40 Positive Environmental Success Stories — November 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
Buy Nothing New Month – (1st — 30th November) See if you can go a whole month making the most of what we already have. The exceptions are necessities like food and medication.
National Tree Week – (22nd — 30th November) National Tree Week is the UK's largest annual event promoting tree planting to launch the winter planting season.
Buy Nothing Day – (28th November) If a month of buying nothing is too long, perhaps try this instead, which lands on Black Friday in the UK and America.
Positive News Round up — Monday, 3rd November
New York is the first state in the United States to mandate that most new construction must have electric cooking, heating, and cooling equipment. (Happy Eco News)
Companies who wish to install electric vehicle (EV) chargers on motorways or A-roads but find it difficult to do so because of grid limitations can apply for up to £10 million in public funding from the UK government. (Edie)
Positive News Round up — Tuesday, 4th November
The largest sand battery in the world has been successfully installed in Finland as part of cutting-edge renewable energy storage solutions that have reduced carbon emissions by almost 70%. (Happy Eco News)
A study which took four years has found that heat pumps run efficiently even in older homes. (PV Magazine)
Positive News Round up — Wednesday, 5th November
Litter picking is starting to become a competitive sport, helping remove waste from the environment. (Positive News)
Research on wood-based batteries is opening the door to more sustainable and safe energy storage through the use of tree-based materials. (Happy Eco News)
Positive News Round up — Thursday, 6th November
It is predicted that the world will add a record amount of solar and wind for the fourth consecutive year, helping to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030. (Yale E360)
Kenya's controversial project has been put on hold after the Environment and Land Court upheld a 2019 decision that revoked the environmental licence for the suggested 1,050-megawatt Lamu coal-fired power plant. (Mongabay)
Positive News Round up — Friday, 7th November
In one of the world's most deforested areas, a student-led environmental organization in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has trained more than 400 youth to combat climate change and planted 2,000 trees. (Happy Eco News)
In Minnesota, Xcel is doubbling its efforts to replace coal with clean energy. (Canary Media)
Positive News Round up — Monday, 10th November
A global push for conservation, is helping to slow the rates at which animals are becoming extinct, alongside conservation efforts. (The Optimist)
By repowering Scotland's first commercial wind farm, Scottish Power Renewables has increased its generation capacity fivefold and reduced the number of turbines by nearly half. (Edie)
Positive News Round up — Tuesday, 11th November
A group of seventy-five Members of Parliament are demanding that 15 penguins that are "trapped" in a tiny enclosure "without sunlight or fresh air" at the Sea Life London Aquarium be released. (The Guardian)
China's carbon emissions have been flat or declining for the past 18 months as electric vehicles replace gas-powered cars and solar and wind power replace coal. (Yale E360)
Positive News Round up — Wednesday, 12th November
To improve cooperation between the government, industry, and investors working on social and environmental outcomes, the UK government established a new Office for the Impact Economy, housed in the Cabinet Office. (The Guardian)
46 GWh of medium voltage storage have been approved for grid connection by German network operators. (Edie)
Positive News Round up — Thursday, 13th November
This year's total of certified rooftop solar panel installations in the UK has now surpassed the previous annual record, which was set in 2011. (Edie)
Car parks may not seem like a good way to combat climate change, but South Korea is showing that they can. From this month, solar canopies or carports will have to be installed in any car park with more than 80 spaces. (The Optimist Daily)
Positive News Round up — Friday, 14th November
Ireland’s national solar capacity has risen to 2.1 GW as buildout has accelerated since the first utility-scale project came online in April 2022. (PV Magazine)
According to recent research by the UK consultancy GlobalData, the Netherlands' yearly solar additions are predicted to reach 4.5 GW to 5.5 GW by 2035. (PV Magazine)
Positive News Round up — Monday, 17th November
According to recent research, even though 2.4 million jobs in higher-carbon industries are being phased out, the global green transition is predicted to create a net gain of 9.6 million jobs by 2030. (Edie)
Satellites can help us find and clean up methane super-polluters. (Yale Climate Collections)
Positive News Round up — Tuesday, 18th November
For the first time in 100 years, European wildcats could be seen again in England, thanks to a two-year study, which found that an area of woodland in Devon is an ideal habitat to support a controlled release of the creatures. (The Guardian)
As part of its Boiler Upgrade Scheme, the UK government is now offering a £2,500 discount on the installation of air-to-air heat pumps, a technology that keeps homes cool in the summer and provides heat in the winter. (Edie)
Positive News Round up — Wednesday, 19th November
Wet wipes made of plastic will no longer be sold or supplied in England, as the government yesterday signed new legislation aimed at addressing a costly and obstinate source of pollution. (Positive News)
A study conducted over a year has found that Heat-pump homes put less strain on grid than expected. (The Guardian)
Positive News Round up — Thursday, 20th November
In 2024, Australia installed 5.2 GW of solar capacity, reaching a total of 40 GW, which included 13.4 GW of centralised installations and 26.1 GW of distributed systems, according to an IEA survey on solar power applications in the nation. (PV Magazine)
Mycelium and plant fibers were used by artist Sam Shoemaker to create a mushroom kayak plastic substitute, demonstrating the potential of fungus-based materials as environmentally friendly alternatives to fiberglass and plastics in watercraft. (Happy Eco News)
Positive News Round up — Friday, 21st November
The world's oldest pygmy hippo has just turned 52, which was celebrated at San Diego Humane Society’s Ramona Wildlife Centre. (The Guardian)
According to a new study conducted in Thailand, community-run nurseries that raise native tree seedlings inside recycled bottle crates perform better than those that use conventional techniques. (Mongabay)
Positive News Round up — Monday, 24th November
Photovoltaic pavements could power local electric mobility, helping to reduce urban emissions by 98% according to a study in Canada by the Concordia University. (PV Magazine)
Brazil has created 10 recognised indigenous territories which span part of the Amazon rainforest. These areas are to receive legal protection, helping to support their biodiversity. (The Optimist)
Positive News Round up — Tuesday, 25th November
5,400 jobs could be created in the United Kingdom if the exporting of plastic waste were to stop. This target could be reached by 2030, according to a report, which campaigners said would close a loophole making it cheaper to export rather than recycle, hoping to boost the circular economy. (The Guardian)
With the help of Podback, a nationwide recycling program supported by well-known coffee brands, Co-op has become the first convenience store in the UK to offer in-store coffee pod recycling. (Edie)
Positive News Round up — Wednesday, 26th November
As of September, India added a record of 4.9 gigawatts of rooftop solar capacity, which is up 157% year over year. So far, the nation has received 18.6 gigawatts of cumulative rooftop solar power, according to a market report. (PV Magazine)
Thanks to a community in Spain, their solar revolution is helping families power up whilst keeping costs low. (The Optimist)
Positive News Round up — Thursday, 27th November
According to recent government data, there was 20.7 GW of installed PV capacity at the end of October 2025, an increase of 10.4% over a 12-month period. (PV Magazine)
Romania's recycling rates were one of the lowest in the European Union, but thanks to a popular deposit return scheme, recycling rates can now be as high as 94% in some months. (The Guardian)
Positive News Round up — Friday, 28th November
Adding biochar made from spent coffee grounds could help to produce a lower carbon emission concrete and support its strength. (Techxplore)
In fiscal 2026, India is expected to install 41.5 GW of solar capacity, of which 32 GW will come from utility-scale projects, 8 GW will come from rooftop systems, and 1.5 GW will come from off-grid installations, according to JMK Research. (PV Magazine)
