Two new studies find that global warming is increasing fire dynamics, particularly in Australia, South America, Western North America, and Siberia, leading to more burned areas. Climate change also increased deaths from fire-related air pollution, with a 15.8% rise in global burned area from 2003 to 2019.
A new study by Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research confirms that climate change poses significant economic risks to different income groups. The poorest worldwide are particularly vulnerable, but the risk for the wealthy is growing at an alarming rate.
Researchers evaluated 1,500 climate policies over two decades and identified successful cases, such as China's pilot emissions trading systems and the UK's minimum carbon price, which delivered major emission reductions. The study highlights the importance of well-designed policy mixes in achieving climate neutrality.
A recent study warns that overshooting 1.5°C of global warming poses significant risks to the Earth's climate system, but swiftly reversing warming can minimize these risks. The study suggests that achieving and maintaining net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2100 is crucial to limit tipping risks.
A new study finds that climate change could lead to a doubling of daily water collection times for women in certain regions by 2050. The researchers estimate that this would result in substantial welfare losses, equivalent to tens to hundreds of millions of US dollars per country and year.
The EU ETS's credibility plays a crucial role in its effectiveness. Reforms strengthened the system's long-term credibility, allowing firms to align their market behavior with climate targets. This led to increased carbon prices, signaling high policy credibility and farsighted actors.
A new study suggests that renewable-scarce countries like parts of the EU, Japan, and South Korea could save between 18 to 38 percent in production costs by relocating their industrial production to countries with cheap renewable energy. The study's lead author argues that importing hydrogen via ship is not a cost-effective strategy fo...
The study projects significant economic losses globally, particularly in the tropics, with countries least responsible for climate change facing 60% greater income loss. A transition to renewable energy is crucial to mitigate catastrophic consequences and stabilize the planet's temperature.
A more sustainable, flexitarian diet can extend the global CO2 budget by 125 gigatons and stay within the 1.5°C limit with a 50 percent chance. Healthy diets also reduce GHG emissions from land use and cut economy-wide prices by 43 percent in 2050.
A recent study found that wind turbines have a limited impact on US property values, dropping by up to 8% when built less than 2 kilometers away. However, this effect diminishes over time as people become more accustomed to the presence of turbines.
A new study published in Nature Energy finds that protecting a small but critical set of power lines can prevent large-scale outages almost entirely. The method identifies the most critical lines and increases the system's resilience, reducing the risk of major power outages in regions or cities by up to 99%.
A study by Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) highlights the complementary roles of electrification and hydrogen in achieving European energy transition. Electrification is critical for sectors like transport and heating, while hydrogen is mainly used for aviation, industry, and electricity storage.
A new study reveals that the Amazon rainforest is at risk of a large-scale collapse if climatic and land-use thresholds are breached. The Southeastern Amazon has already shifted from a carbon sink to a source, while droughts, deforestation, and fires weaken its resilience mechanisms.
The Planetary Commons concept aims to establish collective stewardship obligations for nation-states to protect and govern critical biophysical systems. Researchers argue that human activities are pushing the planet beyond its boundaries, requiring a new approach to governance.
A recent study published in the Journal of Climate confirms that global warming is increasing the intensity and frequency of heavy rainfall extremes exponentially. The study's findings suggest that extreme rainfall will be heavier and more frequent, impacting social welfare, economies, and social stability.
A new study found that accounting for long-term impacts of tropical cyclones raises the global Social Cost of Carbon by more than 20%. The increase is mainly driven by projected rise of tropical-cyclone damages to major economies, particularly India, USA, China, Taiwan, and Japan under global warming.
A new study suggests that land taxation can reduce wealth inequality by increasing investments in productive capital and reducing speculation in real estate. This approach can also benefit low-income households through lower housing costs and increased tax revenues.
Researchers found that reversing current warming trend within centuries may prevent ice sheet tipping. However, temporary overshooting can still lead to significant sea-level rise. The study suggests that acting fast and keeping temperatures below 1.5 degrees Celsius is crucial.
A new study by PIK researchers reveals that less privileged people in NYC face limitations in adapting their mobility behavior to heat, leading to increased health risks. The analysis of mobility data from 438 NYC subway stations shows that those already at higher risk have the fewest options to adjust their behavior.
Researchers found no indication of irreversible retreat in West Antarctica's ice sheet, but warn that current climate conditions could trigger slow and certain loss of ice over hundreds to thousands of years. The study suggests that even with no additional warming, an irreversible collapse is possible in 300-500 years.
Climate extremes have a disproportionate impact on already stressed economies, leading to increased costs for households and reduced resilience to future shocks. The study's findings highlight the need for increased economic resilience to cope with climate-related disasters and mitigate non-climate related crises.
Research reveals that Dansgaard-Oeschger events triggered drastic global changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation, impacting tropical monsoon domains severely. The study's findings support improved models to represent abrupt climate changes, shedding light on the potential impacts of future human-made global warming scenarios.
A new study finds that fire can lock large parts of the Amazon in a treeless state, preventing 56-86% of the Amazon from regrowing. Global warming and deforestation damage the forest's moisture recycling process, enabling a self-reinforcing feedback loop of forest loss.
A new study finds that bioenergy may not be a climate-neutral alternative to fossil fuels without effective pricing of CO2 emissions from land-use change, leading researchers to call for comprehensive carbon pricing schemes and international agreements to protect natural lands.
A new study by Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and Mercator Research Institute finds that the current difference between savings and lending rates results in additional global heating of 0.2 degrees Celsius. Governments can effectively counteract high interest rates on loans by subsidising investment, leading to more foss...
