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.
Updated: 48 min 38 sec ago
Climate change drives ecological novelty and new social challenges
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 19 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02672-3
Ecosystems are changing rapidly because of climate change, and this will have increasing social effects around the globe. We suggest that common social responses to rising novelty are often counterproductive, and we advocate for strategies that also allow for acceptance and adaptation to changes in nature.Comprehensive national climate damage assessments framework applied to the UK
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 19 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02665-2
The economic impact of climate change has been widely acknowledged, yet current assessments remain fragmented and uncertain. Researchers develop a comprehensive channel-specific framework, apply it to the UK and show that the potential welfare loss could be much larger than previous estimates.Temperate local extinctions from climate change are outpacing tropical extinctions
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 18 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02669-y
The authors analyse global-scale resurvey data for 5,151 species to reveal the sensitivity of tropical versus temperate species to climate change. They show significantly higher frequencies of local extinction in temperate species than in tropical species, linked to faster warming at high latitudes.Author Correction: Priority science can accelerate agroforestry as a natural climate solution
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 17 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02693-y
Author Correction: Priority science can accelerate agroforestry as a natural climate solutionAttributing carbon to capital owners
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 17 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02654-5
Greenhouse gas emissions are typically attributed to where they are produced or consumed. A recent analysis traces them to capital owners, revealing a stronger concentration and offering new perspectives on how they are distributed — and why it matters.Globally constrained forest biophysical cooling benefits under rising atmospheric dryness
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 17 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02677-y
The biophysical effects of forests on climate are important for mitigation, but the impacts of climate change on these effects are unclear. This study shows that vapour pressure deficit is the primary driver of trends in forest biophysical cooling, regulated by plant anisohydricity.Global inequalities in ownership-based carbon footprints
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 17 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02662-5
An ownership-based approach to carbon accounting is emerging alongside production- and consumption-based frameworks. This study provides global estimates, identifies which countries are net owners of emissions abroad and traces the concentration of ownership emissions among top wealth groups.An early warning system to forecast biodiversity risks of extreme temperatures
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 16 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02641-w
Climate change is predicted to increase extremes of weather, affecting ecosystems and resulting in biodiversity losses. We leveraged advances in climate seasonal forecasts to develop an early warning system that helps identify exposure of species to extreme temperatures. The forecasts provided by this system can guide the implementation of mitigation measures.Asymmetric intensification increases global disparities in cropland use and emissions
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 16 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02666-1
The authors classify cropland and emissions changes for 174 countries over 30 years. They highlight the asymmetric intensification of global disparities, with imports from countries with high emissions intensities and low-efficiency cropland expansion rising 4.2-fold since 1992.Human-driven sea-level rise has quadrupled the frequency of coastal sea-level extremes since 1900
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 10 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02659-0
Sea-level rise in conjunction with storm surge and tidal variations leads to extreme sea levels that threaten coastal systems. Here the authors use tide-gauge data and models to quantify how anthropogenic climate change has increased the risk of these extreme sea-level events since 1900.Author Correction: Rising temperatures increase added sugar intake disproportionately in disadvantaged groups in the USA
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 10 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02689-8
Author Correction: Rising temperatures increase added sugar intake disproportionately in disadvantaged groups in the USAIncreasing tropical cyclone rainfall and landslide risk in Southern California
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 10 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02633-w
Southern California is rarely affected by tropical cyclones at present. Here the authors show that this could change with warming, leading to an increase in landslide risk that is expected to disproportionately affect low-income households.Current state of affairs
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 09 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02683-0
As climate change impacts are increasingly apparent, there are changes in society and the political landscape that need to be considered.Early signs that the EU carbon border adjustment mechanism is reshaping EU–India steel trade
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 08 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02607-y
The EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) was introduced to curb carbon leakage, but its impact is debated. Using export and emissions data from Indian steel plants, researchers show early evidence that the CBAM could penalize high-emission producers, rather than act as a blanket trade barrier.A global early warning system for predicting exposure of biodiversity to extreme heat
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 08 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02642-9
The authors develop an early warning system to predict the risks of extreme temperatures for 30,585 vertebrates 1–9 months in advance. They identify species and regions at risk and highlight the potential for early warning systems to maximize management activities that mitigate negative outcomes.Methane eaters cannot speed up enough
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 05 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02656-3
Global warming boosts freshwater methane production. Now, a study shows that methane oxidizing bacteria cannot increase their methane consumption rates enough in response to warming-induced enhancement of methane availability, leading to higher emissions.Blue carbon projects must uphold the land and sea rights of coastal peoples
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 05 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02643-8
Blue carbon brings new interest in the land and sea rights of coastal communities, small-scale fishers and Indigenous peoples. While promises of climate mitigation, conservation and economic benefits are compelling, blue carbon projects must uphold local agency and rights as a legal and ethical duty, not just as conditional for project approval.A fixed methane filter maximizes freshwater emissions under warming
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 05 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02649-2
How the balance of microbial methane production and oxidation in freshwater systems will change with warming is unclear. This study uses natural warming experiments to demonstrate that methane emissions increase because oxidation keeps pace with, but cannot exceed, warming-accelerated production.Respecting tenure and the bundle of rights in blue carbon guidance
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 05 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02651-8
Blue carbon projects are expanding, yet their implications for tenure security remain uncertain. Analysis of 122 guidance documents reveals that rights are narrowly interpreted and key international obligations are overlooked, leaving rightsholders vulnerable to dispossession and exclusion.Shifting hail hazard under global warming and effects on crop hail risk
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 03 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02660-7
How hailstorms change with warming is not well understood. Here the authors use global projections with different hail proxies to show that hail-prone conditions shift polewards under warming, also shifting crop risk related to hail hazards.