In an era where climate change looms large, the aviation industry—responsible for 3%–4% of global CO2 emissions and growing—faces immense pressure to go green without grounding our connected world. Aviation powers trillions in economic activity and millions of jobs, yet its reliance on fossil fuels spews not just CO2 but also NOx, particulates, and other pollutants that harm air quality and accelerate global warming. Enter hydrogen: a boundless, clean-burning fuel that could slash in-flight emissions to zero. But harnessing it means conquering storage challenges onboard aircraft. This survey dives into cutting-edge hydrogen tank technologies, exploring how to safely store gaseous or liquid hydrogen amid extreme pressures and frigid temperatures, all while integrating seamlessly into plane designs. By reviewing materials, structures, and innovations, it highlights hydrogen's role in aligning aviation with global sustainability goals, making eco-friendly flights not just a dream, but an impending reality.

A new study suggests that delaying the expansion of renewable energy might unintentionally reduce the world’s long term motivation to address climate change. The research finds that while the social cost of carbon usually rises as climate damages grow, it may suddenly fall once global warming passes a critical threshold. This drop in the social cost of carbon would weaken the economic incentive to reduce emissions and could speed up global warming.

There's no one-size-fits-all solution to adapting and building resilience to climate change, but a new study led by the University of Michigan offers three generalized pathways to help climate knowledge achieve its maximum impact.

These peripheral areas of urban centers are characterized by diverse land uses, such as residential neighborhoods, agricultural land, recreational spaces, urban infrastructure, and aquatic zones. They are not normally included in surveys of potential restoration areas. 

An innovative alternative to concrete could enable important coastal restoration work to take place. The material Xiriton, made with local grass species and seawater, captures CO₂ instead of emitting it, as conventional concrete does. NIOZ researchers successfully tested the material for its suitability as a substrate for shell banks or salt marsh restoration, for example. They published their work in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science.

Research led by polar scientists from Northumbria University has revealed new hope in natural environmental systems found in East Antarctica which could help mitigate the overall rise of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere over long timescales.

As Antarctica's ice sheets thin due to climate change, newly exposed mountain peaks could significantly increase the supply of vital nutrients to the Southern Ocean which surrounds the continent, potentially enhancing its ability to absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide, according to the research published in Nature Communications.

An international study published today in Communications Biology has used unique coral reefs in Papua New Guinea to determine the likely impact of ocean acidification on coral reefs in the face of climate change.

Oceans are becoming more acidic as they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and that acid will dissolve coral limestone. But it’s hard to predict what impact this will have on whole ecosystems from studies using aquariums and models.

The research team, led by the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), studied entire coral reefs, locally enriched with CO₂ that is seeping from the sea floor, near some of Papua New Guinea’s remote shallow submarine volcanoes.

Dr. Katharina Fabricius, a coral researcher at AIMS in Townsville and senior author on the paper, says the research has revealed which species can thrive under lifelong exposure to elevated CO₂.

“These unique natural laboratories are like a time machine,” said Dr Fabricius.  

“The CO₂ seeps have allowed us to study the reefs’ tolerance limits and make predictions. How will coral reefs cope if emissions are in line with the Paris Agreement level emissions? How will they respond to higher CO₂ emissions scenarios?”

With climate change expected to intensify heatwaves, flooding and air pollution in cities worldwide, why are we not tapping into the full potential of nature-based solutions? An international study led by the University of Surrey’s Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE) in collaboration with 86 specialists across 11 countries explores the current barriers hindering the implementation of green and blue infrastructure (GBI) that could help build climate resilience – such as parks, trees, rivers, wetlands and green roofs.