Environmental Risk and Climate Change III

Dear Colleagues,

2023 marked the warmest year on record in human history. In 2023, the United Nations Convention Framework on Climate Change 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) in Dubai resulted in major successes towards reducing greenhouse gases. For example, industry and governments worked together to create a novel billion-dollar Loss and Damage Fund to support small island states and other at-risk countries to build a more climate-resilient society. Long-term commitments were also made: over the next ten years, countries around the world have agreed to produce more than double the current renewable energy and to maintain energy efficiency over the next decade. The urgency of reducing highly polluting methane gas was addressed by oil companies. COP28 also featured a historic commitment to account for carbon dioxide emissions (and other greenhouse gases) in the food sector and a transformative commitment to promote a just transition and to expedite the shift from fossil fuels toward clean energy.

While there is a need for even more ambitious climate action, we are beginning to see significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions by organizations around the world. This should improve climate resilience to allow the most vulnerable nations to migitate, adapt, and respond to the damaging impacts of climate change.

While these series of decisions are a good start, this Special Issue focuses on the remaining challenges linked to climate change. It is argued that a systems of systems perspective is required. This involves a transformative, multidisciplinary approach to reduce the impacts of global climate change. We encourage authors to include economic, social, political, and environmental dimensions in their climate change research. What specifically are novel financial instruments, social policies, and technologic solutions that can best mitigate the effects of climate change? As global temperature increases, there is an urgent need to explore new solutions and fully implement past agreements. Accordingly, this Special Issue is seeking timely, valuable, and original papers that describe creative solutions for climate risk issues. Both technical and socio-ecological perspectives are needed to address climate change at the local and global levels. Therefore, this Special Issue encourages a systems approach to present state-of-the-art climate solutions. In this way, it will help to transform society, prepare governments, and train a climate-ready workforce to adapt to a shifting climate.

The publications in the first and second volume, which we believe may be of interest to you, can be found here: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/environments/special_issues/climate_risk_2016 and https://www.mdpi.com/journal/environments/special_issues/O089LLTFZJ. 

Prof. Dr. Jason Levy
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Environments is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• systems of systems solutions for climate change
• case studies on climate change
• socio-ecologic vulnerability
• climate change and sustainability, resilience, and vulnerability
• environmental risk
• land use change and climate change, societal change, or policy
• change as a driver
• unions and the just transition to climate jobs
• models and analytical tools for modeling climate change
• poverty and marginalized populations under a changing climate