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Here are all the positive environmental stories from 2022 |
Eco-anxiety, climate doom, environmental existential dread - as green journalists, we see these terms used a lot - and often feel them ourselves.
There's a lot to be worried about when it comes to the climate and nature crises, but when a sense of hopelessness becomes the overarching emotion, apathy begins to creep in too. In 2021 three environmental educators, all part of EcoTok, penned this excellent piece for us about dealing with eco-anxiety and the need to remain hopeful - or "stubbornly optimistic", as Christiana Figueres puts it.
The media has a huge part to play in combatting climate doom. It's our job to be truthful and accurate in our reporting, not trying to downplay the severity of the situation or greenwash reality. But it's also our job to show that there is hope!
So, for 2022, as part of our ongoing effort to tackle eco-anxiety (both that of our readers and our own), we kept track of all the positive environmental stories throughout the year - a project we will continue in 2023.
This article will be regularly updated with the latest good news. It may be something small and local, something silly that made us smile, or something enormous and potentially world-changing.
you come across a great, positive story that we haven't covered here - please do reach out to us on social media, either on Instagram or Twitter to share your ideas.
Positive environmental stories from December 2022
Ireland could hold a referendum on giving nature the same rights as people
Ireland’s citizens’ assembly on biodiversity loss has called on the government to hold a referendum on protecting biodiversity.
If it goes ahead it could enshrine the protection of biodiversity in the Irish constitution. This would mean granting nature rights comparable to people.
Circular economy: Human hair recycled to clean waterways in Belgium
A Belgian NGO is using human hair clippings to absorb environmental pollutants.
The hair is turned into matted squares, which can be used to absorb oil and other hydrocarbons. The mats can be placed in drains to soak up pollution in water before it reaches a river. They can also be used to deal with pollution problems due to flooding and to clean up oil spills.
The EU has approved a €28 billion German renewable energy scheme
The EU has approved a €28 billion German renewable energy scheme.
The policy is aimed at rapidly expanding use of wind and solar power. It is designed to deliver Germany's target to produce 80 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. Replacing an existing renewables support scheme, it runs until 2026.
New EU plastic waste ban could mark the end of miniature hotel toiletries
The EU may ban miniature hotel toiletries and single-use food containers in its battle against wasteful packaging.
The proposal is part of the European Green Deal, an EU-wide plan to reach net zero by 2050, separate economic growth from resource use, and promote a circular economy.
In Europe, each person generates almost 180 kg of packaging waste on average every year. Packaging is one of the main culprits, accounting for 40 per cent of plastics and 50 per cent of paper used in the EU.
'Ray of hope’: Climate action professionals share why 2022 was an optimistic year
As we look back at 2022, it’s not all doom and gloom when it comes to climate action.
Progress has been made on a number of fronts, from the growth in renewable energy and sustainable transport, to COP27's loss and damage breakthrough, to legal battles won in the name of nature.
People using their skills to push for a better future haven’t given up hope, so neither should we. Here are six reasons to be positive about climate action from 2022, according to people who work on the issues full time.
EU solar power soars by almost 50% in 2022: Which country installed the most?
Solar power in Europe has soared by almost 50 per cent in 2022, according to a new report from industry group SolarPower Europe.
It reveals that the EU installed a record-breaking 41.4 GW of solar this year - enough to power the equivalent of 12.4 million homes. That is a 47 per cent increase from the 28.1 GW installed in 2021.
In one year, the bloc’s capacity to generate power from this renewable source has increased by 25 per cent.
Nations agree landmark deal for biodiversity at COP15
A historic deal for nature has been made at the UN biodiversity conference in Montreal, Canada.
It is the most significant effort yet to protect the world’s land and oceans and provide finance to prevent biodiversity loss in the developing world.
The UN biodiversity conference - known as COP15 - has been considered the “last chance” for nature's recovery.
These calculations show how a renewable energy transition would save everyone money
Decarbonising the energy system is a crucial way to reduce emissions and stem climate change.
But it’s also going to save us a lot of money.
According to Oxford University researchers, ending fossil fuel use by 2050 will save the world at least $12 trillion (€11.3 trillion).
This start-up has just won £1m for its seaweed-based plastic alternative
London-based start-up Notpla believes it has an answer to our plastic waste problem: a plastic alternative made from seaweed and plants.
It's totally natural, completely biodegradable and can be used to make a range of packaging from bubbles to hold liquid to linings for food containers.
The company's founders have just won the Earthshot Prize in the ‘Build a Waste-Free World’ category, receiving £1 million (€1.2 million) to continue their efforts.
Plant power: Scientists generate electricity from a shrub in renewables breakthrough
Could we one day harness plants - as well as wind and solar - to generate clean power? It might seem like the stuff of sci-fi, but scientists have successfully used a succulent plant to create a living ‘bio-solar cell’ that runs on photosynthesis.
This (literal) green energy could enable the development of future sustainable technologies, researchers hope.
India’s original eco-warriors: Meet the Bishnoi community who won’t cut down living trees
The Bishnoi community are India’s original eco-warriors.
Members of the Hindu sect - which has more than 1.5 million devotees - have been fighting to protect the environment for more than 500 years.
The community believes in the sanctity of all life, shunning meat and avoiding felling living trees.
EU to impose world-first ‘carbon tariff’ on environmentally damaging imports
The European Union has announced a deal to impose a carbon dioxide tariff on imports of polluting goods such as steel and cement.
Known as the "Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism" (CBAM), the agreement will cover industrial imports from the bloc's 27 member states, targeting the highest polluting products first.
