Nature-based climate solutions tend to overlook Africa’s diverse contexts and development priorities. We propose six guiding principles centred on the aspirations of African peoples, recognizing the cultural connection of communities to their environments and the role of biodiversity in sustaining livelihoods and identities.

The decarbonization of oil and gas companies may not be as speedy or robust as advertised. This analysis finds that renewable energies make up just a minor fraction of the total energy production by the biggest companies globally.

All-solid-state batteries require external high pressure for good contact between the solid electrolyte and electrodes. Here the authors introduce iodine anions into electrolytes to form interphases that adapt to morphology at the interface, lifting the dependence on high pressure.

Radiative cooling is an emerging technology for cooling with reduced energy consumption. Here the authors present photoluminescent composites that combine subambient cooling with aesthetic colour, hydrophobicity and durability.

This study examines the relationship between water inventories and price dynamics in California’s surface and groundwater markets over 2010–2022 and shows that price fluctuations in surface water markets are tied to precipitation shocks, whereas prices in groundwater markets remain stable over time.

Glycerol electro-oxidation to valuable chemicals could play an important role in sustainable chemical processes. Here the authors realize near-unity Faradaic efficiency for such reaction at an industrially relevant current density, by introducing a trace amount of copper ions to electrolytes.

One major problem with renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power is their intermittent supply. Here the authors present an Earth-abundant manganese oxide electrocatalyst that is resilient to voltage fluctuations and maintains oxygen evolution reaction activities for 2,000 h.

Little is known about the environmental benefits of housing reallocation. This study fills the gap, presenting an information-enabled housing exchange framework that, in the case of Beijing, Munich and Singapore, could substantially reduce the carbon emissions from commuting.

Understanding the emission patterns of chlorinated and brominated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (Cl/BrPAHs), a group of persistent organic pollutants, is critical to control them. This study presents a global inventory and source attribution analysis of Cl/BrPAH emissions.

The decarbonization of oil and gas companies may not be as speedy or robust as advertised. This analysis finds that renewable energies make up just a minor fraction of the total energy production by the biggest companies globally.

Wild and remote, Antarctica and the Arctic are drawing in record numbers of tourists from around the globe, with environmental effects following in their wake. Proactive policies and careful management are needed to save the Earth’s poles from their growing popularity.

Lack of transparency and standardization in experimental design and performance evaluation hinders the real-world applications of advanced oxidation processes — critical technologies in wastewater treatment. Here, we highlight the common pitfalls in advanced oxidation process research and propose practices to guide future studies.

Nature-based climate solutions tend to overlook Africa’s diverse contexts and development priorities. We propose six guiding principles centred on the aspirations of African peoples, recognizing the cultural connection of communities to their environments and the role of biodiversity in sustaining livelihoods and identities.

Volker Sieber, Chair of the Global Bioeconomy Alliance (GBA) and Rector of the Straubing Campus at the Technical University of Munich, Dulce Siqueira Silva, President of the University Rankings Commission at the Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), and Gerhard Schenk, Secretary of the GBA and Coordinator of Bioeconomy Research at the University of Queensland, talk to Nature Sustainability about the mission, success and prospects of the GBA.

Oil drilling has been proposed at the mouth of the Amazon River in one of the most protected states in the Brazilian Amazon, Amapá. If the pending project is approved, drilling is likely to go ahead in 19 other oil blocks in this region, where biodiversity and the socio-economic well-being of local populations could be at risk.

How can sustainability science avoid paralysis in the face of complexity and ensure it catalyses meaningful action? The key lies in practising the science and art of simplexity, argues Bassel Daher.