News & Comment

The Earth’s climate is regulated and stabilised by interconnected ecosystem processes. This Comment argues that following on from COP30, nature-based indicators should be integrated into formal climate policy processes—such as the Global Stocktake and Nationally Determined Contributions—to strengthen the coherence between climate governance and Earth System stability.

Adoption of the International Maritime Organisation’s Net Zero Framework was postponed by one year, to October 2026. This Comment argues that this time window must be used to address four outstanding challenges, and that success can turn the maritime sector into a model for achieving the Paris climate goals.

Vehicle emission standards have long been based on laboratory tests. This comment argues that policymakers now can and should regulate vehicles also based on real-world data. Europe’s performance-based regulation of plug-in hybrid vehicles can help develop more adaptive and evidence-based policies for transportation, energy, and environment.

On 28 May 2025, twenty million cubic metres of rock and ice buried the medieval village of Blatten and nearby settlements in the Swiss Lötschen valley. In the wake of the warmest decade since at least 742 CE, the disaster underlines the impact of climate warming on people and heritage.

The research infrastructure of Earth science depends fundamentally on international cooperation, open-data exchange, and long-term institutional support. This Comment argues that growing global threats to science could initiate the erosion of the complex, collective understanding of planetary systems that underpins climate policy.

Wildfires are becoming one of the defining climate-related crises of the twenty-first century. We argue that their inclusion in the Loss & Damage framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is essential to support prevention, recovery and justice for the most affected communities.

Climate change is disrupting the seasonal rhythms of soil life, which governs how plant carbon is transformed, stabilized, or lost. This Comment argues that a focus on the temporal coordination between above- and belowground biota is critical to sustaining resilient soil carbon sinks in a warming world.

Germany’s energy transition relies on variable renewables and electricity use across sectors, and it needs to accelerate. This Comment argues that consistent policy commitments to proven technologies, such as wind and solar power, heat pumps and electric cars are needed.

Public input is important for governing air quality effectively, yet the United Kingdom's management systems treat public participation as an afterthought. Making air-quality management more participatory requires deep structural change that redefines institutional notions of knowledge and expertise.

The SDG global indicator framework suffers from insufficient data, overlap between indicators, and misalignment with local contexts. Future development goals should distinguish between global core indicators, global optional indicators, and custom indicators for local contexts and priorities.

Small lakes in mountain regions hold significant potential to wreak havoc as a result of sudden drainage. This Comment argues that the risks can be managed within existing disaster reduction frameworks, but must be acknowledged and monitored.

Much of the public discourse around climate changes under net zero carbon dioxide emissions has been focused on global mean temperature changes after emissions cessation. More attention needs to be paid to the long-term impacts of climate change, which are likely to persist even if rapid decarbonization is achieved.

The idea of planting trees to sequester carbon is so popular that it seems to make people feel more negative towards other techniques, when presented with a range of options for carbon removal. Such a bias could hamper development of a broad and socially-robust portfolio of carbon removal options.

As demand for flights increases, the global aviation industry must transform to become more sustainable. Here we propose six pathways to set aviation on a path to a greener future that include innovations in aviation fuel, management, and regulations.

Arctic food systems blend Traditional Ecological Knowledge with modern, often energy-intensive influences, triggered by colonization. Food systems’ future depends on alignment of tradition with innovation – at a pace determined by local communities.

Climate change has negatively impacted grassland productivity in Africa. Climate-smart technologies such as forage grass, legume, and herb mixtures could enhance grassland productivity and resilience, offering a sustainable solution for African pasture-based livestock systems.

Unequal research experiences among Earth scientists from around the world are an obstacle to achieving sustainability. We assess challenges and propose ways to balance the careers of early- and mid-career researchers in the Global South with those in the Global North.

This paper is a call to action. By publishing concurrently across journals like an emergency bulletin, we are not merely making a plea for awareness about climate change. Instead, we are demanding immediate, tangible steps that harness the power of microbiology and the expertise of researchers and policymakers to safeguard the planet for future generations.

Plastics pollution, persistent chemical contamination and inadequately treated wastewater are three key aspects that hinder access to safe and affordable water for all. This Comment argues that a strong priority on pollution avoidance, research for remediation, and tighter regulation and monitoring must be implemented to make progress.

Tracking global deforestation is key to the implementation of forest conservation and emissions reduction policies. This Comment suggests forest extent and deforestation must be defined in a way that is simple, transferable, and applicable.