This CBAM scheme "will be a crucial pillar of European climate policies ... to encourage our trading partners to de-carbonise their industry", explains MEP Mohammed Chahim from the Socialists and Democrats Party.
‘Significant breakthrough’: This new sea salt battery has 4 times the capacity of lithium
Your electronics could soon be powered by an ultra cheap sea salt battery.
Researchers have built a new cheap battery with four times the energy storage capacity of lithium.
Constructed from sodium-sulphur - a type of molten salt that can be processed from sea water - the battery is low-cost and more environmentally friendly than existing options.
Belgium cracks down on private jets and short-haul flights with new tax
Belgium will impose new taxes on older, noisier planes as well as private jets and short haul flights, according to a government statement.
The move aims to reduce noise and air pollution.
As of 1 April 2023, taxes will not only be dependent on noise, but on air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and the destination of the flight. Until now, small planes such as private jets have been exempt.
Carbon capture: UK’s first plant could remove 1.5 million tonnes of CO2 from the air a year
A huge carbon capture power station has won planning permission for the first time in the UK.
The Keadby 3 plant in north Lincolnshire is the first carbon capture and storage (CCS) project to be greenlit by the government.
Keadby 3 would have a generating capacity of up to 910 megawatt (MW) and capture up to 1.5 million tonnes of CO2 a year, according to SSE. It says this represents at least 5 per cent of the UK government’s 2030 target.
Jonathan the Tortoise: World’s oldest living land animal celebrates 190th birthday
The world’s oldest living land animal - a Seychelles giant tortoise named Jonathan - has just celebrated his 190th birthday.
Jonathan’s estimated 1832 birth year predates the invention of the postal stamp, the telephone, and the photograph. The iconic creature lived through the US civil war, most of the reign of Queen Victoria, the rise and fall of the Soviet Union, and two world wars.
France bans short haul domestic flights in favour of train travel
France has been given the green light to ban short haul domestic flights.
The European Commission has approved the move which will abolish flights between cities that are linked by a train journey of less than 2.5 hours.
The changes are part of the country’s 2021 Climate Law and were first proposed by France's Citizens' Convention on Climate - a citizens' assembly tasked with finding ways to reduce the country's carbon emissions.
These UK universities have banned ‘climate wreckers’ from recruiting on campus
Three more UK universities have banned fossil fuel companies from recruiting on campus.
Career services at the University of Bedfordshire, University of the Arts London and Wrexham Glyndwr University have promised to end all relationships with oil, gas and mining recruiters.
The ban - a product of a passionate student-led campaign - comes three months after a similar move by Birkbeck, University of London.
Positive environmental stories from November 2022
This reusable McDonald’s packaging went viral: Could it be the future in Europe?
Photos of reusable McDonald’s packaging went viral in November with social media users “obsessing” over the retro design.
They were spotted by a Twitter user in France who shared images of glasses, chip holders and even Happy Meal boxes. The packaging is part of a trial across a few fast food locations in France and the rest of Europe, McDonald's has said. i
It comes as the European Commission pushes for shops, restaurants and other businesses to ditch single-use packaging.
In Barcelona, kids are 'jumping out of bed' to join bike buses
It's fun, it's green and it's becoming more popular by the day.
Barcelona's bike bus, or 'bicibus', as the scheme is known locally, allows hundreds of children to cycle safely to school in a convoy, taking over entire streets in Spain's second largest city.
The citizen-led project, supported by Barcelona City Council, began in March 2021 with one route in the Sarria neighbourhood.
Paris post is being delivered by cargo bikes in a bid to cut emissions
The French Post Office is using pedal power to try and reduce its carbon emissions by 30 per cent before 2025.
Cargo bikes are just one innovative way La Poste is hoping to reach 100 per cent carbon-free deliveries in 22 French cities by this date.
Renewables to produce more energy than coal in the US for the first time this year
Renewable energy is on track to produce more energy than coal in the US this year.
According to figures from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), more than a fifth of all electricity by the end of 2022 will come from hydropower, wind and solar.
That is higher than coal at 20 per cent and nuclear at 19 per cent. The only other year this happened was 2020 when energy generation was reduced due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fully-recyclable 3D printed house made of ‘wood flour’ unveiled by researchers
For the first time, researchers have 3D-printed a home made entirely from natural materials.
The 600 square foot house - constructed by a team at the US University of Maine - is made from wood fibres and bio-resins left over from sawmills.
Maine governor Janet Mills said that the homes could help provide a climate-friendly solution to the state’s housing shortage of 20,000 units.
Plants teach their offspring how to adapt to climate change, scientists find
New research has suggested that plants can pass on climate adaptation to their offspring. The study published in the Trends in Plant Science journal found that 'memories' of how to survive in our changing world are handed down through something called epigenetics.
Unlike genetic changes, epigenetic changes do not change a DNA sequence. Instead, they can change how an organism reads a DNA sequence.
Researchers hope the discovery will help scientists understand how plant intelligence is battling climate change.
‘Like finding a unicorn’: Rare bird lost to science for 140 years rediscovered in Papua New Guinea
The black-naped pheasant pigeon was last spotted 140 years ago. Despite occasional sightings by hunters, there were fears that the animal had gone extinct.
But new footage captured by scientists in Papua New Guinea in September revealed that the pigeon lives on. The new discovery was like ‘‘finding a unicorn," expedition co-leader John Mittermeier says.
“It is the kind of moment you dream about your entire life as a conservationist and birdwatcher,” he says.
