COP27 Special Issue: UN Climate Change Conference 2022 (COP27)

For COP 27, RELX's Global Head of Corporate Responsibility, Dr. Márcia Balisciano, speaks to Corey Peterson

Climate vulnerability modelling of Welsh (UK) housing stock. Propensity for summertime overheating and moisture build up in a majority of Welsh housing. Cooling and ventilation strategies will be required to mitigate future discomfort, whilst ensuring occupant health and wellbeing.

Indicate the importance of adopting longer-term timeframes and pathways to ensure that the necessary pre-conditions are in place for sustainability (including climate action) beyond the current 2030 Agenda.

An Article in support of all SDGS, particularly SDGs 4, 13, and 17, assessing the interlinkages between the 17 SDGs and climate change.

A Commentary on the Healthy People 2030 roadmap, in the context of SDGs 3 and 10, focusing specifically on the potential of this initiative in addressing upstream determinants of health to achieve health equity across the USA.

Calculated co-benefits for air quality and emissions reduction.

This chapter advances SDG goals 7 and 9 by demonstrating ways of predicting demand and supply when using unpredictable renewable energy sources.

This chapter advances SDG goals 7 and 11 by proposing hardware to enable the use of smart grids and renewable energy.

This chapter advances the UN SDG goals 7, 11, and 12 by reviewing the current state of hydrogen production and markets to determine the most economically viable routes towards introducing clean hydrogen fuel

This chapter advances the UN SDG goals 7, 11, and 12 by envisioning the biodiesel-from-microalgae plant of the future through the exploitation of genetically modified algal strains, renewable (mainly solar) power sources, and wastewater/effluent treatment facilities for nutrient and water supply with a one-step harvesting/lipid process.

This chapter advances the UN SDG goals 7, 11, and 12 by examining the current state-of-the art technologies applied for the extraction of compounds from microalgae/pretreatment and downstream processing for biofuels and chemicals from microalgae.

This chapter advances the UN SDG goals 7, 11, and 12 by reviewing the fundamentals of hydrogen, it's properties, and its use as a sustainable fuel source

This chapter advances the UN SDG goals 7, 11, and 12 by discussing recent developments in biohydrogen production, including various biomass used as feedstock, conventional technologies for biohydrogen production, economics of biohydrogen production, and the application of biohydrogen

This chapter contributes to SDG goals 7, 11, and 13, by reviewing sustainable renewable energy policy and regulation, particularly in terms of climate change mitigation.

This chapter advances the UN SDG goals 7, 11, and 12 by discussing the current situation on the energetic and transportation sectors and ways to convert them to a biomass-based economy.

This chapter advances SDG goals 7 and 13 by highlighting future prospects for green energy production of hydrogen.

This chapter aims to provide an introductory “how to” guide to using environmental input-output (EIO) models to measures of both direct and indirect environmental impacts of food systems across all economic sectors.

This book chapter advances SDGs 13 and 11 by defining what is meant by adaptation for the purposes of the manager of a transportation system and introducing three major themes for climate change adaptation in transportation.

This book chapter advances SDGs 13 and 11 by describing a range of adaptation frameworks, including those provided by Federal Highways Administration (FHWA) and the International Road Federation (PIARC), as these provide good case study applications in the real world.

This book chapter advances SDGs 13 and 7 by introducing the role of project finance in a renewable energy infrastructure.

This book chapter advances SDGs 13 and 7 by explaining the basics of power markets as well as the future of energy markets.

This book chapter advances SDGs 13, 7, and 11 by explaining how to promote the transition toward future cities models based on efficient resource consumption and effective implementation of neutral circular economy urban strategies.

This book chapter advances SDGs 13, 7, and 11 by presenting a set of parameters, operational strategies, and guidelines for a Net-Zero Energy City.

This chapter advances SDG goals 7 and 13 by exploring ideas to reduce energy consumption on and in buildings.

This chapters advances SDG goals 11 and 12 by highlighting the pressures posed by agricultural activities to inland water systems. It discusses each of the pressures considering the trade-offs between productivity and environmental impacts.

This chapter advances SDG goals 6 and 11 by focussing on Kenya's inland, coastal and marine resources, and their associated stressors and threats to ecological integrity. It provides key recommendations to promote societal benefits and enhance sustainable management of these aquatic resources.

This chapter advances SDG goal 13 by focusing on the drivers behind global warming and climate change.

This chapter advances the UN SDG goals 7, 11, and 12 by discussing battery design and function for electric vehicles, focusing on CO2 reduction.

