The BRICS nations have committed to reach carbon neutrality: Brazil and South Africa by 2050, China and Russia by 2060, and India by 2070. A joint study by researchers from Tsinghua and Shanghai Jiaotong universities shows that achieving such targets necessitates a significant increase in electrification and non-fossil fuel use, with 65% to 82% of energy to be supplied from renewables and 55% to 80% in form of electricity. Besides, carbon capture and removal technologies will play an important role, which are expected to contribute 27% to 64% of emission reductions after 2030 across BRICS. The mitigation costs vary by country, ranging from 250 to 390 USD per ton of CO₂ by the carbon neutrality year. Annual investments in the energy sector are projected to be equivalent to 0.8%–3.5% of GDP.

An edible robot made by EPFL scientists leverages a combination of biodegradable fuel and surface tension to zip around the water’s surface, creating a safe – and nutritious – alternative to environmental monitoring devices made from artificial polymers and electronics.

Global emissions of carbon dioxide from industry can be reduced by five per cent. But that requires companies and policy makers to take a holistic approach to energy efficiency and energy management and not solely focus on technological development. This is the conclusion of researchers, including from Linköping University, Sweden, in the journal Nature Communications.

Research led by climate scientists from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) reveals that millions of today’s young people will live through unprecedented lifetime exposure to heatwaves, crop  failures, river floods, droughts, wildfires and tropical storms under current climate policies. If  global temperatures rise by 3.5°C by 2100, 92% of children born in 2020 will experience unprecedented heatwave exposure over their lifetime, affecting 111 million children. Meeting the  Paris Agreement's 1.5°C target could protect 49 million children from this risk. This is only for one  birth year; when instead taking into account all children who are between 5 and 18 years old today, this adds up to 1.5 billion children affected under a 3.5°C scenario, and with 654 million  children that can be protected by remaining under the 1.5°C threshold. The study also highlights that children with high socioeconomic vulnerability face an even greater likelihood of  unprecedented exposure to climate extremes in their lifetime. Deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions are urgently needed to safeguard the lives of children all around the world.