Insulate Britain celebrates win after UK government announced fund to insulate homes
Last week the UK government announced nearly €7 billion of funding to insulate homes. Activists from the protest group Insulate Britain celebrated the pledge as a "win for everyday people in civil resistance".
Last year the group blocked roads and motorways in an effort to get the government to fix the UK's leaky housing stock. Household energy accounts for 20 per cent of the country's emissions and solving this issue would help reduce consumption.
Hawai’i’s reefs will be repaired after hurricanes thanks to innovative coral insurance policy
An NGO in the US has bought insurance to help repair Hawai'i's coral reefs after hurricanes and tropical storms. It is the first policy of its kind in the country.
It means that the US state will get up to $2 million (€1.9 million) of insurance protection for its reefs until 2023. The stronger the winds, the higher the payout and The Nature Conservancy - the NGO behind the idea - is hoping to create rapid response teams to carry out the repair work.
Hawai'i's policy follows pilot projects in Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras where insurance schemes have already paid out millions for repairs after Hurricane Delta and Hurricane Lisa.
Australian rubbish tip removes forever chemicals from rainwater
New technology developed in Australia can extract harmful forever chemicals from rainwater. It uses sunlight and chemical processes to separate substances in the water which can then be skimmed off the surface.
The €13 million facility is located at a rubbish tip in Darwin, northern Australia and can filter out toxic chemicals that mix with rainwater.
UN to hunt sources of climate warming methane from space using satellites
The UN’s environment watchdog will launch a public database of global methane leaks detected by space satellites. The new program will encourage companies and governments to curb emissions of the powerful greenhouse gas.
119 countries have pledged to cut methane emissions by 30 per cent before the end of the decade.
Good eggs: Eggs can be used to filter microplastics and salt out of water, research finds
By Marthe de Ferrer & Euronews team • Updated: 03/01/2023
Eco-anxiety, climate doom, environmental existential dread - as green journalists, we see these terms used a lot - and often feel them ourselves.
There's a lot to be worried about when it comes to the climate and nature crises, but when a sense of hopelessness becomes the overarching emotion, apathy begins to creep in too. In 2021 three environmental educators, all part of EcoTok, penned this excellent piece for us about dealing with eco-anxiety and the need to remain hopeful - or "stubbornly optimistic", as Christiana Figueres puts it.
The media has a huge part to play in combatting climate doom. It's our job to be truthful and accurate in our reporting, not trying to downplay the severity of the situation or greenwash reality. But it's also our job to show that there is hope!
So, for 2022, as part of our ongoing effort to tackle eco-anxiety (both that of our readers and our own), we kept track of all the positive environmental stories throughout the year - a project we will continue in 2023.
This article will be regularly updated with the latest good news. It may be something small and local, something silly that made us smile, or something enormous and potentially world-changing.
If you come across a great, positive story that we haven't covered here - please do reach out to us on social media, either on Instagram or Twitter to share your ideas.
Positive environmental stories from December 2022
Ireland could hold a referendum on giving nature the same rights as people
Ireland’s citizens’ assembly on biodiversity loss has called on the government to hold a referendum on protecting biodiversity.
If it goes ahead it could enshrine the protection of biodiversity in the Irish constitution. This would mean granting nature rights comparable to people.
Circular economy: Human hair recycled to clean waterways in Belgium
A Belgian NGO is using human hair clippings to absorb environmental pollutants.
The hair is turned into matted squares, which can be used to absorb oil and other hydrocarbons. The mats can be placed in drains to soak up pollution in water before it reaches a river. They can also be used to deal with pollution problems due to flooding and to clean up oil spills.
The EU has approved a €28 billion German renewable energy scheme
The EU has approved a €28 billion German renewable energy scheme.
The policy is aimed at rapidly expanding use of wind and solar power. It is designed to deliver Germany's target to produce 80 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. Replacing an existing renewables support scheme, it runs until 2026.
New EU plastic waste ban could mark the end of miniature hotel toiletries
The EU may ban miniature hotel toiletries and single-use food containers in its battle against wasteful packaging.
The proposal is part of the European Green Deal, an EU-wide plan to reach net zero by 2050, separate economic growth from resource use, and promote a circular economy.
In Europe, each person generates almost 180 kg of packaging waste on average every year. Packaging is one of the main culprits, accounting for 40 per cent of plastics and 50 per cent of paper used in the EU.
'Ray of hope’: Climate action professionals share why 2022 was an optimistic year
As we look back at 2022, it’s not all doom and gloom when it comes to climate action.
Progress has been made on a number of fronts, from the growth in renewable energy and sustainable transport, to COP27's loss and damage breakthrough, to legal battles won in the name of nature.
People using their skills to push for a better future haven’t given up hope, so neither should we. Here are six reasons to be positive about climate action from 2022, according to people who work on the issues full time.
EU solar power soars by almost 50% in 2022: Which country installed the most?
Solar power in Europe has soared by almost 50 per cent in 2022, according to a new report from industry group SolarPower Europe.
It reveals that the EU installed a record-breaking 41.4 GW of solar this year - enough to power the equivalent of 12.4 million homes. That is a 47 per cent increase from the 28.1 GW installed in 2021.
In one year, the bloc’s capacity to generate power from this renewable source has increased by 25 per cent.
Nations agree landmark deal for biodiversity at COP15
A historic deal for nature has been made at the UN biodiversity conference in Montreal, Canada.
It is the most significant effort yet to protect the world’s land and oceans and provide finance to prevent biodiversity loss in the developing world.
The UN biodiversity conference - known as COP15 - has been considered the “last chance” for nature's recovery.
