Biodiversity loss and carbon emissions dominate the damages caused by the top ten percent of consumers, with the highest bills seen in wealthier countries, according to a study monetizing this group’s planetary boundary impacts

Climate policy support varied more across cultural worldviews than biodiversity policy support, according to a nationwide survey of 1,133 people in Japan measuring cultural worldviews, values of nature, risk perceptions, and environmental policy support.

Microbial phospholipids and triacylglycerols reach minimum selling prices of 14.2 and 10 US dollars per kilogram, according to a conceptual modeling study of methane- and methanol-based lipid production using European waste-derived feedstocks.

Renewable potential alone is insufficient to ensure water-sustainable hydrogen production, particularly for solar-powered electrolysis in arid and semi-arid regions, suggests a thermodynamic and spatial modeling study linking cooling demand, water scarcity and renewable capacity.

From 2000–2019, sustainable development progressed unevenly. Most places saw decline in at least one area, while only a few improved across all four. Carbon emissions, air pollution, nighttime light and vegetation often changed in different directions, revealing tradeoffs and spatial inequality.

Average progressivity masks within-group inequalities, according to a study using household budget data from 23 European countries to estimate household impacts of higher road fuel prices.

Biomass and waste conversion studies often lack feedstock details needed to interpret circularity claims. This Scopus-based evidence map of 133,832 labelled feedstock items provides a reusable dictionary, labelling workflow and minimum evidence conditions for transparent comparisons

Regions with the highest particulate pollution contribute the fewest studies and remain understudied, according to a study that used large language models to analyze more than 55,000 publications and link research activity to environmental and socioeconomic indicators.

By 2030, ambient carbonation will capture about 0.23 gigatons of carbon dioxide each year, under 10 percent of cement emissions, indicating minor impact, according to thermodynamic and diffusion analyses within a Monte Carlo framework across concrete types and geometries.

Ecological activity varies across space and time and shapes potential exposure to ocean alkalinity enhancement, as revealed by an index integrating ecological and human use datasets for a quantitative baseline.

Research and innovation in agrifood systems can advance global goals, yet their complexity demands clearer guidance. Here, using a German agrifood research program, we show how integrating sustainability goals into transition pathways builds sustainability goal literacy and supports mission-oriented research.

Canada’s forest disturbance costs have been rising quickly. This Comment proposes that silviculture must be reframed as a risk mitigation tool under an ‘avoided costs’ framework, as proactive investments become essential to prevent far greater damage to society and ecosystems.

Complex supply chains pose an enormous challenge for decarbonising the chemical industry in the face of pressure to move towards net-zero emissions. A comment by Bakkaloglu and co-authors argues that transparency, traceability, and end-to-end governance can incentivise companies to invest in verified emissions reductions within their own value chains.

Clean technology is needed to meet India’s demand for food and fuel without compromising environmental and human health. Green ammonia production could help to boost low-carbon fuel and nitrogen fertilizer production for domestic use and export, and to innovate energy and food systems.

Successful solutions for a more sustainable world will only become broadly acceptable through vigorous and transparent debate across diverse perspectives. We are launching Communications Sustainability to host these discussions and to inform them with rigorous research.

The loss of major health surveys once backed by the United States Agency for International Development and proposed cuts to environmental programs threaten the tracking of sustainable development. Citizen science can and should be central to building stronger, more resilient data systems.