Microbes without borders: uniting societies for climate action

Abstract

The climate crisis is one of the greatest challenges of our time, yet the role of microorganisms remains underrecognised in climate science and policy. Microbes are highly sensitive to environmental change and regulate essential biogeochemical processes, while also offering solutions for reducing emissions, restoring ecosystems, and enhancing resilience. Microbiology societies from five continents recently convened in Washington, DC, for the inaugural Global Strategy Meeting on Microbes and Climate Change. The gathering launched a global alliance to position microbial science as a pillar of climate action and identified four priorities: building a coalition, embedding microbes in climate frameworks, transforming communication, and advancing real-world demonstration projects. This initiative marks the beginning of coordinated global action to harness microbial life for climate solutions. This article has been co-published with permission in mBio, Sustainable Microbiology, The ISME Journal, FEMS Microbiology Ecology, Microbiology Australia, and Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Research.