These calculations show how a renewable energy transition would save everyone money
Decarbonising the energy system is a crucial way to reduce emissions and stem climate change.
But it’s also going to save us a lot of money.
According to Oxford University researchers, ending fossil fuel use by 2050 will save the world at least $12 trillion (€11.3 trillion).
This start-up has just won £1m for its seaweed-based plastic alternative
London-based start-up Notpla believes it has an answer to our plastic waste problem: a plastic alternative made from seaweed and plants.
It's totally natural, completely biodegradable and can be used to make a range of packaging from bubbles to hold liquid to linings for food containers.
The company's founders have just won the Earthshot Prize in the ‘Build a Waste-Free World’ category, receiving £1 million (€1.2 million) to continue their efforts.
Plant power: Scientists generate electricity from a shrub in renewables breakthrough
Could we one day harness plants - as well as wind and solar - to generate clean power? It might seem like the stuff of sci-fi, but scientists have successfully used a succulent plant to create a living ‘bio-solar cell’ that runs on photosynthesis.
This (literal) green energy could enable the development of future sustainable technologies, researchers hope.
India’s original eco-warriors: Meet the Bishnoi community who won’t cut down living trees
The Bishnoi community are India’s original eco-warriors.
Members of the Hindu sect - which has more than 1.5 million devotees - have been fighting to protect the environment for more than 500 years.
The community believes in the sanctity of all life, shunning meat and avoiding felling living trees.
EU to impose world-first ‘carbon tariff’ on environmentally damaging imports
The European Union has announced a deal to impose a carbon dioxide tariff on imports of polluting goods such as steel and cement.
Known as the "Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism" (CBAM), the agreement will cover industrial imports from the bloc's 27 member states, targeting the highest polluting products first.
This CBAM scheme "will be a crucial pillar of European climate policies ... to encourage our trading partners to de-carbonise their industry", explains MEP Mohammed Chahim from the Socialists and Democrats Party.
‘Significant breakthrough’: This new sea salt battery has 4 times the capacity of lithium
Your electronics could soon be powered by an ultra cheap sea salt battery.
Researchers have built a new cheap battery with four times the energy storage capacity of lithium.
Constructed from sodium-sulphur - a type of molten salt that can be processed from sea water - the battery is low-cost and more environmentally friendly than existing options.
Belgium cracks down on private jets and short-haul flights with new tax
Belgium will impose new taxes on older, noisier planes as well as private jets and short haul flights, according to a government statement.
The move aims to reduce noise and air pollution.
As of 1 April 2023, taxes will not only be dependent on noise, but on air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and the destination of the flight. Until now, small planes such as private jets have been exempt.
Carbon capture: UK’s first plant could remove 1.5 million tonnes of CO2 from the air a year
A huge carbon capture power station has won planning permission for the first time in the UK.
The Keadby 3 plant in north Lincolnshire is the first carbon capture and storage (CCS) project to be greenlit by the government.
Keadby 3 would have a generating capacity of up to 910 megawatt (MW) and capture up to 1.5 million tonnes of CO2 a year, according to SSE. It says this represents at least 5 per cent of the UK government’s 2030 target.
Jonathan the Tortoise: World’s oldest living land animal celebrates 190th birthday
The world’s oldest living land animal - a Seychelles giant tortoise named Jonathan - has just celebrated his 190th birthday.
Jonathan’s estimated 1832 birth year predates the invention of the postal stamp, the telephone, and the photograph. The iconic creature lived through the US civil war, most of the reign of Queen Victoria, the rise and fall of the Soviet Union, and two world wars.
France bans short haul domestic flights in favour of train travel
France has been given the green light to ban short haul domestic flights.
The European Commission has approved the move which will abolish flights between cities that are linked by a train journey of less than 2.5 hours.
The changes are part of the country’s 2021 Climate Law and were first proposed by France's Citizens' Convention on Climate - a citizens' assembly tasked with finding ways to reduce the country's carbon emissions.
These UK universities have banned ‘climate wreckers’ from recruiting on campus
Three more UK universities have banned fossil fuel companies from recruiting on campus.
Career services at the University of Bedfordshire, University of the Arts London and Wrexham Glyndwr University have promised to end all relationships with oil, gas and mining recruiters.
The ban - a product of a passionate student-led campaign - comes three months after a similar move by Birkbeck, University of London.
Positive environmental stories from November 2022
This reusable McDonald’s packaging went viral: Could it be the future in Europe?
Photos of reusable McDonald’s packaging went viral in November with social media users “obsessing” over the retro design.
They were spotted by a Twitter user in France who shared images of glasses, chip holders and even Happy Meal boxes. The packaging is part of a trial across a few fast food locations in France and the rest of Europe, McDonald's has said. i
It comes as the European Commission pushes for shops, restaurants and other businesses to ditch single-use packaging.
In Barcelona, kids are 'jumping out of bed' to join bike buses
It's fun, it's green and it's becoming more popular by the day.
Barcelona's bike bus, or 'bicibus', as the scheme is known locally, allows hundreds of children to cycle safely to school in a convoy, taking over entire streets in Spain's second largest city.
The citizen-led project, supported by Barcelona City Council, began in March 2021 with one route in the Sarria neighbourhood.
Paris post is being delivered by cargo bikes in a bid to cut emissions
The French Post Office is using pedal power to try and reduce its carbon emissions by 30 per cent before 2025.
Cargo bikes are just one innovative way La Poste is hoping to reach 100 per cent carbon-free deliveries in 22 French cities by this date.
Renewables to produce more energy than coal in the US for the first time this year
Renewable energy is on track to produce more energy than coal in the US this year.
