Nature Sustainability

Nature Sustainability, Published online: 01 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41893-026-01932-6 The livelihood of people in poor coastal areas depends directly on local ecosystems, but such reliance is not well documented. With data from across 156 Indo-Pacific communities, this study examines the relationship between seagrass-associated fishing and household poverty.

Nature Sustainability, Published online: 31 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41893-026-01923-7 Balancing food and energy security is a key priority for Indonesia, but the associated land conversion could induce deforestation. This study examines how best to optimize energy security (biodiesel blend ratios of 50%) and food security (rice cropping) given land constraints and current policy.

Nature Sustainability, Published online: 26 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41893-026-01927-3 Evidence from a multi-country analysis of 9.2 million cancer deaths suggests that traffic-sourced PM2.5 might contribute to the short-term PM2.5-related cancer mortality burden to a much greater extent than would be expected from its share of total PM2.5 concentration.

Nature Sustainability, Published online: 24 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41893-026-01918-4 Millions of people are impacted by land subsidence, which is accelerated by human-induced drivers. Across Europe, research and policy is focused on managing these drivers and mitigating their influence, with data and monitoring infrastructure playing a key role in tackling future challenges.

Nature Sustainability, Published online: 25 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41893-026-01915-7 Debates over public land management in the USA have been divided between extractive use and environmental protection until the passage of major laws and consequent litigation cases. Through a historical lens, this Perspective shows the gradual move towards social-ecological systems management to emphasize resi…

Nature Sustainability, Published online: 28 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41893-026-01928-2 Resource recovery from alcohol-laden wastewater remains challenging due to intrinsic limitations of current treatment technologies. This study introduces a membrane-free electrochemical system that safely and efficiently upcycles alcohol wastewater into valuable chemicals and hydrogen.

Nature Sustainability, Published online: 25 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41893-026-01922-8 Directly converting captured carbon dioxide into fuels and chemicals could make carbon capture more efficient by avoiding energy-intensive solvent regeneration. This Review discusses the reaction pathways, key challenges and strategies for achieving high carbon conversion.

Nature Sustainability, Published online: 21 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41893-026-01925-5 Cancer is an important public health concern globally, but whether cancer patients face increased risks of mortality from traffic-contributed air pollution is unclear. The authors assess the contributions of traffic-sourced fine particulate matter pollution to cancer mortality across eight countries from 2000 …

Nature Sustainability, Published online: 18 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41893-026-01924-6 Hunting wildlife for food and trade purposes (for example, pets, ornaments) can contribute to species extinctions, warranting informed policy and interventions to curb overexploitation. Towards such goals, the authors here estimate the spatial footprint of hunting probability across the global tropics.

Nature Sustainability, Published online: 18 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41893-026-01877-w Arctic transit routes offer economic gains from shorter voyages but increase regional black carbon deposition on snow and ice. A study now models the economic benefits and climate impacts of Arctic transit shipping through 2050, exploring the trade-offs of different policies.

Nature Sustainability, Published online: 12 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41893-026-01926-4 Author Correction: Biodiversity recovery is slow following clear-cut harvest of boreal forests

Nature Sustainability, Published online: 18 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41893-026-01878-9 Shipping remains almost entirely reliant on fossil fuels, and identifying viable fuel transition pathways under evolving regulations is a key challenge. A study now evaluates 13 alternative marine fuels for the Asia–Europe corridor, revealing phased transitions shaped by policy design and timing.

Nature Sustainability, Published online: 13 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41893-026-01916-6 Practical application of perovskite solar cells requires scalable fabrication in ambient environments. Here the authors introduce PNCC, a hole-transport co-polymer that enables ambient-fabricated devices to achieve certified efficiencies of 33.0% in tandem cells and 23.2% in modules.

Nature Sustainability, Published online: 18 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41893-026-01907-7 Along the Asia–Europe shipping corridor, biofuels offer the strongest near-term option, potentially cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 31–47%, while electrofuels become more competitive after 2040 under the International Maritime Organization Net-Zero Framework. Policymakers could therefore adopt a phased str…

Nature Sustainability, Published online: 18 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41893-026-01891-y Maritime shipping is a leading vector for marine bioinvasions, and ballast water regulations now apply to all international ships. A study now shows that growth in shipping traffic could amplify the global invasion risk to 94–900% of the 2018 baseline by 2100, even under widespread treatment compliance.

Nature Sustainability, Published online: 18 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41893-026-01919-3 Technological progress can help address the environmental impacts of shipping, but implementing solutions remains slow and problematic. Understanding shipping as a complex physical, economic and governance system is the key to accelerating a sustainable transition.

Nature Sustainability, Published online: 28 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41893-026-01874-z Indigenous Lands are critical for protecting Indigenous Peoples and the Amazon. Yet, they are increasingly exposed to socio-environmental frontiers, bringing violence, illegal resource extraction and deforestation. Urgent action is required to prevent irreversible harm to both people and forests, particularly in…

Nature Sustainability, Published online: 27 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41893-026-01902-y Algal blooms severely threaten water safety, but conventional algae elimination methods are chemical-intense. This study presents a zero-valent copper microporous filter capable of removing algal cells and other harmful pollutants from aquaculture water without chemical input.

Nature Sustainability, Published online: 23 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41893-026-01899-4 Developing indicators, and the methodologies behind them, should make space for participatory approaches if we are to shape interventions equitably and effectively, argues Dilek Fraisl.

Nature Sustainability, Published online: 23 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41893-026-01889-6 Post-growth debates largely ignore China, despite its key position in the world economy, leaving a gap in sustainability discourse. This Perspective examines China’s role in a post-growth transition, comparing post-growth principles with China’s development model.