Nature Climate Change

Genetically engineered crops increase climate resilience of US fields

2026-09-18

Analyses of four decades of data show that genetically engineered varieties of corn, soybean and cotton raised average yields, reduced year-on-year yield variability and blunted the climate-driven northward drift of crop production. These findings indicate that biotechnology is an under-recognized instrument of climate adaptation.

New labour and agricultural damages improve climate cost estimates

2026-09-16

Frances C. Moore, Iman Haqiqi, Qinqin Kong, Lisa Rennels, Uris Baldos, Hamsa Ganapathi, Matthew Huber, Thomas Hertel

Heat stress reduces labour productivity, but economy-wide assessments are mostly missing. Using high-resolution projections and global economic modelling, the authors provide new cost estimates, and updated agricultural damages improve confidence in the social cost of carbon.

Marine carbon removal at a crossroads

2026-09-14

Peter I. Macreadie, Finn Brown, Finn Ross

Marine carbon dioxide removal must advance through rigorous, transparent science, but caution cannot become paralysis. With billions of tonnes of carbon removal likely to be needed each year, we need to test promising approaches responsibly while uncertainty remains.

Compound and heterogeneous relationships between climate extremes and global net migration

2026-09-11

Kristina Petrova, Karim Zantout, Sandra Zimmermann, Venla Niva, Matti Kummu, Katja Frieler, Jacob Schewe

Climate extremes influence migration, but their long-term and compounding impacts are understudied. The authors show that associations between climate extremes and migration vary by hazard type, timing, the occurrence of consecutive events and local socioeconomic conditions.

Divergence between physical and emotional heat resilience in Chinese cities

2026-09-11

Shiqi Zhou, Weiyi Jia, Yixuan Zou, Xiaodong Xu, Haowen Xu, Hui Chen, Mo Wang, Cong Guo, Bao-Jie He, Pan Feng, Zhangli Hu, Yongqi Lou, Fangzheng Li, Jiaping Liu, Zhiqiang Wu

Heatwaves threaten both physical and mental health, yet physical heat exposure and emotional responses often diverge. The study shows that 84.9% of Chinese cities experienced severe emotional shocks, compared with 52.1% facing severe heat exposure, driven by socioeconomic and environmental factors.

Greening masks stability loss in drylands

2026-09-10

Wen Zhang, David J. P. Moore, Yang Li, Natasha MacBean, Andrew F. Feldman, Christopher R. Schwalm, Yanghui Kang, Julia K. Green, Benjamin Poulter, Mostafa Javadian, Russell L. Scott, Zexi Shen, Youngryel Ryu, Sungchan Jeong, Sasha C. Reed, William K. Smith

The authors consider greening trends and interannual variability, linked to ecosystem stability, in dryland ecosystems across 40 years (1982–2020). They show persistent greening yet increased interannual variability, with the latter driven by increasing rainfall sensitivity.

Where global warming meets urban development

2026-09-10

Andrew Sudmant

Global warming and urban development combine to shape the temperatures people experience in cities. Here I revisit a 2016 attribution study of urban warming in China and consider what its legacy reveals about urban climate knowledge, responsibility and action.

Physiological flexibility in changing climates

2026-09-09

John S. Terblanche

How much ectothermic animals can rely on plastic adjustments in their physiology remains a central challenge when forecasting climate change impacts. Here, I look back on a 2015 paper that examined the role of physiological plasticity in thermal performance and discuss subsequent research and broader conservation implications.