According to figures from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), more than a fifth of all electricity by the end of 2022 will come from hydropower, wind and solar.
That is higher than coal at 20 per cent and nuclear at 19 per cent. The only other year this happened was 2020 when energy generation was reduced due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fully-recyclable 3D printed house made of ‘wood flour’ unveiled by researchers
For the first time, researchers have 3D-printed a home made entirely from natural materials.
The 600 square foot house - constructed by a team at the US University of Maine - is made from wood fibres and bio-resins left over from sawmills.
Maine governor Janet Mills said that the homes could help provide a climate-friendly solution to the state’s housing shortage of 20,000 units.
Plants teach their offspring how to adapt to climate change, scientists find
New research has suggested that plants can pass on climate adaptation to their offspring. The study published in the Trends in Plant Science journal found that 'memories' of how to survive in our changing world are handed down through something called epigenetics.
Unlike genetic changes, epigenetic changes do not change a DNA sequence. Instead, they can change how an organism reads a DNA sequence.
Researchers hope the discovery will help scientists understand how plant intelligence is battling climate change.
‘Like finding a unicorn’: Rare bird lost to science for 140 years rediscovered in Papua New Guinea
The black-naped pheasant pigeon was last spotted 140 years ago. Despite occasional sightings by hunters, there were fears that the animal had gone extinct.
But new footage captured by scientists in Papua New Guinea in September revealed that the pigeon lives on. The new discovery was like ‘‘finding a unicorn," expedition co-leader John Mittermeier says.
“It is the kind of moment you dream about your entire life as a conservationist and birdwatcher,” he says.
Insulate Britain celebrates win after UK government announced fund to insulate homes
Last week the UK government announced nearly €7 billion of funding to insulate homes. Activists from the protest group Insulate Britain celebrated the pledge as a "win for everyday people in civil resistance".
Last year the group blocked roads and motorways in an effort to get the government to fix the UK's leaky housing stock. Household energy accounts for 20 per cent of the country's emissions and solving this issue would help reduce consumption.
Hawai’i’s reefs will be repaired after hurricanes thanks to innovative coral insurance policy
An NGO in the US has bought insurance to help repair Hawai'i's coral reefs after hurricanes and tropical storms. It is the first policy of its kind in the country.
It means that the US state will get up to $2 million (€1.9 million) of insurance protection for its reefs until 2023. The stronger the winds, the higher the payout and The Nature Conservancy - the NGO behind the idea - is hoping to create rapid response teams to carry out the repair work.
Hawai'i's policy follows pilot projects in Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras where insurance schemes have already paid out millions for repairs after Hurricane Delta and Hurricane Lisa.
Australian rubbish tip removes forever chemicals from rainwater
New technology developed in Australia can extract harmful forever chemicals from rainwater. It uses sunlight and chemical processes to separate substances in the water which can then be skimmed off the surface.
The €13 million facility is located at a rubbish tip in Darwin, northern Australia and can filter out toxic chemicals that mix with rainwater.
UN to hunt sources of climate warming methane from space using satellites
The UN’s environment watchdog will launch a public database of global methane leaks detected by space satellites. The new program will encourage companies and governments to curb emissions of the powerful greenhouse gas.
119 countries have pledged to cut methane emissions by 30 per cent before the end of the decade.
Good eggs: Eggs can be used to filter microplastics and salt out of water, research finds
The humble egg could prove an unlikely ally in the battle against plastic pollution, scientists at Princeton University have found.
According to new research, egg whites can remove salt and microplastics from seawater with 98 per cent and 99 per cent efficiency respectively.
Farmers in India are fighting climate change and desertification using nature
Climate change is exacerbating the loss of arable land - but Indian farmers are fighting this process of desertification with natural techniques.
"This soil used to be as hard as a brick," said 37-year-old farmer Ramesh. "It's now like a sponge. The soil is rich with the nutrients and life."
COP27 delivers €15 million to protect Egypt’s coral reefs - how will it help?
The Sharm El Sheikh coral reefs that have long drawn tourists to the Red Sea peninsula are among the most biodiverse in the world. They are home to over a thousand different species of fish and around 350 coral species.
the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced $15 million (€14.9 million) to the Global Fund for Coral Reefs to save the reefs.
EU agrees stricter rules for greenhouse gas emission cuts
European Union negotiators have struck a deal for binding emissions reduction targets for sectors including road transport, agriculture, buildings, and waste. These stricter targets increase the emissions reduction each nation is committed to in the coming years.
Outdoor living rooms and renewable power: How San Francisco is fighting climate change
In San Francisco, a number of environmental initiatives are tackling air pollution and traffic congestion
“San Francisco believes in climate action as a whole, people care,” says mayor London Breed. “So it's not like you have to fight about (climate friendly policy). You just have to look at whether or not you can implement it, whether it is realistic.”
COP27: New UN early warning system could save billions and many lives
The UN will funnel €3.1 billion into building early warning systems against climate disasters for everyone on earth.
The initiative could potentially avert mass death and destruction in the developing world. Countries with limited early warning coverage have disaster mortality eight times higher than those with high coverage.
COP27: More than 25 countries band together to keep deforestation pledges made in Glasgow
At COP27, more than 25 countries launched a group to hold each other accountable for a pledge to end deforestation by 2030, pledging additional funding to the effort. The new group - which includes Japan, Pakistan, the United Kingdom and others - accounts for roughly 35 per cent of the world's forests.
