As nations and organizations convene for the 29th annual United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP29), their representatives will consider practical climate actions to limit the increase in global average temperature to no more than 1.5°C above preindustrial levels.
That landmark goal of the Paris Agreement was alluded to in “Roadmap to Mission 1.5°C,” a letter issued earlier this year by the president of COP29, to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, as well as by the presidents of COP28 (held in 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates) and COP30 (which will be held in 2025 in Belém, Brazil). The road map encourages parties to support one another’s “ambition and priorities,” to prompt “the mobilization and provision of technical and financial resources” to reach the goal of 1.5°C, and to make use of “existing mechanisms, processes and stakeholders” to contribute to sustainable development.
In this special edition of Eos, we take deep dives into climate actions that engage with such a road map. And speaking of roads…
“Can the Belt and Road Go Green?” asks Mark Betancourt’s survey of China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative, which winds through almost every corner of the globe and whose infrastructure hints at climate action in fits and starts.
The global impacts of climate change, and the necessity of cooperative action to mitigate it, are beautifully illustrated in “World Wide Climate,” our standout poster from illustrator Mary Heinrichs and writer Kimberly M. S. Cartier. Climate impacts and strategies to combat them are highlighted in instances from Machu Picchu to Madagascar, Rapa Nui to Rome, Agra to AGU headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Although the effects of climate change are global, they are not equally distributed, as noted in “Poorer Countries Face Heavier Consequences of Climate Change,” as well as in specific case studies surrounding drought in East Africa and sea level change in Baku’s backyard, the Caspian Sea.
“Climate change doesn’t communicate itself,” the authors of the opinion “From Newsworthiness to News Usefulness in Climate Change Research” remind us. They outline innovative approaches for communicating science, and “Framing the Next Decadal Survey for a Warming World” considers the importance of relevant and forward-thinking frameworks when collating the data to communicate.
Here at Eos, we regularly publish news sharing how science and science policies can help pave the road to climate action, as well as the potholes and off-ramps such roads can sometimes offer. We hope the stories in this special issue help inspire climate action at COP29 and beyond.
—Caryl-Sue Micalizio, Editor in Chief