Kyoto, Japan -- In April 2021 the United States hosted the Leaders Summit on Climate, where many of the world's most powerful countries -- and largest carbon emitters -- committed to net-zero emissions targets. Many also made pledges to divest from fossil fuels and invest in green finance. Since then, the capacity for renewable energy and sales of electric vehicles have increased. Yet progress toward system-level transformations is still moving at a snail's pace.

Meeting these targets will depend on commitments from more than just the wealthiest nations. Given the size of their populations, economies, and greenhouse gas emissions, developing economies in Southeast Asia will also play essential roles in the transition to net-zero.

In a new book, a collaborative team of researchers including Akihisa Mori from Kyoto University, focuses on the net-zero transition in Southeast Asia, applying the lessons from the Leaders Summit on Climate to these countries. The researchers wanted to understand whether financial pledges, such as fossil fuel divestment and green finance, can help financial systems overcome the tradeoff between net-zero transitions and sustainable development in emerging markets and developing economies.

School at the State University of Campinas (Brazil) is an interdisciplinary forum designed to help students understand one of today’s most urgent environmental challenges. Applicants should apply by April 10.

University of Phoenix announces the publication of “Harnessing AI, Virtual Landscapes, and Anthropomorphic Imaginaries to Enhance Environmental Science Education at Jökulsárlón Proglacial Lagoon, Iceland” in Glacies. The peer-reviewed study, which examines how character-driven narratives and human-centered AI can support adult learners in their understanding of complex scientific ideas, is authored by Jacquelyn Kelly, Ph.D., associate dean, College of General Studies; Dianna Gielstra, Ph.D., full‑time faculty, Environmental Science Program, College of General Studies; Tomáš J. Oberding, Ph.D., full‑time faculty, Environmental Science Program, College of General Studies; Jim Bruno, MBA, associate dean, College of Business and Information Technology; and Stephanie Cosentino, MAEd, senior instructional designer, University of Phoenix.

The Organic Field Crop Production and Marketing Meeting will be hosted at the Vegetable Research Station near Kibler, Arkansas, on April 7 to connect grain farmers with organic market opportunities and to showcase ongoing organic research in the state. The event, which is free and open to the public, is focused on connecting growers interested in exploring organic production with buyers from the region to discuss market opportunities for organic grain crops. The organic field day also involves partners from the USDA’s Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative project, as well as the Natural Soybean and Grain Alliance, the Center for Arkansas Farms and Food, Winrock International, the Rodale Institute, and University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture researchers.

In the International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing, study found that transistors built with this technique achieved high electron mobility and ultra-low resistance, bypassing the strict physical limitations that have historically stalled the scalable industrial production of 2D electronics. The approach also hints that deliberate structural imperfections can be engineered to solve interface bottlenecks without damaging fragile device components.