Positive environmental stories from October 2022
Brazil: Lula pledges to end deforestation in the Amazon after election victory
Brazil's new president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has pledged to end deforestation in Amazon after beating right-wing incumbent Jair Bolsonaro in the country's election.
Lula’s victory could cut deforestation in the Amazon by 89 per cent over the next decade, according to an analysis carried out by Carbon Brief.
Norway is strengthening its emissions targets ahead of COP27
Norway has raised its target for cutting climate-related emissions to at least 55 per cent by 2030.
The government announced its new commitment just days before the start of COP27 in Egypt. Its previous goal was to cut emissions by between 50 per cent and 55 per cent before the end of the decade.
Germany’s new plastics bill could see businesses contribute €450 million per year to litter cleanups
Plastic manufacturers in Germany will soon be forced to pay towards litter collecting.
Starting in 2025, a new bill will require makers of products containing single-use plastic to pay into a central fund managed by the government. The fund will collect an estimated €450 million in the first year, which will contribute to the cost of cleaning up litter in streets and parks.
India's first fully solar powered village is helping residents to save time and money
The village of Modhera in western India's Gujarat state has become the country's first to run entirely on solar energy.
India, the world's third-largest carbon dioxide emitter, aims to meet half of its energy demands from renewable sources, such as solar and wind, by 2030.
Slapping salmons and farting zebras: 2022’s Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards
This year’s Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards finalists elevate the funniest animal images to an artform, distilling dozens of astonishing moments from the animal kingdom.
Timing is everything in both comedy and photography, as the snapshots of a bear-slapping salmon and an oblivious heron make clear.
China is building the world’s largest wind farm and it could power 13m homes
China is planning the world’s largest wind farm, a facility so huge it could power the whole of Norway.
Chaozhou - a city in China’s Guangdong province - has revealed ambitious plans for a 43.3 gigawatt facility in the Taiwan Strait.
Because of the windy location, its turbines will be able to run between 43 per cent and 49 per cent of the time.
Britain’s biggest bank will no longer finance new oil and gas fields
Lloyds, Britain's biggest domestic bank, has announced it will not finance new oil and gas fields.
It joins a small number of other lenders reducing funding for fossil fuels, including NatWest, which cut lending to clients in the oil and gas sector by 21 per cent in 2021.
Part of the bank's climate policy is a move that bars project financing or reserve-based lending to greenfield oil and gas projects.
Asian tigers, leopards and elephants can thrive near humans, research shows
Tigers, elephants and leopards in Asia are defying 12,000 years of extinction trends by thriving alongside humans, new research reveals.
“These results challenge the narrative within some conservation circles that humans and megafauna are incompatible,” says University of Queensland researcher and PhD candidate Zachary Amir.
Solar lamps made from e-waste are one solution to Nigeria’s power outages
Through his business, QuadLoop, Nigerian entrepreneur Dozie Igweilo recycles parts from old electricals to produce low-cost solar lamps.
When Nigeria's national grid collapses - which happens often - these lamps help small businesses keep the lights on without relying on expensive generators.
Your burger could soon come wrapped in packing made from seaweed
Researchers from Flinders University in Australia have partnered with a German biomaterials developer to create a sustainable alternative to oil-proof plastic wrapping.
The seaweed based biopolymer is as recyclable as paper and could be used to wrap greasy burgers, fries, and nuggets.
Wild baby bison born in the UK for first time in thousands of years after surprise pregnancy
A baby bison has been born in the UK for the first time in millennia as part of a groundbreaking rewilding project.
The happy surprise was discovered by rangers carrying out checks on a herd of bison in West Blean and Thornden Woods, near Canterbury in October.
The calf’s mother and two other female bison were released into the woodland back in July as part of a wilding initiative between Kent Wildlife Trust and Wildwood Trust, to combat the climate and biodiversity crises.
India’s first solar-powered village is ‘transforming’ residents lives, says UN chief
India’s first solar-powered village is setting an example of “reconciliation between humankind and planet” according to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
The UN chief visited Modhera in Gujarat, India, as part of a three-day trip to the country. A solar power project commissioned in 2021 has provided its thousands of residents with more than enough renewable energy to power their homes.
Children’s COP: Young people given a ‘seat at the table’ for the first time in Egypt
For the first time ever, children will have an official space at a UN climate change conference in Egypt in November.
The newly-announced Children and Youth Pavilion at COP27 will enable them to hold discussions and policy briefings.
French farmers are covering crops with solar panels to produce food and energy at the same time
Agrivoltaics - the practice of using land for both solar energy and agriculture - is on the rise across France.
In the Haute-Saône region, in the northeastern part of the country, an experiment is being conducted by solar-energy company TSE. It is hoping to find out whether solar energy can be generated without hindering large-scale cereal crops.
Green lawyers triumph as UK admits its net zero strategy is unlawful
The UK government has conceded that its plan to cut carbon emissions is inadequate, and must now come up with a better one.
Last week, business secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg quietly dropped plans to appeal against a High Court ruling from July that found the government’s net zero strategy was unlawful.
It has cemented the victory of environmental lawyers from ClientEarth, Friends of the Earth and the Good Law Project, who are calling the decision “an embarrassing but welcome climbdown”.
These EU countries are aiming for 100 per cent clean power by 2030
Decarbonisation targets and the shift to renewable power have sped up in some EU countries as they look to reduce their reliance in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The bloc as a whole is hoping now to reach 82 per cent clean energy by 2030. But a handful of EU nations are accelerating fossil fuel phase-outs, looking to reach 100 per cent clean power by the end of the decade, according to energy think tank Ember’s EU power targets tracker.
