Nature Climate Change
A shrinking buffer
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 14 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02699-6
The timescale on which river runoff reacts to glacier melt changes differs strongly between individual basins. Here we discuss how an article published in 2018 linked the buffering role of glaciers to future seasonal runoff losses, and how later work has extended this insight towards drought, water resources and the consequences for downstream societies.Building local adaptive capacity for health
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 14 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02695-w
Enhancing local adaptive capacity to reduce extreme weather-related health harms is essential in a warming world; understanding and sharing strategies that work helps to scale-up impact. Now a study focusing on China highlights the role of institutions, infrastructure and cities.Ecology is not at risk of a methodological balance crisis
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 13 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02706-w
Ecology is not at risk of a methodological balance crisisCo-benefit premiums can enhance nature-based climate solutions
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 08 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02690-1
Carbon markets reward the climate mitigation benefits of nature-based solutions but rarely value their broader societal impacts. Creating markets for verified co-benefits, such as coastal protection and biodiversity, could redirect investment towards projects that deliver larger gains for both people and climate.Seals in changing seas dive longer
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 07 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02703-z
Seals in changing seas dive longerRoots respond to phosphorus limitation
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 07 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02701-1
Roots respond to phosphorus limitationFemale climate leadership
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 07 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02704-y
Female climate leadershipShifts in experiencing downpours
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 07 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02702-0
Shifts in experiencing downpoursResponsible carbon accounting
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 07 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02707-9
Carbon accounting shapes how climate responsibility is allocated, and expanding existing frameworks could provide a stronger basis for effective and equitable climate action.Nepal’s swift embrace of electric vehicles
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 07 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02588-y
The rapid electrification of Nepal’s automobile sector in just five years shows how a robust mix of policies and incentives can catapult climate action.Future-proofing interpretations of the Paris Agreement’s limit of well below 2 °C
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 07 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02685-y
Here the authors show that a common interpretation of the Paris Agreement’s ‘well below 2° C’ target is changing with time, which could lead to higher overall warming. They propose that using median temperatures instead of probability ranges is more robust.People systematically under- and overestimate public engagement in climate action
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 07 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02668-z
Unlike previous work showing that people underestimate others’ support for climate action, this study finds systematic pluralistic ignorance in both directions: frequent attitudes and actual behaviours are underestimated but rare ones are overestimated. This can be explained by general cognitive processes.Publisher Correction: Multi-centennial response of marine carbon pumps to global warming
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 01 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02719-5
Publisher Correction: Multi-centennial response of marine carbon pumps to global warmingWarming dominates over circulation slowdown in reducing marine carbon storage under high-mitigation scenarios
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 30 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02687-w
The ocean absorbs a vast amount of carbon dioxide, mitigating climate change. The projected decrease in this absorption is often attributed to a global-warming-induced slowdown in circulation, but analysis using a mechanistic carbon decomposition and attribution framework reveals that the carbon cycle response depends on the emissions trajectory — with warming dominating under low-emission, high-mitigation scenarios.Uncovering the unequal geography of climate change
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 30 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02674-1
Understanding the socioeconomic impact of climate change at fine scale is essential for promoting real-world actions. Here I look back at a 2018 paper that disaggregated the global economic damages from climate change and discuss how high granularity analyses advance climate impact research and policy progress.Residual emissions may perpetuate community-scale inequalities in US air pollution
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 30 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02675-0
The scale of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) could determine the extent of co-emitted air pollutants in net-zero scenarios and potential health impacts. By linking a series of models and datasets, researchers find that low-CDR pathways lead to a more equitable distribution of health benefits across the USA.Distinguishing leaf scorching from senescence under climate extremes
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 26 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02682-1
Distinguishing leaf scorching from senescence under climate extremesExtreme heat and the limits of tree and forest resilience
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 26 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02679-w
The 2021 Pacific Northwest heat dome shows how acute thermal stress challenges prevailing assumptions about ecological resilience and adaptation. Extreme heat events are revealing physiological limits in forests that are not captured by conventional climate risk frameworks.The continuous global greening under climate change
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 26 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02681-2
Global greening has persisted under climate change, with feedbacks for Earth’s future climate. Here I look back on a critical 2016 study that resolved the patterns and drivers of global greening and consider how this work influences studies to monitor, model and manage greening.Mental health as both outcome and determinant in climate adaptation
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 26 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02673-2
Mental health should not be viewed solely as a passive outcome of climate adaptation. Rather, it serves as a key determinant of cognitive capacity and shapes the effectiveness of climate adaptation. Here we call for the integration of mental health into adaptation assessments and policy implementation.