Glacial lake outbursts are becoming smaller in volume and peak discharge due to accelerated glacial melt, but occurring earlier in the year. Researchers found that lakes with documented outbursts are now on average 250-500 meters higher than 120 years ago.
A new study suggests that current coal exit efforts are unlikely to succeed without stronger policies, including carbon pricing and phase-out of coal mining. China plays a critical role in achieving this goal, as it produces and consumes over half of global coal, and its swift action can help propel Paris-aligned momentum.
Scientists have discovered a connection between Amazon rainforest temperature changes and Tibetan Plateau climate patterns, highlighting the global impact of Earth system tipping elements. The study found a pronounced propagation pathway from South America to Tibet via Southern Africa and the Middle East.
A new study finds that climate risk insurance can effectively mitigate economic losses from US hurricanes under global warming, accelerating economic recovery. However, national insurance mechanisms in developing countries are insufficient to cope with extreme weather events, highlighting the need for international climate finance and ...
A new study finds that global warming overshoots could trigger climate tipping events, even if temperatures are limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The risk of triggering one or more tipping points would still be over 50 percent in such scenarios.
A study suggests that subsidies for carbon dioxide removal should be higher than the price on carbon emissions due to economic leakage. This is because ambitious countries reducing emissions can lead to other countries increasing their emissions, reducing overall emissions reduction. In contrast, carbon dioxide removal does not affect ...
A new study suggests that the US economy's supply chains cannot compensate for local production losses from hurricanes if climate change continues. The researchers found that even under moderate warming scenarios, hurricane damages will exceed the economy's coping capacities, leading to indirect economic effects and price increases for...
The study identifies households with high energy expenditures as the most affected groups, which should receive direct transfers for compensation. Cash payments to all households combined with moderate support for renewable energies can achieve a socially just solution, lowering energy prices and reducing hardship cases.
A new study suggests that green hydrogen will likely supply less than 1% of global energy by 2035 due to supply bottlenecks. However, historic analogues indicate that emergency-like policy measures can drive unprecedented growth rates in energy technologies.
A new study has found that extreme temperatures are fueling online hate speech, with hate tweets increasing by up to 12% for colder temperatures and 22% for hotter temperatures. The researchers analyzed over 4 billion tweets from the US between 2014 and 2020, finding a 'feel-good window' of 15-18°C where hate tweets were at their lowest.
A new study suggests that timber cities could significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions by using wood as a building material. The researchers found that housing in mid-rise buildings made of wood could avoid more than 100 billion tons of CO2 emissions by 2100, equivalent to 10% of the remaining carbon budget for the 2°C target.
Researchers at Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research found that climate policies can change people's preferences, leading to increased environmental protection and health benefits. This knowledge can inform the development of demand-side measures to curb carbon emissions and produce better climate policies.
A new study suggests that a transformative shift in the global food system, focusing on efficiency and reducing animal products, could significantly decrease emissions. However, such changes might lead to increased food prices, affecting vulnerable populations.
A new analysis by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research suggests that substituting 20% of meat from cattle with microbial protein could halve deforestation and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Microbial protein can be produced in fermentation tanks, reducing pressure on land and methane emissions.
Research from satellite data analysis suggests that three-quarters of the Amazon forest has lost its ability to recover from perturbations since the early 2000s. This loss of resilience increases the risk of dieback and contributes to global warming, highlighting the urgent need for limiting logging and greenhouse gas emissions.
A new study by Potsdam scientists finds that increased rainfall and extreme daily rainfall have a significant impact on the global economy. The analysis of over 1,500 regions across 40 years reveals a clear connection between wet days and economic slowdowns, particularly in rich countries.
Access to modern cooking fuels like gas and electricity improves health and frees up time for women to seek information and education, ultimately leading to reproductive rights. The study found a significant connection between modern energy access and lower fertility rates in countries with high initial fertility rates.
A recent study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research found that climate change has contributed to a four-fold increase in crop pest and disease occurrence in China since the 1970s. The researchers attributed this rise to warmer night temperatures, which can foster an increased chance for pests and diseases.
Persistent weather conditions are becoming more common in European summer, leading to prolonged heat waves and intense rainfall events. This trend is linked to increased hydro-climatic risks, especially for densely populated regions.
By 2050, renewable electricity is expected to become the cheapest form of energy globally, accounting for up to three-quarters of all demand. This shift can be achieved through accelerated electrification of industries, such as steel production and transportation, which can reduce energy consumption and lower carbon intensity.
A new prediction framework can forecast extreme climate events like floods and heatwaves up to two days in advance, allowing for crucial preparation time. This network-based approach analyzes large-scale connectivity patterns in observational data to improve forecasting accuracy.
A NASA/PIK study found that new climate conditions will push crop yields outside of their normal range in more regions, particularly in breadbasket areas. This could lead to severe losses for farmers unless they adapt quickly by changing planting dates or using different crop varieties.
Research finds that overlapping weather extremes increase global economic losses by an average of 20% due to supply shortages and price increases. Richer economies are hit harder, with China experiencing above-average losses of over 27%.
Heat extremes have increased by 90-fold, with 3-sigma events affecting 9% of land area; record daily rainfall events also increased, with 1 in 4 records attributed to climate change. The small temperature increase has pushed up extreme weather substantially.
Researchers found that limiting global warming to 2 degrees Celsius can postpone severe tropical cyclone impacts to the late second half of the century when there are fewer people at risk. Delaying warming can reduce exposed populations in countries like Japan, China, and the Korean peninsula.