Escalating marine plastic pollution has been harmful for marine ecosystems. Here the authors evaluate the relative ecological risks posed by marine plastic globally through different exposure pathways including ingestion, entanglement, pollutant adsorption and additive leaching.

Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas with a large decadal-scale impact on climate change. Accounting for climate and ecological feedback loops can help mitigate its impact.

Increasing transparency about firms’ reporting of environmental impacts is especially important in the context of a growing ocean economy. This study analyses the content of sustainability and annual reports from 75 of the largest companies across 8 sectors of the ocean economy.

Developing strategies for reducing carbon emissions in municipal solid waste management is essential to achieve the net-zero target. Here the authors systematically assess strategy options of different countries for achieving net-zero municipal solid waste management.

Little is known about the environmental benefits of housing reallocation. This study fills the gap, presenting an information-enabled housing exchange framework that, in the case of Beijing, Munich and Singapore, could substantially reduce the carbon emissions from commuting.

Understanding the emission patterns of chlorinated and brominated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (Cl/BrPAHs), a group of persistent organic pollutants, is critical to control them. This study presents a global inventory and source attribution analysis of Cl/BrPAH emissions.

The decarbonization of oil and gas companies may not be as speedy or robust as advertised. This analysis finds that renewable energies make up just a minor fraction of the total energy production by the biggest companies globally.

All-solid-state batteries require external high pressure for good contact between the solid electrolyte and electrodes. Here the authors introduce iodine anions into electrolytes to form interphases that adapt to morphology at the interface, lifting the dependence on high pressure.

Radiative cooling is an emerging technology for cooling with reduced energy consumption. Here the authors present photoluminescent composites that combine subambient cooling with aesthetic colour, hydrophobicity and durability.

This study examines the outcomes of dietary shifts across intrinsic and instrumental conservation perspectives, finding that most conservation benefits already come from a partial shift to healthier, more plant-based diets, whereas greater benefits depend on more targeted conservation action.

Lack of transparency and standardization in experimental design and performance evaluation hinders the real-world applications of advanced oxidation processes — critical technologies in wastewater treatment. Here, we highlight the common pitfalls in advanced oxidation process research and propose practices to guide future studies.

Nature-based climate solutions tend to overlook Africa’s diverse contexts and development priorities. We propose six guiding principles centred on the aspirations of African peoples, recognizing the cultural connection of communities to their environments and the role of biodiversity in sustaining livelihoods and identities.

Volker Sieber, Chair of the Global Bioeconomy Alliance (GBA) and Rector of the Straubing Campus at the Technical University of Munich, Dulce Siqueira Silva, President of the University Rankings Commission at the Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), and Gerhard Schenk, Secretary of the GBA and Coordinator of Bioeconomy Research at the University of Queensland, talk to Nature Sustainability about the mission, success and prospects of the GBA.

Oil drilling has been proposed at the mouth of the Amazon River in one of the most protected states in the Brazilian Amazon, Amapá. If the pending project is approved, drilling is likely to go ahead in 19 other oil blocks in this region, where biodiversity and the socio-economic well-being of local populations could be at risk.

How can sustainability science avoid paralysis in the face of complexity and ensure it catalyses meaningful action? The key lies in practising the science and art of simplexity, argues Bassel Daher.

It is becoming increasingly clear that animal cultures have intrinsic, irreplaceable value, and yet they are not adequately protected by preserving habitat. The time has come for UNESCO to explicitly protect non-human cultural heritage alongside human heritage.