ICOS, the Integrated Carbon Observation System, is a European-wide greenhouse gas research infrastructure: ICOS produces standardised data on greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere, as well as on carbon fluxes between the atmosphere, the ecosystems, and the oceans. This ICOS-based knowledge supports policy and decision-making to combat climate change and its impacts. The high-quality ICOS data is based on the measurements from over 170 observation stations – run by top universities and research institutions across 16 European countries – and produced by the roughly 800 scientists in the community. The ICOS Carbon Portal offers unlimited access to thousands of datasets and other advanced digital products and services. ICOS has the status of an ERIC, European Research Infrastructure Consortium, with a legal capacity recognised in all countries within the European Union. FLUXES is a yearly publication by ICOS which aims at highlighting climate issues to an audience of policymakers, policy advisors, and climate journalists. The first volume was published in 2022. In this issue the following topics are highlighted: - Nature-based carbon sinks have a dual role in climate action - The annual variability of carbon emissions and sinks - The forest carbon sinks under pressure - Coastal ecosystems, reservoirs of life - Carbon farming - a path to more sustainable agriculture - The complex chemistry behind the alarming growth in methane