Repair cafes: Inside the high street hubs giving broken electronics a new lease of life
European homes have an average of 74 electricals, according to the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Forum (WEEE). Even just one item malfunctioning could be very costly.
But what if instead of replacing these items when they break, we could repair them for free? That’s where repair cafes come in.
Norway to slash pollution with the world’s first zero-emissions public transport network
Oslo is on course to become the first capital city in the world with an all-electric public transport system.
Norway's capital hopes to reach this goal by the end of 2023 as part of its aim to become the world's first wholly emissions-free city by 2030.
The transport push entails replacing the city's diesel-fuelled buses with 450 electric ones. It is hoped the 500 million crown (€48 million) programme will save the city money over the long term.
Scientists dream up a massive floating solar farm in space
It sounds like the stuff of science fiction - but Europe might one day be powered by giant floating solar panels orbiting the planet.
The European Space Agency (ESA) has unveiled a plan to harvest the sun’s energy in space and beam it back down to Earth.
The technology is still in the preliminary testing phase - but the end goal is the construction of a 2km long solar space farm, generating as much energy as a nuclear power plant.
Want green energy but can’t afford solar panels? Buy a bit of a wind farm
Unless you can afford to install a solar panel, choosing an energy supplier with an environmental pledge appears to be the only option for greener energy.
That was until Sarah Merrick from Ripple Energy started helping people to co-own a wind turbine.
“Big projects are cheaper than small projects so that's why buying a little bit of a wind farm is over two thirds cheaper than buying the equivalent rooftop solar scheme,” she tells Euronews Green.
Renewables power 100% of Greek electricity demand
Renewable energy met all of Greece’s electricity needs for the first time ever in October, the country’s independent power transmission operator IPTO announced.
For at least five hours, renewables accounted for 100 per cent of Greece’s power generation, reaching a record high of 3,106 megawatt hours.
Solar, wind and hydro represented 46 per cent of the nation’s power mix in the eight months to August this year, up from 42 per cent in the same period in 2021, according to Greece-based environmental think-tank The Green Tank.
Renewables have saved 230 million tonnes of CO2 emissions so far in 2022
Renewables met all of the rise in global demand for electricity during the first half of 2022, a report from Ember shows.
The London-based energy think tank found that an increase in solar, wind and hydroelectric power prevented a possible 4 per cent rise in fossil fuel generation and a resulting 230 million tonnes of CO2 emissions. That is the equivalent of taking more than 49 million petrol-powered cars off the road for a year.
Chile's newest national park is a blossoming natural phenomenon
Even though Chile’s Atacama Desert is the sunniest and driest place on earth, rare flowers have recently bloomed.
It has prompted the Chilean government to name this region as its 44th national park in order to protect this natural phenomenon.
Taiwan is transforming unused metro stations into underground vertical farms
Taiwan is using vacant metro spaces to grow sustainable, clean and organic food.
Advanced and efficient vertical farming methods are being harnessed to help feed commuters with fresh produce.
Located at capital city Taipei’s Nanjing-Fushing Station, the 40 square-metre ‘Metro Fresh’ hydroponic farm grows lettuce under LED lighting in a sterile environment to eliminate the use of pesticides and herbicides.
Cigarette butts are turned into mosquito repellent and stuffing for soft toys at this Indian factory
An Indian factory is recycling cigarette butts into stuffing for soft toys.
"We started with 10 grams (of fibre per day) and now we are doing 1,000 kilograms... Annually we are able to recycle millions of cigarette butts," says factory owner Naman Gupta.
World-first nuclear fusion plant could generate carbon free energy by 2040
The world’s first commercial nuclear fusion reactor will be up and running by 2040, the UK government has pledged.
The plant - which could theoretically provide near-limitless clean energy - will be built in Nottinghamshire.
Green Galatasaray: Turkish football giant saves almost €400,000 from its solar roof
A legendary Turkish football club has found a way to cut its energy costs and make money from electricity while going green.
Galatasaray football club previously set a world record in March for the amount of megawatts produced by the stadium’s solar panels, earning it a place in the Guinness World Records.
Quality Street chocolates are getting an environmental makeover
Some of the UK’s most iconic chocolates are getting an environmentally-friendly makeover.
After 86 years, Quality Street chocolates will no longer be wrapped in colourful foil and plastic packaging.
Instead, the treats - manufactured by Nestlé - will be wrapped in recyclable waxed paper.
Dutch flower growers are cutting costs by using cow poo instead of buying gas
Between farming animals and growing flowers, the Netherlands has a high level of nitrogen emissions.
While the government is looking for large-scale legislative solutions, part of the answer could be an old, tried-and-tested recipe: using nitrogen from animal manure in horticultural greenhouses.
By doing so, farmers get rid of their surplus nitrogen and horticulturists use less gas.
Beavers are now a protected species in England 400 years after they were hunted to extinction
It is now illegal to deliberately capture, injure, kill or otherwise disturb beavers in the UK.
“Changing the legal status of beavers is a game-changer for these amazing eco-engineers, which benefit both other wildlife and people,” says Joan Edwards, director of policy and public affairs at The Wildlife Trusts, which has pioneered their reintroduction.
Positive environmental stories from September 2022
‘Soil batteries’: Solar power could one day be stored in the ground beneath our feet
A plentiful natural resource is being called on by researchers at Cardiff University to help solve the problem of renewable energy storage.
An “adventurous” new project to create a ‘soil battery’ uses earth’s teeming microbial life to transfer energy - and is one of dozens of bright ideas that has just got a major funding boost from the UK government.