This chapter advances the UN SDG goals 7, 11, and 12 by analysing the current status of fuel cell electric vehicles as one of the viable solutions to address the implementation of FCEVs from an electrochemical and market point of view.

This chapter advances the UN SDG goals 7, 11, and 12 by reviewing the main renewable fuel production pathways and potential energy carriers for ships, and evaluating their sustainability.

This chapter advances the UN SDG goals 7, 11, and 12 by defining the three fundamental strategic priorities of sustainable energy management: exploitation of renewable energy sources, energy efficiency, and risk management, and presenting the basic model for risk management in the field of sustainable energy management.

This chapter advances SDG goals 7, 11, and 13, by presenting the direct integration of solar photovoltaic energy with food production, supporting cleaner, more sustainable agriculture, with decreased impact on climate change.

This chapter contributes to SDG goals 7, 11, and 13, by explaining advanced techniques for wind turbine icing mitigation, supporting improved performance and durability of wind turbines, a crucial renewable energy source for sustainable development and climate objectives.

This chapter contributes to SDG goals 7 and 11 by exploring optimization of photovoltaic systems using artificial intelligence techniques, meaning improved production and use of this essential renewable energy source.

This chapter advances SDG goals 7, 9, and 11 by improving our ability to use smart grids to provide stable, demand- and market-responsive energy.

This chapter supports SDG goals 7 and 9 by proposing new ways of using blockchain to support renewable energy market.

This article presents five actionable strategies to engage and empower young people with climate and ocean science to support ocean sustainable development.

Transport emissions play a large role in climate change. Unfortunately, measures to address this risk creating inequalities in access to mobility. This article proposes policy recommendations to reconcile these two problems.

The findings support the possibility that FBOM-δ13C can be used as a paleoceanographic proxy for surface water [CO2(aq)] and thus atmospheric pCO2.

This paper is a review of renewable energy potentials and energy usage statistics in Ghana. 

Innovation in Environmental Technologies (ETs) is critical for meeting the Paris Climate Agreement. Through an empirical analysis we show that collaboration between NICs and G7 countries drives ET innovation in the former. Results suggest that much greater policy focus should be aimed at collaboration rather than technology transfer. Collaboration breeds more NIC’s innovation by inducing learning-by-doing, learning-by-innovating and learning-by-exporting

A review of climate futures. This review helps substantiate how disciplinary and geographical assumptions and norms shape policy choices.

Under global warming, seasonal snow takes faster melting rate than before, which greatly changes the hydrological cycle. This study offer insights into understanding the effect from seasonal snow on vegetation and promote the sustainable utilization of regional vegetation in the Northern Hemisphere.

Climate change is threatening water security in the Northern Slope of Tianshan Mountains, where rapid urban growth is increasing water demand. This study examines changes in temperature, glacier melt, and water use over the past 40 years, highlighting the need for effective water management to ensure a sustainable supply for both people and the environment.

This study aims to analyse catastrophic floods and severe droughts affected by climate change from paleo studies to studies that focus on future projections.

This study reveals that climate change reduces the variety of wetland ecosystem services and increases socio-economic vulnerability and economic stress.

Carbon prices are too low. Switching prices and/or caps are needed. Prices and caps need to deliver targets to stay under to 1.5 °C. Border adjustments are probably needed.

Strategies to decarbonize the hard to abate iron and steel sector.

An examination of climate change as a sociological event.

Calculated emissions reductions possible through ecosystem restoration and shows they are insufficient to rely upon.

Identified methane emissions and leaks from biomethane and biogas supply chains.

Recent proposals in the US and elsewhere aim to tackle climate change and socioeconomic inequalities together through a Green New Deal (GND). GND proposals have been criticized by high-profile advocates of carbon-centric climate policies—advocates who do not perceive socioeconomic inequalities to be significant drivers of climate change and who argue that GNDs’ wider agenda will undermine decarbonization efforts.

This article considers barriers in tracking no net loss (NNL) outcomes, outline criteria of public offset registers to enable accessible and credible reporting of NNL, and show how existing registers fail to satisfy those criteria.

The purpose of this study is to quantify the joint impacts of climate and human activities on grassland changes in Three-River Headwater Region (TRHR) after two phases of Ecological Conservation and Construction Project (Ecological Project).

This study quantitatively analyzed the response of fractional vegetation cover (FVC) to climate change and human activities in the Mu Us Sandy Land (MUSL).

