Nature Climate Change
Going beyond averages
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 17 April 2024; doi:10.1038/s41558-024-02003-4
Global projections of the economic impacts of climate change have usually focused on rising average temperatures. Now, two studies depict more complex and gloomier scenarios by incorporating variability in temperature and precipitation.Climate damage projections beyond annual temperature
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 17 April 2024; doi:10.1038/s41558-024-01990-8
Existing global economic damage assessments only focus on the impacts induced by annual temperature changes. Including variability and extremes of temperature and precipitation in climate damage projections raises global gross domestic product losses and exacerbates global disparities of economic damage.Lessons from past mitigation efforts
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 16 April 2024; doi:10.1038/s41558-024-01991-7
International cooperation is essential to mitigate climate change, yet it comes with challenges that often hinder countries from achieving their climate targets. Now, a study shows that timely monitoring and review of national climate mitigation efforts are essential for the Paris Agreement to accomplish its targets.Revisiting Copenhagen climate mitigation targets
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 16 April 2024; doi:10.1038/s41558-024-01977-5
The 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) in Copenhagen marked an important step in global climate action with parties submitting 2020 mitigation targets. However, this retrospective study shows that many countries either have failed to meet their targets or have reduced their emissions through carbon leakage.Sharks at risk from climate-driven coastal upwelling
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 15 April 2024; doi:10.1038/s41558-024-01975-7
As climate change redirects migration patterns of marine species towards the extremes of their geographic range, sharks find themselves stunned by rising cold upwelling currents.Climate change-driven cooling can kill marine megafauna at their distributional limits
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 15 April 2024; doi:10.1038/s41558-024-01966-8
The authors link intensification of cold upwelling in two western boundary currents to the observed death of marine organisms, and upwelling avoidance behaviour in bull sharks. They raise concerns of increased risk of cold-mortality events for climate migrants at their poleward distribution limits.Frugivores enhance potential carbon recovery in fragmented landscapes
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 15 April 2024; doi:10.1038/s41558-024-01989-1
The authors use individual-based models to assess the contribution of frugivore-mediated seed dispersal to forest restoration. They show that the movement of large birds—which disperse seeds with higher carbon storage potential—is limited in landscapes with low forest cover (<40%).Climate change in and out of the therapy room
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 12 April 2024; doi:10.1038/s41558-024-01979-3
Climate change can have profound impacts on mental health, yet few therapists receive training on how to talk to their clients about this issue. This Comment explores strategies for therapists to best support clients in climate distress.Western North Pacific tropical cyclone activity modulated by phytoplankton feedback under global warming
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 11 April 2024; doi:10.1038/s41558-024-01976-6
The degree to which changes in marine organisms due to warming can influence tropical cyclones is not well known. Here the authors show that changing chlorophyll patterns can lead to more landfalling tropical cyclones in East Asia.Ocean salinity
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 10 April 2024; doi:10.1038/s41558-024-01987-3
Ocean salinityDrive to electrify
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 10 April 2024; doi:10.1038/s41558-024-01999-z
Policies and subsidies can help, and have helped, to establish the electric vehicle market. As subsidies are withdrawn and policies shift, the public will play a role in the future market infiltration.Slow wetland sink recovery
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 10 April 2024; doi:10.1038/s41558-024-01985-5
Slow wetland sink recoveryClimate influencers on social media
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 10 April 2024; doi:10.1038/s41558-024-01988-2
Climate influencers on social mediaMating innovation a warming benefit
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 10 April 2024; doi:10.1038/s41558-024-01986-4
Mating innovation a warming benefitDiverging hydrological sensitivity among tropical basins
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 09 April 2024; doi:10.1038/s41558-024-01982-8
Hydrological sensitivity describes how much precipitation changes for a given warming. Here, the authors show that the hydrological sensitivity differs between the three tropical ocean basins, which influences land rainfall changes across the tropical and mid-latitude regions.Meteorite recovery at risk
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 08 April 2024; doi:10.1038/s41558-024-01944-0
Meteorites recovered from Antarctica provide a bounty of materials from asteroids and planets and revolutionized the field of meteoritics. Warming temperatures in Antarctica may lead to the loss of a significant fraction of meteorites exposed at the surface and thus threaten the impact Antarctic meteorites have on planetary science.Antarctic meteorites threatened by climate warming
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 08 April 2024; doi:10.1038/s41558-024-01954-y
Most of the meteorites on the Earth’s surface are found in Antarctica. Here the authors show that ~5,000 meteorites become inaccessible per year as they melt into the ice due to climate change.Author Correction: Warming and lateral shift of the Gulf Stream from in situ observations since 2001
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 08 April 2024; doi:10.1038/s41558-024-02009-y
Author Correction: Warming and lateral shift of the Gulf Stream from in situ observations since 2001Turning a groundswell of climate action into ground rules for net zero
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 08 April 2024; doi:10.1038/s41558-024-01967-7
Following a groundswell of voluntary net-zero targets by companies, regulators are increasingly introducing mandatory rules. If governments can overcome the barriers to rigour, coherence and fairness, such mandatory ‘ground rules’ have the potential to overcome the obstructionism that holds back a just climate transition.Temperature optima of a natural diatom population increases as global warming proceeds
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 08 April 2024; doi:10.1038/s41558-024-01981-9
The authors use resurrected strains of a diatom species to compare temperature optima, cell size and gene expression across 60 years. Modern samples have a 1 °C higher temperature optima and probably support increased nutrient uptake, highlighting the adaptation potential of diatoms to global change.