https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Rising tensions between the US and China are changing how companies design global supply chains in strategic industries such as semiconductors and rare earths. New research shows firms are no longer just reacting to trade rules—they are proactively redesigning supply chains to reduce political risk and secure access to critical technologies. The work is published in the journal Production Planning & Control. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-great-power-rivalry-reshaping-global.html Economics & Business Mon, 26 Jan 2026 17:30:01 EST news688656157 China's rising demand for cooling doesn't have to drive rising temperatures. A recent study shows how rapid shifts to cleaner refrigerants and high-efficiency technologies could cut cooling-related climate impacts to near zero by mid-century. The work is published in the journal npj Climate and Atmospheric Science. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-china-rapidly-cooling-demand-planet.html Environment Thu, 22 Jan 2026 15:43:22 EST news688318982 Fast-fashion companies churn out affordable, trendy tops and trousers to meet the tastes of the day, targeting fashion-savvy Gen Zers and young adults on a budget. For years, the Spanish fast-fashion retailer Zara has stood out for delivering wardrobe staples and bold new styles to its stores with remarkable speed. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-ai-tariffs-fast-fashion.html Economics & Business Wed, 21 Jan 2026 09:21:32 EST news688209662 Global supply chains are increasingly exposed to climate-related disruptions, redrawing the boundaries of what can be insured and how risk is distributed across the global economy. In recent years, insured catastrophe losses have grown by roughly 5–7% per year in real terms. As insurers retreat from high-risk geographies and sectors, the burden of loss increasingly shifts to public budgets, enterprises, and households. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-climate-reinsurance-global-chains.html Economics & Business Tue, 20 Jan 2026 00:10:01 EST news687784741 Global corporations may hold an under-recognized key to stabilizing global economies in the face of rising geopolitical tensions, according to new analysis from the University of Surrey. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-global-firms-counter-geopolitical-turmoil.html Economics & Business Tue, 13 Jan 2026 09:46:18 EST news687519961 A new study in the Journal of Economic Geography has revealed that European "due diligence" laws designed to make multinational companies accountable for labor and environmental abuses are beginning to give a voice to some of the world's most vulnerable workers. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-global-laws-workers-real-power.html Economics & Business Tue, 13 Jan 2026 08:58:16 EST news687517082 Global debate about how to navigate the climate crisis often centers on high-level pledges and whether national targets are being met. Yet focusing on these technical outcomes obscures a deeper problem that keeps climate action falling short. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-ecological-myopia-climate-action.html Environment Tue, 23 Dec 2025 09:54:24 EST news685706041 New research from The University of Manchester has shed light on how British manufacturers can better survive—and even thrive—during major global shocks such as pandemics, wars and economic turmoil. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-reveals-uk-stay-afloat-global.html Economics & Business Mon, 08 Dec 2025 21:20:01 EST news684415130 A University of Michigan study has found that people in Ghana and across the Global South who recycle electronic waste face a difficult paradox: earning livelihoods to ensure survival comes at the cost of severe long-term exposure to toxicity and dramatic environmental pollution. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-recycling-ghana-exposes-workers-toxic.html Environment Thu, 04 Dec 2025 11:50:06 EST news684071221 With extreme weather, cyber-attacks, tariffs, and geopolitical instability, supply chain resilience has been one of the hot topics of 2025. Now, researchers at Cranfield University have spiced things up even further by investigating the complex supply chain for one of Britain's favorite dishes: chicken tikka masala. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-chain-resilience-world-curry.html Economics & Business Tue, 02 Dec 2025 12:02:22 EST news683899321 While there is more than enough food produced to feed the world's population, hunger and food insecurity persist. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-unsustainable-global-chains-exacerbate-food.html Economics & Business Tue, 02 Dec 2025 11:29:23 EST news683897341 As global supply chains continue to strain under trade tensions, natural disasters and pandemics, researchers at UBC Okanagan's School of Engineering have created an artificial intelligence-based framework to help organizations build resilience efficiently and cost-effectively. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-ai-framework-chain-resilience-financial.html Economics & Business Tue, 28 Oct 2025 13:03:03 EDT news680875381 Carbon emissions from the lithium-ion battery supply chain could be cut by up to around 35% using a circular economy strategy that encompasses global cooperation, according to a paper published in Nature. The study analyzes the carbon emissions of each step of the battery supply chain to identify points that could potentially cut emissions. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-circular-economy-strategy-slash-lithium.html Environment Wed, 22 Oct 2025 16:30:07 EDT news680369044 Critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, copper, rare earth elements, and platinum group metals are essential for modern technologies. They are key to industries ranging from electronics and telecommunications to renewable energy, defense, and aerospace systems. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-china-critical-minerals-african-countries.html Economics & Business Mon, 13 Oct 2025 11:29:04 EDT news679573742 Supermarket shoppers across the U.K. are all too familiar with empty shelves when disruption strikes. Whether it was the panic buying of COVID-19, floods affecting deliveries or strikes in distribution centers, the fragility of supply chains has affected most of us in recent years. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-supermarkets-shelves-stocked-crises-greener.html Economics & Business Fri, 10 Oct 2025 12:30:01 EDT news679316661 Donald Trump's recent state visit to the UK ended without the removal of steel tariffs, which the host nation had been hoping for. For months, the US president's array of "liberation day" tariffs have sparked controversy and caused chaos for America's trading partners. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-tariffs-us50-billion-monthly-boost.html Economics & Business Wed, 01 Oct 2025 12:06:05 EDT news678539162 A vital waterway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, the Panama Canal relies on fresh water supplied by a reservoir to raise and lower the locks that allow the transit of thousands of ships a year. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-drought-global-panama-canal.html Earth Sciences Thu, 25 Sep 2025 11:53:04 EDT news678019981 The world's methane emissions continue to rise steadily with no signs of slowing, as global trade contributes some 30% to the total amount of the greenhouse gas swirling around the planet, a new study reveals. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-global-methane-regions-fuel-growth.html Earth Sciences Wed, 03 Sep 2025 08:54:03 EDT news676108441 Despite growing awareness and legislation aimed at eradicating modern slavery—including forced labor, bonded labor and other extreme forms of human exploitation—efforts to combat the issue remain largely ineffective. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-businesses-deflect-responsibilities-modern-slavery.html Economics & Business Mon, 25 Aug 2025 11:14:05 EDT news675339242 Multinational enterprises (MNEs) can negate supplier-induced environmental, social and governance (ESG) controversies by setting up 'small-world' networks, according to new research co-authored by Bayes Business School. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-small-world-networks-mitigate-environmental.html Economics & Business Wed, 06 Aug 2025 09:19:04 EDT news673690742 Global supply chains account for 70% of world trade. They are the arteries of global capitalism, moving goods and services across borders multiple times before reaching consumers. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-hidden-environmental-chains.html Environment Mon, 28 Jul 2025 11:00:12 EDT news672918621 Representatives from 175 countries will gather in Geneva, Switzerland, in August for the final round of negotiations on a legally binding UN treaty to end plastic pollution. Non-governmental organizations, academics and industry lobbyists will also be in the room. They will all be hoping to influence what could be the world's first truly global agreement on plastics. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-global-treaty-limit-plastic-pollution.html Environment Wed, 23 Jul 2025 10:23:04 EDT news672484982 Quantum computers have the potential to revolutionize computing by solving complex problems that stump even today's fastest machines. Scientists are exploring whether quantum computers could one day help streamline global supply chains, create ultra-secure encryption to protect sensitive data against even the most powerful cyberattacks, or even develop more effective drugs by simulating their behavior at the atomic level. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-efficient-route-quantum.html Quantum Physics Wed, 09 Jul 2025 10:40:04 EDT news671276401 In the wake of the largest series of U.S. tariff hikes since 1930, a new study from Michigan State University explores how this economic shock is reshaping global supply chains and offers a framework to help researchers and policymakers make sense of the chaos. The study was recently published in the Journal of Supply Chain Management. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-tariffs-global-chain.html Economics & Business Tue, 01 Jul 2025 11:55:04 EDT news670589701 The scientists who precisely measure the position of Earth are in a bit of trouble. Their measurements are essential for the satellites we use for navigation, communication and Earth observation every day. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-scientists-black-holes-universe-wi.html Astronomy Mon, 30 Jun 2025 10:20:04 EDT news670497602 The European Commission said Friday it intends to scrap new rules against greenwashing after they hit a roadblock in the final stretch from conservative lawmakers calling them too onerous for businesses. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-eu-scrap-anti-greenwashing-pushback.html Environment Fri, 20 Jun 2025 12:40:05 EDT news669641502 As tariffs create economic uncertainty for firms and consumers alike, supply chain plasticity could be the key to helping firms navigate and survive the constantly changing trade environment, according to researchers at Florida Atlantic University and two other schools. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-chain-plasticity-firm-tariffs.html Economics & Business Mon, 19 May 2025 15:00:01 EDT news666885530 Whether it's empty shelves at the grocery store or delayed holiday packages, disruptions in the flow of goods impact everyday life. But when shelves go bare, it's not just goods that are missing—it can also signal a shortage of truck drivers, grounded aircrafts, or broken processes behind the scenes. What if our understanding of what "flows" through a supply chain has been too narrow all along? https://phys.org/news/2025-04-newly-framework-incorporates-human-aspect.html Social Sciences Mon, 28 Apr 2025 11:15:03 EDT news665057701 President Donald Trump unveiled a sweeping new tariff plan on April 2, 2025, to reshape U.S. trade and boost domestic industry. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-liberation-day-tariffs-highest-decades.html Economics & Business Thu, 03 Apr 2025 13:03:04 EDT news662904181 New projections by the UNSW Institute for Climate Risk & Response (ICRR) reveal a 4°C rise in global temperatures would cut world GDP by around 40% by 2100—a stark increase from previous estimates of around 11%. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-reveals-higher-loss-gdp-4c.html Earth Sciences Tue, 01 Apr 2025 05:36:04 EDT news662704562