The development of renewable energy is a key path for the global energy structure to transform towards low-carbonization and an important technical direction for addressing climate change. However, battery technology, as the core energy storage carrier, is confronted with multiple challenges such as resource constraints, energy density limitations, and high costs. In this context, rechargeable aluminum batteries (RABs) have emerged as a highly promising next-generation electrochemical energy storage system due to their advantages such as abundant raw materials, low cost and high safety. In a recent review published, Chinese researchers systematically reviewed the related studies of RABs, pointing out that by leveraging the multi-ion cooperative strategy and multi-electron redox reaction mechanism, the long-term bottlenecks of aluminum batteries in reaction kinetics and capacity retention can be effectively broken through, providing a clear technical path for their large-scale practical application.

Space missions are complex, multidisciplinary tasks that involve high risk and high cost. Systems engineering (SE) technology is an emerging discipline used to manage project complexity and ensure mission success . As technology advances and systems become more complex and volatile, SE needs to accommodate the constant reassessment, upgrading, and development of systems . Traditional SE relies on a large number of decentralized documents that cannot keep up with the changes in the system. Therefore, SE is transforming toward digitalization and has led to model-based systems engineering (MBSE), which provides a way to address SE challenges and is emerging as a paradigm and principle of SE. According to the International Council on Systems Engineering, MBSE is “the formalized application of modeling to support system requirements, design, analysis, verification and validation activities beginning in the conceptual design phase and continuing throughout development and later life cycle phase”.Space missions are complex, multidisciplinary tasks that involve high risk and high cost. Systems engineering (SE) technology is an emerging discipline used to manage project complexity and ensure mission success . As technology advances and systems become more complex and volatile, SE needs to accommodate the constant reassessment, upgrading, and development of systems . Traditional SE relies on a large number of decentralized documents that cannot keep up with the changes in the system. Therefore, SE is transforming toward digitalization and has led to model-based systems engineering (MBSE), which provides a way to address SE challenges and is emerging as a paradigm and principle of SE. According to the International Council on Systems Engineering, MBSE is “the formalized application of modeling to support system requirements, design, analysis, verification and validation activities beginning in the conceptual design phase and continuing throughout development and later life cycle phase”.

Forest restoration, a critical strategy for mitigating climate change and rejuvenating natural ecosystems, is a global priority, with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) targeting substantial atmospheric carbon removal through these efforts. However, understanding the factors that govern the recovery of soil organic carbon (SOC) – the largest terrestrial carbon pool – has remained a complex challenge. A comprehensive global meta-analysis, led by Shan Xu and Junjian Wang from the Southern University of Science and Technology with international collaborators including Nico Eisenhauer from the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, now clarifies these crucial drivers, offering vital insights for effective climate change mitigation strategies.

A new investigation led by researchers at the African Centre of Excellence in Future Energies and Electrochemical Systems (ACE-FUELS) at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, provides a detailed molecular-level blueprint for using Nigerian coal deposits to simultaneously capture carbon dioxide (CO₂) and enhance natural gas production. The work by Victor Inumidun Fagorite and his colleagues offers a scientific foundation for implementing CO₂-Enhanced Coalbed Methane (ECBM) technology, a process with significant economic and environmental potential for the nation.

A team of researchers from Guizhou University has published a comprehensive review on the synthesis and application of catalysts derived from a ubiquitous and challenging source: solid waste. The paper synthesizes a vast body of research to demonstrate how materials like industrial sludge, agricultural residue, and metal-containing byproducts can be converted into valuable solid waste-derived carbonaceous catalysts (SW-CCs). This work, authored by Tao Jiang, Bing Wang, Masud Hassan, and Qianqian Zou, provides a critical overview of how these advanced materials can address pressing environmental and energy challenges, offering a viable pathway toward a circular economy.

The increasing global demand for sustainable energy and carbon materials, alongside pressing environmental concerns, necessitates innovative approaches to resource management. Biomass, a versatile renewable resource, offers significant potential for conversion into biochar, an alternative fuel and valuable carbon material. However, efficiently transforming diverse biomass types into high-quality biochar remains a challenge. A recent investigation, conducted by Zhilong Yuan, Ye Wang, Lingfeng Zhu, Congcong Zhang, and Yifei Sun from Beihang University and Hainan University, addresses this by developing a sophisticated machine-learning framework to optimize biochar production from aquatic biomass. This work bridges a crucial gap, as previous modeling efforts largely overlooked aquatic sources.