This study found that increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events caused by human-induced climate change challenges progress on sustainable city development, but could also accelerate activities to enable cities to become more resilient.

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) has been recognized as a key technology in energy systems decarbonization. However, numerous attempts to deploy CCS failed, and the technology is still viewed as pre-commercial. Consequently, public investment in CCS has been largely limited to research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) in capture technology.

Mutual understanding is important when trying to make beneficial climate changes.

The role of science in influencing climate policy.

In order to address the impacts of climate change, this manuscript presents a strategy developed to create a central resource, database and web-based platform to integrate data and information on the drivers and the changes within Guyana coastal and marine environment.

The Budyko framework provides a reliable parameter-sparse representation of runoff changes, and reveals that terrestrial water cycle is changing substantially under climate change.

Climate change mitigation requires energy transition supported by public to maximize policy acceptance. We examine if transiency of residence and life satisfaction affect climate change perceptions and opinions on energy sources. We find that transiency of residence and life satisfaction have significant effect in shaping views towards climate change. Results indicate that individuals concerned about local impact of climate change are supportive of renewable energy sources.

This opinion article is the result of intensive discussions between a group of more than fifty internationally renowned researchers who are scientifically engaged in thermofluids and energy process engineering. With this article we express our plea: Let us consider all options and explore new ideas that will move us towards a climate-neutral energy system!

Inventory of infrastructure potentially built on permafrost in the French Alps. Evaluation and ranking of the most at-risk infrastructures built on permafrost. Adaption and mitigation strategies already used to prevent or to cope with the destabilization.

Nuclear power's contribution to climate change mitigation is and will be very limited. Currently nuclear power avoids 2–3% of total global GHG emissions per year. According to current planning this value will decrease even further until 2040. A substantial expansion of nuclear power will not be possible. Given its low contribution, a complete phase-out of nuclear energy is feasible.

Ostracod assemblages near the boundary between land and sea have been affected by multiple complex factors, such as regional climate and depositional and human-induced processes during the Late Holocene.

This article supports SDG 15 by demonstrating overall rangelands greening has a complex impacts on biodiversity under high environmental heterogeneity and societal dynamics.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the perceptions of climate change and permafrost thaw within the inhabitants from Yakutia by collecting and analysing narratives.

This paper summarized China's integrated actions (2015 onwards) that benefit both climate change mitigation and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Tillage is the most common agricultural practice dating back to the origin of agriculture. In recent decades, no-tillage (NT) has been introduced to improve soil and water quality. However, changes in soil properties resulting from long-term NT can increase losses of dissolved phosphorus, nitrate and some classes of pesticides, and NT effect on nitrous oxide (N2O) emission remains controversial. Complementary management that enhances the overall environmental benefits of NT is therefore crucial.

Drinking water supply requires energy, which in turn emits greenhouse gases with undesirable climate impacts. Water conservation, therefore, offers environmental benefits by reducing such emissions. 

The non-woven geotextiles are able to reduce snow/ice melt up to 69% compared to the uncovered glacier surface.

This study suggests that climate and anthropogenic factors play critical roles in controlling the spatial and seasonal distribution of China's ecosystem fire disturbances.

This study indicates that croplands have a large potential to sequester Carbon through implementing better land use management practices, which may partially offset soil organic carbon loss caused by climate change.

Climate change forcing, with the increasing of the extreme rainfall, is one of the major critical factors for major critical factors for Agricultural landscapes cultivated in hilly and mountainous areas.

Global temperature limitation near 2 °C could slow, but not halt further changes in the Arctic for future decades. The precautionary principle calls for early adaptation and mitigation actions.

Discuss climate change mitigation. This paper aims at producing actionable knowledge in the Indian Himalayan Region for climate modelers and policy planners to better serve the nation's needs.

Improving environmental quality through reducing emissions is the central pillar of climate change mitigation and achieving sustainable development goals.

Rhode Island is the smallest and the second-most densely populated state in the USA. It is also one of the most severely affected states on the Eastern Seaboard due to Climate Change.

Two green gown award winning buildings, built in 2004 and 2017, were investigated. Features include rainwater harvesting, sensing and photovoltaic panel systems. Sustainability features delivered only 28–71% of their potential resource savings. The performance gaps were due to technical, human, and economic factors.

