HKU Press: https://www.hku.hk/press/press-releases/detail/29302.html Faculty of Social Science: https://web.socsc.hku.hk/school_news/hku-researchers-reveal-hidden-climate-threat-pm2-5-pollution-undermines-plant-water-use-efficiency-and-carbon-uptake/ Researchers of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) have discovered that fine particulate pollution (PM2.5) significantly impairs the ability of plants to efficiently use water and absorb carbon dio

Towards an equitable future of global photovoltaic waste recycling The world’s rapid push for solar energy is creating a mounting waste crisis that could see nearly 400 million tonnes of retired photovoltaic panels accumulate by 2060, according to a new study published in Nature. This study provides a comprehensive global assessment of photovoltaic waste generation and recycling strategies. Solar photovoltaics have become the fastest‑growing source of clean energy worldwide,

HKU Press: http://www.hku.hk/press/news_detail_29204.html Faculty of Social Science: https://web.socsc.hku.hk/school_news/hku-research-reveals-unintended-climate-trade-off-clean-air-policies-intensify-urban-heat-island-in-humid-cities/ Researchers at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) have uncovered a critical, underrecognized trade-off in global environmental policies: while essential for improving public health, large-scale air pollution reductions are unintentionally intens

Climate Change, Revealing the distributional effects of expanding climate targets beyond CO₂ Recently, Professor Kuishuang Feng from the Department of Geography at The University of Hong Kong, in collaboration with multiple domestic and international research teams, has made significant progress in the field of climate change mitigation policies and social justice. The related findings have been published online in Nature Climate Change under the title " Distributional effect

The Department of Geography is proud to announce the publication of the Handbook of Satellite Land Products, co-edited by Prof. Shunlin Liang and Prof. Han Ma and published by Elsevier. This major reference work has several notable features: Unprecedented global collaboration The handbook brings together more than 300 contributing experts from over 15 countries. Extensive scope and scale Spanning 134 chapters, the book provides detailed coverage of approximately 170 high-leve

The size of tropical vegetation gross primary production Link to the paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10562-z Abstract: Satellite-based optical observations have converged to show average estimates of global contemporary gross primary production (GPP), the photosynthetic assimilation of atmospheric CO2 by terrestrial vegetation, at 120–140 petagrams of carbon per year (PgC yr−1). This consensus was challenged by a recent modelling study conducted by Lai et al

Evolving nature-based solutions for urban resilience Link to the paper: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aea9563 Editor’s summary: Cities are hotspots for implementing nature-based solutions such as street trees, rain gardens, green roofs, and restored wetlands to mitigate urban heat, flooding, and pollution. The same stressors that necessitate these nature-based solutions also act as selection agents, yet evolution is rarely considered when designing interventions

Sustainability reveals the hidden carbon costs of forest-based BECCS Searchinger, T. D., Peng, L., Russi, D., & Canham, C. (2026). Decades of increased emissions from forest-fuelled BECCS. Nature Sustainability. BECCS, or bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, is often presented as a promising climate solution because it can generate energy while capturing and storing carbon dioxide. A new study published in Nature Sustainability by Professor Liqing Peng from the Departme

Nature Cities: Stress-testing the cascading economic impacts of urban flooding across 306 Chinese cities Professor Kuishuang Feng in collaboration with multiple domestic and international research teams, Quantified the Economic Impact of Urban Flooding in China and Revealing the Critical Threshold for Nonlinear Growth. Flood risk, exacerbated by climate change, is one of the most widespread natural hazards affecting socioeconomic development, production activities, and reside

Sustainability, Revealing Consumption Inequality Threatens Resource Sustainability Recently, Professor Kuishuang Feng from the Department of Geography at The University of Hong Kong, in collaboration with multiple domestic and international research teams, has made significant progress in the field of sustainable consumption research. The related findings have been published online in Nature Sustainability under the title "Consumption inequalities in material use undermining

Global urban vegetation exhibits divergent thermal effects: From cooling to warming as aridity increases Link to the paper: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aea9165 Brief summary: A research team led by Professor Yuyu Zhou from the Department of Geography at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has unveiled a critical “warming paradox” in global urban greening strategies, challenging the universal assumption that vegetation always cools cities and providing a new roadm