now ask authors of relevant manuscripts to include experimental details in the Summary, and we have updated some of the requested information.

Energy security concerns must be considered not only in terms of energy availability at an affordable price, but also from a political and social sciences perspective.

The efficiency and durability of solar-powered devices for hydrogen production continue to improve, but more large-scale, real-world demonstrations are needed to progress the technology.

At this September’s Global Clean Energy Action Forum, delegates should consider ways to expand innovation goals while protecting collaborations amid a changed energy landscape.

Next-generation batteries have long been heralded as a transition toward more sustainable storage technology. Now, the need to enable these lithium-ion alternatives is more pressing than ever.

A new pilot scheme at Nature Energy will enable authors to put data into a repository as part of their manuscript submission process.

The Russia–Ukraine war highlights energy consequences and drivers of conflicts that cannot be ignored.

Recent moves by industry point to willingness to decarbonize the shipping sector, but greater coordination and support is still needed.

Data management and sharing is increasingly important to advancing research, yet it comes with challenges.

The financial sector relies on climate risk assessments that overlook uncertainties. COP26 provides a platform for regulators to agree on acceptable risk tolerances, as the science of asset climate risk matures.

We must do more to encourage and support interdisciplinary research approaches to energy challenges.

Ambitious emission reduction targets from governments and businesses revive hope in a political solution to climate change, but need to be examined rigorously.

For hydrogen to make a greater impact in our energy systems, attention is required on the integration of new catalysts into fuel cells and their needs in emerging applications, such as heavy-duty transport.

Our data-sharing policies continually evolve. Here we provide an overview of our current approaches.