Reflects upon emergent challenges and opportunities of developing Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) in Europe. Combines attention to rapid implementation, context-specificity and replicability. Identifies three key themes to enable conditions for upscaling PEDs across contexts. The key themes are: framework conditions, prefiguration and emerging impact of PEDs. Combines expertise of PED-EU-NET core group, spanning PED initiatives across Europe.

Proposes pathways towards a sustainable and JUST future.

Highlights issues to be aware of when designing adaptation policy and calls for greater attention to the social justice implications in the policy design process.

Climate vulnerability modelling of Welsh (UK) housing stock. Propensity for summertime overheating and moisture build up in a majority of Welsh housing. Cooling and ventilation strategies will be required to mitigate future discomfort, whilst ensuring occupant health and wellbeing.

Both short-term and chronic exposure to fine particulate matter air pollution (PM2.5) are known to cause a host of adverse health outcomes, including premature death. This paper will review sources, health impacts and health inequities associated with PM2.5, and will frame PM2.5 as both a social and structural determinant of health.

Analysis of the injustice perpetuated by ExxonMobil.

This scoping review assesses the state of peer-reviewed literature on the health risks associated with climate change in the 21 Pacific Island states, analyzing quantitative and qualitative studies focusing explicitly on health outcomes, as well as studies focusing on health determinants or potential mediators along the climate-health pathway. 

In this review paper, we highlight the health implications associated with climate change in Afghanistan and discuss preventive measures to tackle the climate-associated adverse health conditions in the future.

The objective of this paper is to critically analyse the innovative passive nZEB building concept ‘2226’ regarding its climate impact via the initial prototype building ‘be 2226’.

The pre-use stage (construction) emissions of buildings occur in a short time. Wooden buildings seem to emit less compared to concrete ones in pre-use stage according to LCA. Green building certificates need to consider embodied emissions more exhaustively.

The Paris Agreement goal of stabilizing temperature below 1.5C calls for a reduction of global energy consumption. Energy Efficiency policies are necessary but not sufficient to reduce energy consumption. Energy Conservation and Energy Sufficiency Policies complement Energy Efficiency policies, together they can reduce energy demand. The article presents some existing and new policies which address sufficiency. There is the need for coherent policy package with different types of policy instruments addressing efficiency and sufficiency.

Urban climate change agenda furthered by aligning adaptation plans with development goals. Near-term benefits delivered by aligning adaptation, mitigation and development. Synergistic adaptation-mitigation planning leads to inclusion of co-benefits and avoidance of trade-offs. Informal networks can enhance coordination required for co-benefit approaches.

This new façade reduces the carbon footprint by over 34%; thermal conductivity by over 64% and reduces he related cooling energy by over 14%. The new façade can recover the additional cost investment after 3.5 years due to the energy savings.

The present study conducted a systematic literature review on the related effects, mechanisms of vulnerability, and adaptive responses and coping strategies to climate change related mental health impacts specific to global Indigenous Peoples.

This scoping review was able to identify 25 tools and methods for assessing health vulnerability and adaptation to climate change, using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) scoping review guidelines. 

The aim of this review was to synthesize evidence around the nexus between climate and health in the Caribbean, thereby presenting a more concise understanding of the current impact on vulnerable low-lying and coastal communities. 

Presents an overview of the injustice of loss and damage, discusses the complexities and knowledge gaps, and proposes next steps for an interdisciplinary research agenda.

Recent proposals in the US and elsewhere aim to tackle climate change and socioeconomic inequalities together through a Green New Deal (GND). GND proposals have been criticized by high-profile advocates of carbon-centric climate policies—advocates who do not perceive socioeconomic inequalities to be significant drivers of climate change and who argue that GNDs’ wider agenda will undermine decarbonization efforts.

Geographical location and socioeconomic dynamics have increased the vulnerabilities of the people of Bangladesh to the impacts of climate change.

As both COVID-19 and climate change crises converged and even contributed to each other, a much older crisis reemerged: structural racism and the policy stagnation that refuses to address it. 

Climate change is both an important social determinant of health (SDH) and a worsening public health threat. Though a warming climate threatens everyone, pediatric populations are particularly vulnerable.

This paper looks into the issues around renewable energy with a view to identify the opportunities for Nigeria and critically review the nation's renewable energy policy vis-à-vis the efforts and achievement of governments and indigenous practitioners.

Clean energy transition.

The review examined the potential of renewable and non-renewable energy resources and the current state of exploitation in Kenya.

Of all the types of renewable energy, Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) market has been more supported and developed in Canada due to the lower project cost and the existing NG pipeline infrastructure.

Climate policy targets.