46 Positive Environmental Success Stories — January 2025
The media has an important role to play in combatting climate doom. Therefore, this monthly news round up of positive environmental and climate change news, is designed to spark joy and show that progress is being made. We pick two positive headlines a day, ranging from renewable energy and preservation to eco-innovation, and arrange the articles according to their publication date. We also include some dates related to nature and wildlife for your calendar.
Environmental and Animal Awareness Days In The Next Month
World Wetlands Day (2nd February) raises awareness that 90% of the world's wetlands have been degraded since the 1700s.
World Bonobo Day (14th February) raises awareness of the ape we know least about, which is threatened due to logging in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
World Whale Day (16th February) raises awareness about the many whale species that are endangered because of human actions.
Positive News Round up — Wednesday, 1st January
To encourage take-up of the devices, experts from a 'nudge unit' have been hired to help ministers fight misinformation about heat pumps. (The Guardian)
Sturgeons caught around the British coast raise hopes of return to UK rivers. (The Guardian)
Positive News Round up — Thursday, 2nd January
According to a new analysis conducted by Carbon Brief, the electricity sector in the United Kingdom achieved its highest level of cleanliness in 2024, with a reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per unit of more than two-thirds within a decade. (Carbon Brief)
There are indications of hope for the turtle dove, a highly endangered bird that is on the verge of extinction in Britain. (The Guardian)
Positive News Round up — Friday, 3rd January
In 2024, renewable energy supplied 71% of Portugal's electricity. (PV Magazine)
Germany achieved 62.7% renewables in the 2024 electricity mix, with solar contributing 14%. (PV Magazine)
Positive News Round up — Monday, 6th January
A woodland charity has asked about 1,000 people to help create Lower Chew Forest and help fight climate breakdown. (The Guardian)
A record 382,000 electric models were sold in the UK during 2024, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. (Edie)
Positive News Round up — Tuesday, 7th January
Agrivoltaics with sheep production makes almost 100% of land grazable. (Techxplore)
After dredging work inadvertently created the “perfect” habitat for the species, the endangered little tern is having a successful breeding season in Lake Macquarie. (ABC News)
Positive News Round up — Wednesday, 8th January
Germany added 16.2 GW of new solar panels in 2024, according to the Bundesnetzagentur. This made the total number of solar panels 99.3 GW by the end of December 2024. (PV Magazine)
According to official data, more than 800,000 balcony solar panel kits had been installed in Germany by the end of 2024, thanks to subsidies and a desire to save energy amid high-energy costs. (Techxplore)
Positive News Round up — Thursday, 9th January
The BT Group has ordered 3,500 new electric vehicles, which it says is the biggest order in the country. (Edie)
An oversized solar farm keeps lights on until midnight. (PV Magazine)
Positive News Round up — Friday, 10th January
The Natural Trust wants to create 250,000 hectares (617,500 acres) of nature-rich land in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. This is about one-and-a-half times bigger than Greater London. (The Guardian)
Last year, the U.S. grid experienced an increase of approximately 56 gigawatts in power capacity. New research from the U.S. Energy Information Administration shows that 96 percent of that came from solar, battery, wind, nuclear, and other carbon-free sources. (Canary Media)
Positive News Round up — Monday, 13th January
Gabriel Kay, a UK student, has designed a kettle which is repairable that anyone to fix. (Positive News)
According to a new analysis, the United States saw wind and solar power supply more power than coal last year. (Yale E360)
Positive News Round up — Tuesday, 14th January
A company located in Vancouver is pursuing mushroom mycelium as a sustainable protein source with the aim of reducing the environmental impact of conventional meat production. (Daily Climate)
Japan made toilet paper using used diapers and other hygiene products. The 98 tons of material were cleaned, bleached, and shredded into a pulp, which was then mixed with recycled paper. (Good News Network)
Positive News Round up — Wednesday, 15th January
According to preliminary figures obtained from the monthly bulletin of the Korean Energy Agency, South Korea installed approximately 2.5 GW of new PV in 2024. (PV Magazine)
