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: 3 hours 39 min ago
Green backlash and right-wing populism
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 29 July 2025; doi:10.1038/s41558-025-02384-0
This Review considers research on the politics of climate policies. Climate policies, through their economic and cultural repercussions, impact public climate attitudes and voting behaviour, which in turn affect election outcomes and future policies.Wind droughts threaten energy reliability
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 28 July 2025; doi:10.1038/s41558-025-02383-1
Wind energy is helping to mitigate climate change. But now a study shows that climate change may make wind power less reliable.Reduction of methane emissions through improved landfill management
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 28 July 2025; doi:10.1038/s41558-025-02391-1
Solid waste disposal is a major source of anthropogenic methane, yet estimating these emissions is difficult. Here the authors use satellite data to assess emissions from high-emitting landfills and find that transforming open sites to sanitary landfills could offer a large mitigation potential.Prolonged wind droughts in a warming climate threaten global wind power security
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 28 July 2025; doi:10.1038/s41558-025-02387-x
Prolonged low wind speeds can lead to a strong reduction in wind power generation. Here, the authors show that such wind drought events become more frequent and extended under global warming, threatening energy security in some regions.Antarctic phytoplankton communities restructure under shifting sea-ice regimes
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 25 July 2025; doi:10.1038/s41558-025-02379-x
The authors use a machine learning approach and in situ pigment samples to identify summer shifts (1997–2023) in the abundance and composition of Antarctic phytoplankton. While smaller phytoplankton groups generally increased, diatom chlorophyll a broadly decreased, with putative impacts on food webs and the carbon sink.Heatwaves disrupt prey behaviour
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 22 July 2025; doi:10.1038/s41558-025-02393-z
Sublethal impacts of heat on reproductive outcomes are beginning to be considered as important drivers of population persistence under climate change. Now, research shows that the impact of transient heat on antipredator behaviours may be an underappreciated source of variation that could have far-reaching implications for survival.Warmer ecosystems save their breath
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 18 July 2025; doi:10.1038/s41558-025-02382-2
Land stores vast amounts of carbon, and how much of it is released as temperatures rise could accelerate climate change. Now research shows ecosystems are more adaptable to climate warming than previously thought, potentially reducing future carbon–climate feedbacks.Thermal adaptation of respiration in terrestrial ecosystems alleviates carbon loss
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 18 July 2025; doi:10.1038/s41558-025-02377-z
Terrestrial ecosystems are expected to release more carbon under warming due to temperature-driven increases in ecosystem respiration. Here the authors use eddy covariance data to show that respiration may adapt to warmer temperatures and carbon losses may be lower than expected.Consequential differences in satellite-era sea surface temperature trends across datasets
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 11 July 2025; doi:10.1038/s41558-025-02362-6
Global datasets of surface temperature and sea surface temperature (SST) are routinely used in climate change studies. Here the authors show that while surface temperature datasets closely agree, four main SST datasets show substantial variation, with implications for their application.Marine heatwaves select for thermal tolerance in a reef-building coral
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 10 July 2025; doi:10.1038/s41558-025-02381-3
The authors evaluate heritable genetic variation in thermal tolerance in a common reef-building coral. They show widespread heritable genetic variation, which is strongly associated with marine heatwave-imposed selective pressure, suggesting adaptation to climate warming.Amplified warming accelerates deoxygenation in the Arctic Ocean
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 09 July 2025; doi:10.1038/s41558-025-02376-0
Rapid warming of the global ocean and amplified Arctic warming will alter the ocean biogeochemistry. Here the authors show that Atlantic water inflow, and the subsequent subduction and circulation, is reducing dissolved oxygen in the Arctic due to reduced solubility with increased temperatures.Challenges of institutional adaptation
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 08 July 2025; doi:10.1038/s41558-025-02388-w
Adaptation efforts require responsive and adaptive institutions. Some progress has been made, but more systematic institutional adaptation is needed given the growing climate hazards.Avoid urban development policy that fuels climate risk
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 08 July 2025; doi:10.1038/s41558-025-02365-3
Urban development policies, designed to improve city resilience, could unintentionally increase the exposure to climate risk. This Comment discusses the impact of misaligned incentives, miscalculated benefits and costs, and overlooked behavioural responses on policy outcomes, as well as future directions.