Nature Climate Change
Nature Climate Change is a monthly journal dedicated to publishing high-quality research papers that describe the most significant and cutting-edge research on the causes, impacts and wider implications of global climate change. The journal publishes climate research across the physical, biological and social sciences and strives to integrate and communicate interdisciplinary research. The journal aims to play a leading role in: providing accessibility to a broad audience to research published both within and outside the journal; raising the visibility of climate change research in related research communities as well as the mainstream media; and offering a forum for discussion of the challenges faced by researchers and policy makers (and other interested parties) in understanding the complex mechanisms and impacts associated with the Earth’s changing climate.
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15 years of change
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 10 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02610-3
Since Nature Climate Change was launched, not only has the journal itself changed but so have the subjects of the studies we publish on the Earth system and how societies interact with it. In this Infographic, we highlight a few examples of how the world differed when we started in 2011 compared with today.Research that captures a changing world
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 10 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02623-y
This month marks 15 years since the first publication of Nature Climate Change. Here, we reflect on how both the world and research have changed, and discuss the impacts of memorable climate change science published in our pages.Atlantic exceptionalism in the twentieth century
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 10 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02608-x
The North Atlantic is exceptional in cooling during the twentieth century while the world warmed. Here we look back on an influential 2015 study that linked this cooling to a weakening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation and consider the wider implications that this may have for climate, ecosystems and society.Early-career researchers reflect on influential papers
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 10 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02605-0
As Nature Climate Change celebrates its 15 year anniversary, we look back at some of the journal’s published works. In this Viewpoint, seven early-career researchers discuss how these papers influenced their research and careers.The underappreciated importance of small wetlands in global methane emissions
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 08 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02609-w
Wetland methane emissions are a major source of uncertainty in global emissions estimates. Here the authors use high-resolution remote sensing data to identify small non-forested wetlands and find that they contribute 24% of wetland methane emissions and that these emissions are increasing.Lessons from the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion for Indigenous rights
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 07 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02611-2
Lessons from the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion for Indigenous rightsFrom least-cost to SDG-optimal sectoral allocation of Paris Agreement-compatible mitigation efforts
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 07 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02602-3
Meeting global temperature targets requires deep mitigation across sectors. Moving away from cost optimality when allocating mitigation by sector, the authors link integrated assessment models and portfolio analysis to identify and balance trade-offs between Sustainable Development Goal indicators.Wildfire risk for species under climate change
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 06 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02600-5
The authors consider risks to global biodiversity from wildfire under climate change. They show increased risk to 83.9% of species pre-identified as wildfire vulnerable, with high risks for species with small ranges, high conservation concern and those in South America, Australia and South Asia.Global energy and climate benefits from photovoltaics integrated in building façades
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 03 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02621-0
Global modelling shows that integrating photovoltaics in the façades of buildings could deliver substantial electricity generation, building energy savings and emissions reductions — and highlights an underexplored opportunity for urban energy transition and climate mitigation.Distributional consequences of climate policy
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 03 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02612-1
Carbon pricing can be a cost-effective way to cut carbon dioxide emissions, but only if it is politically sustainable. Two recent papers document how carbon pricing can create winners and losers, while also showing how these shortcomings can be addressed by careful policy design.Food loss and waste associated with misbehaviour drives 11% of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 01 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02597-x
Food loss and waste (FLW) is often attributed to technoeconomic inefficiencies of food systems. However, using a mechanistic analysis framework, we show that food surplus and misconsumption accounted for 11% of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions in 2021, exceeding FLW-associated emissions that are driven by technoeconomic constraints.Biochemical future of marine ecosystems
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 31 March 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02590-4
Warming oceans will alter not only how much phytoplankton grow, but what they are made of and how they function within marine food webs. Now a mechanistic model shows how environmental change reshapes cellular composition, offering a path towards more physiologically grounded marine ecosystem projections.Biochemical remodelling of phytoplankton cell composition under climate change
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 31 March 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02598-w
The authors simulate phytoplankton macromolecular composition—proteins, carbohydrates and lipids—under present and future scenarios. They show increased protein allocation in subtropical phytoplankton but declines in high-latitude populations under warming, with implications for marine food webs.Vegetation recovery following retrogressive thaw slumps across northern tundra regions
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 30 March 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02603-2
Retrogressive thaw slumps are a key disturbance resulting from permafrost thaw that impact both vegetation and soil carbon. This study assesses surface greenness recovery times following thaw and shows that recovery can be predicted based on annual ecosystem gross primary productivity.Building façade photovoltaics enhance global climate resilience
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 27 March 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02606-z
Façade-integrated photovoltaics (FIPV) present a promising yet early-stage solution for mitigating building emissions. Combining global building datasets, climate projections and façade-scale simulations, researchers estimate that FIPV could deliver substantial economic and climate benefits.Pioneering Spanish experience in climate shelters practice
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 20 March 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02587-z
As cities heat up, climate shelters are increasingly vital for protecting people from extreme heat. Beyond temporary emergency stopgaps, Spain’s pioneering experience shows how climate, health and governance align to turn these spaces into enduring infrastructures of care and resilience.Misbehaviour dominates GHG emissions from food loss and waste
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 19 March 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02596-y
Food loss and waste (FLW) is a major source of global GHG emissions, yet its drivers and mitigation potential remain understudied. By attributing FLW to techno-economic and misbehavioural drivers, this study shows misbehaviour dominates FLW emissions and offers substantial mitigation potential.Wind-triggered Antarctic sea-ice decline preconditioned by thinning Winter Water
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 18 March 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02601-4
Antarctic sea ice declined sharply between 2015 and 2017, and this study uses ocean observations and atmospheric data to determine contributing factors. The authors show that thinning of Winter Water in the previous decade, followed by strong winds, brought warm deep water into contact with sea ice.International trade reduces emissions through technology transfer led by key emitters
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 17 March 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02595-z
Technology advancement is essential for climate action, yet the uneven distribution of technological progress across the world can slow mitigation. Through empirical and scenario analysis, researchers find that participating in trade agreements could enhance technological transfers and lead to emission reductions.Technological advances mitigate the impact of climate change on electric vehicle battery lifetimes
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 16 March 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02581-5
We combined electric vehicle simulation and battery degradation models with high-resolution downscaled climate data for 300 global cities. Climate change was predicted to reduce battery lifetime by 8% on average for batteries manufactured between 2010 and 2018 versus 3% for batteries produced after 2019. Thus, technological advances in electric vehicle battery manufacturing demonstrate important climate adaptation co-benefits.