Could a ‘flying’ electric ferry be the perfect zero-carbon transport solution for busy cities?
One of the world’s most advanced electric passenger ferries could soon link Belfast and Bangor in Northern Ireland.
With a top speed of 69 kilometres per hour, the vessels will “fly above the water” with underwater wings lifting up like a plane taking off.
They can carry up to 150 passengers with the design reducing the strength of waves that can damage the shoreline. Raising the hull above water cuts drag, delivering estimated fuel cost savings of up to 85 per cent compared to conventional diesel-powered ferries, the designers say.
Przewalski's horse: Could cloning save this endangered species from extinction?
Formerly extinct in the wild, the Przewalski's horse has survived for the past 40 years almost entirely in zoos around the world.
However most of the world’s 2,000-strong Przewalski population descends from just 12 wild horses saved from extinction. With such a limited gene pool, the future of the species did not look healthy.
That was until, in 2020, the DNA of a Przewalski's horse frozen 42 years ago was successfully cloned. The result is a horse named Kurt, and a lot rests on the shoulders of this little colt.
Wolves, bears and bison: 50 species make ‘spectacular’ comeback in Europe
Bears, wolves, and bison are making a comeback across Europe, new research has revealed.
The animals are among 50 expanding species tracked in the new European Wildlife Comeback report.
From loggerhead turtles and Eurasian otters to humpback whales and wolverines, many previously-struggling species have made ‘spectacular’ recoveries.
From Scotland to Sweden: How smart cities are helping residents save energy
Dozens of smart solutions have been launched under an EU-funded project called RUGGEDISED, aiming to decarbonise three cities and inspire many more.
Umeå, Rotterdam and Glasgow have been built into 'smart cities' on some simple ideas around digitising transport, buildings and other infrastructure.
Meet the villagers who have formed deep bonds with migrating white storks
The European Stork Villages Network (ESVN) is a collection of 15 villages from 15 different European countries, all with the best interests of the white stork at heart.
Unlike black storks, which seek privacy and avoid human contact, these sociable birds always try to find ways to be in close proximity to humans.
They build their nests on roofs, go in people’s gardens, and eventually, become a part of their daily lives.
Spain makes history by giving personhood status to salt-water lagoon
Spain has granted personhood status to Europe's largest salt-water lagoon in a first for the continent.
Mar Menor lagoon has suffered massive die-offs of marine life due to degradation caused by coastal development and local farming.
The new law came into force after a citizen-led push to provide better protection for the threatened ecosystem.
Denmark becomes first country to pay for ‘loss and damage’ from climate change
In September, it became the first country to offer “loss and damage” compensation for those in the most climate vulnerable regions of the world.
“It is grossly unfair that the world's poorest should suffer the most from the consequences of climate change to which they have contributed the least,” Denmark’s development minister Flemming Møller Mortensen said when announcing the funds. He added that it was time for action, not just words.
Cooking with sunlight: How one Japanese woman said goodbye to energy bills forever
62-year-old Tokyo resident Chikako Fujii hasn’t paid an electricity bill in 10 years.
Chikako doesn’t have a TV, oven, washing machine or air conditioning. The only electricals she does own are powered by four solar panels, fitted on her balcony.
Europe's central bank to give companies climate scores when buying bonds
The European Central Bank (ECB) said Monday that it will give corporations climate scores before it buys their bonds and intends to prioritise those doing more to reveal and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The Frankfurt, Germany-based central bank for the 19 countries that use the euro said it was taking the step to support the European Union's climate goals.
The companies' scores would measure progress in reducing past emissions, plans to reduce them in the future, and completeness of reporting the amount of greenhouse gases they are emitting.
Scientists predict the hole in the ozone layer will close in the next 50 years
In 1987, just seven years after scientists discovered man-made chemicals were damaging the ozone layer, the Montreal Protocol was signed to try and curb the amount of harmful chemicals in the atmosphere.
Now, new research from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the US has found that concentrations of harmful chemicals that damage the ozone layer have dropped by just over 50 per cent in the mid-level of the stratosphere compared to the 1980s.
Scientists say it is a “significant milestone” on the path to recovery.
Dutch students have invented a zero-emissions car that captures carbon as it drives
Dutch students have invented a zero-emissions car that captures carbon as it drives.
Although EVs emit virtually no CO2 compared with their combustion-engine counterparts, battery cell production is highly polluting. As a result, it can take EVs tens of thousands of kilometres to achieve 'carbon parity' with comparable fossil-fuelled models.
The students' Zero Emission Mobility (ZEM) car aims to offset this using carbon capture technology. It features two filters that can capture up to 2 kg of CO2 over 30,000 km of driving, the Eindhoven team estimates.
Carbon capture: Wyoming's new plant could be a game changer in the race to slow global warming
A new project could suck millions of tonnes of carbon from the air by the end of the decade.
Until recently, direct carbon capture - a type of technology that draws carbon dioxide from the air and stores it underground - was the stuff of science fiction. But a US developer has unveiled plans for the world’s largest direct capture facility.
By 2030, ‘Project Bison’ hopes to capture five million tonnes of CO2 per annum, roughly the equivalent of 5 million return flights between London and New York.
Patagonia and Ecosia: The big companies profiting the Earth thanks to eco-conscious founders
Patagonia’s billionaire founder has been praised for giving the company away to help fight climate change.
Yvon Chouinard, who founded the outdoor apparel brand almost 50 years ago, is transferring his family’s ownership to a charitable trust, making Earth the sole shareholder and beneficiary of any profits not reinvested back into the business.
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