The Scout Association will introduce rewilding to its adventure centres across the UK as part of a £150,000 initiative to tackle the 'teenage dip' in nature connectedness. (The Guardian)
Positive News Round up — Thursday, 16th January
Norway is approaching its goal of phasing out fossil fuel car sales by 2025, and electric vehicles now dominate the new car market, making up nearly 90% of sales in 2024. (Daily Climate)
A new course about plant-based food systems will soon be available to all undergraduates within the University of California (UC) school system. The course will have 10 distinct modules on positive food system change. (Plant Based News)
Positive News Round up — Friday, 17th January
The National Trust and a UK-government-funded project are teaming up to plant half a million trees in England this winter, creating woodlands, wood pasture, hedgerows, and orchards. (The Guardian)
Azharul Islam Khan has taken to social media to educate individuals about the diversity of Bangladeshi plants and trees, thereby instilling the notion that anyone can become a plant enthusiast. (Mongabay)
Positive News Round up — Monday, 20th January
Volunteers from Jersey participated in the Greening Jersey Trust's first rewilding event. The scheme involves collaborating with the island's National Trust and Jersey Trees for Life to plant trees, with the aim of restoring various habitats on the island. (ITV)
Since 2021, indigenous communities in the Philippines have been planting trees to restore native vegetation that was lost to decades of commercial logging and agriculture. (Mongabay)
Positive News Round up — Tuesday, 21st January
Lidl is increasing the proportion of plant-based foods sold as part of its broader sustainability strategy, with plans for a 20% rise by 2030. (Edie)
In northeastern Oregon, a total of nearly 9,500 acres of agricultural land will soon be transformed into a solar project of 1,200 megawatts. (Canary Media)
Positive News Round up — Wednesday, 22nd January
France deployed 4.6 GW of solar in 2024, making its total PV capacity 22.12 GW. (PV Magazine)
Emirates has announced that it’s expanded its vegan menu across all cabins and lounges. (Plant Based News)
Positive News Round up — Thursday, 23rd January
For the first time in five years, emergency use of bee-killing pesticides has been banned in the UK after the government rejected an application from the National Farmers Union and British Sugar. (The Guardian)
The share of renewables in the European Union's electricity production rose to almost half the bloc's power sector in 2024, according to a report. (Techxplore)
Positive News Round up — Friday, 24th January
The UK government has granted approval to two solar projects located in England, with a combined capacity of almost 1 GW and co-located storage. (PV Magazine)
The largest solar power plant in Scandinavia, which is 14 MW, is now online in Landskrona, Sweden. The plant consists of 24,000 JinkoSolar modules. (PV Magazine)
Positive News Round up — Monday, 27th January
Costa Coffee, Caffè Nero, Burger King, and several other local cafes have teamed up with environmental charity Hubbub and reuse start-up Reposit to trial a new returnable cup scheme across Glasgow, Scotland. (Edie)
According to provisional figures from the PV association Swissolar, Switzerland deployed approximately 1.78 GW of new photovoltaic systems in 2024. (PV Magazine)
Positive News Round up — Tuesday, 28th January
30 gigawatts of solar was added in the U.S. in 2024, and the country is expected to remain the largest source of new power generation over the next two years. (PV Magazine)
A recent report released by an organization dedicated to restoring some of Scotland's most precious landscapes suggests that its efforts are yielding results, in line with a promising national trend. (Positive News)
Positive News Round up — Wednesday, 29th January
A sanctuary for up to 1,000 koalas and other wildlife will be established on South Australia's Kangaroo Island, with plans to facilitate research into a sustainable future on the island for the marsupials. (ABC News)
The first step towards the creation of a Celtic rainforest has been completed in Devon. (The Guardian)
Positive News Round up — Thursday, 30th January
African countries promise to give electricity to 300 million people by 2030. (Mongabay)
The decision to approve a substantial new oilfield off Shetland has been declared unlawful by the courts. (The Guardian)
Positive News Round up — Friday, 31st January
The UK's journey towards net-zero may see heat pumps become cheaper to install, maintain and run within the next five years. (iNews)
Romania installed 1.7 GW of solar in 2024. (PV Magazine)
