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Lithium–sulfur batteries offer high energy density and cost-effectiveness but are limited by the precipitation of solid sulfur species, which has driven interest in semi-liquid systems. This Review examines catholyte chemistry and design, static and redox-flow configurations, and strategies to improve performance and scalability for large-scale energy storage.
Feedback loops shape the pace and direction of the clean energy transition by accelerating or resisting change. Researchers and practitioners can draw on these feedback loops as practical heuristics to understand and manage the transition.
Clean technology adoption readiness is impacted by a broad set of technological and societal factors. This Perspective describes how sociotechnical systems research can inform adoption readiness level assessment and use.
Phototrophic bacteria could be used for chemical manufacturing from various carbon sources. This Review discusses the pathways, engineering and potential application of solar chemical biosynthesis.
Digital product passports can enhance the transparency and efficiency across supply chains for short-shelf-life products, but the instability of these products requires that these passports be dynamic. We describe the challenges and suggest solutions to developing these passports.
Battery storage systems with high energy density, safety, cost-effectiveness and wide operating temperatures are needed for smart grid integration. High-energy lithium-ion systems, quasi-solid-state configurations and sodium-ion batteries were among the main strategies pursued in 2025 to achieve that goal.
Rapid expansion of renewables has thus far mostly covered fast-growing energy demand rather than displacing fossil fuels. New demand drivers such as data centres and cooling could reverse declining demand trends from 2024–2025 without further effort.
In 2025, water electrolysis for green hydrogen production continued to progress towards gigawatt-scale deployment worldwide, whereas CO₂ electrolysis for carbon-based fuels and chemicals synthesis saw advances at the cell and catalyst levels and moved towards pilot-scale demonstrations. Although at different stages of technical readiness, the two fields share common future challenges.
Despite uncertainly around climate-focused policy, the policy outlook for clean-energy technologies remained resilient in 2025, owing to the cost-competitiveness of key technologies combined with emerging priorities relating to energy security, data centres, defence and economic opportunities.
Perovskite photovoltaics entered a transformative phase in 2025, characterized by the widespread transition from n–i–p to p–i–n architectures, rapid progress in tandem device integration and improvements in long-term operational stability. These advances collectively highlight the maturation of perovskite solar cells towards commercial viability and industrial scalability.
We celebrate 1 year of Nature Reviews Clean Technology with a series of Year in Reviews and a collection that highlights articles from the past year. Here we look back at our first year and look forward to 2026.
In 2025, enhanced geothermal systems advanced from demonstration to commercial-scale deployment, supported by continued improvements in drilling and well performance. New pilots exceeding 330 °C enabled breakthroughs towards accessing superheated or supercritical resources, an important frontier for geothermal power generation.
The importance of renewable integration into grids came to the forefront in 2025. New challenges in stability, storage, artificial intelligence demand and policy changes defined a year that tested whether power systems can become reliable, flexible and equitable in a net-zero world.
Biodegradable plastics could help reduce plastic waste pollution, but their role in the global plastic industry and environmental impacts remains unclear. This Perspective evaluates their contribution to plastic waste accumulation, greenhouse gas emissions, aquatic ecotoxicity, cumulative energy demand and water footprint through 2050.
Electrified thermal energy storage converts electricity into heat for thermal energy use. This Review assesses available and emerging technologies, identifying research needs for scalable, long-duration and efficient deployment.
Recycled aggregate concrete could be used in place of natural aggregate concrete, reducing the need to mine aggregate and the generation of concrete waste. This Review describes the production, use and challenges associated with using this recycled material.
