The maritime shipping industry is heavily energy-consuming and highly polluting, and, as such, is urgently seeking low-emission options. Here the authors examine the feasibility of battery-electric ships and show that the battery price declines could facilitate the electrification of short to medium-range shipping.

Often presented as a bridge technology to a future zero-carbon energy system, natural gas infrastructure expansion remains hotly debated. Here Kemfert et al. discuss recent research to argue how such expansion hinders climate targets and energy transitions and suggest how research can support better planning.

The dissolution of the solid–electrolyte interphase formed during repeated cycling severely deteriorates the performance of sodium-ion batteries. Here the authors develop an electrolyte that effectively suppresses the dissolution and consequently enables a long-cycle and high-voltage sodium-ion battery.

Demonstration of scalability, manufacturability and outdoor operation is key to the deployment of perovskite solar cells. Now, Pescetelli et al. fabricate a large number of perovskite solar modules, assemble them in panels and integrate them in an outdoor 4.5 m² solar farm infrastructure whose operation is monitored over 12 months.

The near-surface structure of oxide electrocatalysts during the oxygen evolution reaction is key to performance but remains elusive. Here the authors use operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy to track the size-dependent catalytic activity of CoO_x(OH)_y nanoparticles down to 1 nm and their structural changes under reaction conditions.

Realizing the full potential of clean cooking transitions requires an understanding of fuel stacking in which multiple fuels and stoves are used. Towards this end, Perros et al. analyse the literature on clean cooking interventions through a behavioural model and identify underlying drivers of stacking.

The performance of kesterite solar cells is limited by charge carrier losses, and the underlying mechanisms are unclear. By means of an integrated experimental and modelling framework, Li et al. identify the dominant loss mechanism in charge recombination at grain boundaries.

Climate change adaptation policies could influence public decarbonization behaviours positively or negatively, impacting further mitigation and adaptation efforts. This study examines public responses to planned power outages in California and finds that the outages shaped some energy behavioural intentions but did not alter climate or energy policy preferences.

Controlling the crystallization of perovskites is not trivial. Here Wang et al. develop a close-space annealing to improve the structural and optoelectronic quality of perovskite films with different chemical compositions, leading to over 25% efficiency in all-perovskite tandem solar cells.

The maritime shipping industry is heavily energy-consuming and highly polluting, and, as such, is urgently seeking low-emission options. Here the authors examine the feasibility of battery-electric ships and show that the battery price declines could facilitate the electrification of short to medium-range shipping.

Hard to decarbonize homes represent a complex problem that has historically been neglected in favour of the lower hanging fruit of easier to treat properties. To enable an equitable net zero transition, we must understand these homes in a holistic manner take into account the impacts of different routes to decarbonization on occupants.

Critics have opposed clean energy public investment by claiming that governments must not pick winners, green subsidies enable rent-seeking behaviour, and failed companies means failed policy. These arguments are problematic and should not determine the direction of energy investment policies.