44 Positive Environmental Success Stories — January 2026

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

RSPB Big Schools Bird Watch – (6th January to 13th February) The RSPB Big Schools' Bird Watch is a bird survey that students are encouraged to participate in while attending school. Schools can sign up to get a free information pack from the RSPB, including helpful ID resources and survey sheets.

World Ostrich Day – (2nd February) The world's largest living bird is celebrated on February 2nd. While the Common Ostrich population is relatively stable, the North African ostrich subspecies has been in rapid decline for over 50 years. Sadly, this is due to hunting, egg collection and habitat loss

World Whale Day – (15th February) World Whale Day happens every year on the third Sunday in February to raise awareness about the many whale species that are endangered because of human actions.

Positive News Round up — Thursday, 1st January

Purchasing and setting off fireworks is now illegal for ordinary citizens in the Netherlands. (Plant Based News)

Following the ratification of the high seas treaty, new international bodies will be established to enforce ocean protection laws governing fishing and seabed mining. (Happy Eco News)

Positive News Round up — Friday, 2nd January

Almost all new cars registered in Norway last year were fully electric, official data found. (Reuters)

Here are five unexpected animal behaviours that have been discovered in 2025. (Mongabay)

Positive News Round up — Monday, 5th January

Rick Owens has become one of the latest fashion brands to ban fur in all future collections. (Plant Based News)

By 2035, Singapore could increase its cumulative solar capacity from approximately 1.9 GW to 5 GW by adding 300 MW to 400 MW of solar each year. (PV Magazine)

Positive News Round up — Tuesday, 6th January

The University of Newcastle has proven that the recycling of solar panels is becoming easier with the ability to recycle almost all the silver inside the panels within minutes without using acid. (PV Magazine)

Industry data suggests that of all the new cars sold in the UK last year, nearly one quarter were all electric vehicles. (Techxplore)

Positive News Round up — Wednesday, 7th January

Flight related emissions could be halved by implementing simple solutions such as the removing of premium seats, ensuring flights are fully booked and utilising energy-efficient aircraft. (The Guardian)

Poland is setting plans to support miners as coal is transitioned out. (Canary Media)

Positive News Round up — Thursday, 8th January

A new report proposes that countries can reduce their carbon footprint and grow their economies at the same time. (Optimist Daily)

Tehran's methodical approach to the restoration of degraded waterways illustrates how urban stream restoration establishes essential green corridors that reestablish an association between communities and nature. (Happy Eco News)

Positive News Round up — Friday, 9th January

Canada has set the goal to reduce methane emissions by 75% below 2014 levels by 2035, a move that the government has said will tackle one of the biggest climate impacts. To accomplish this, Canada has introduced a range of methane regulations on the oil and gas sector, which accounts for almost half of the country's methane emissions. (The Optimist Daily)

In the calendar year 2025, India expanded its solar power generation capacity by a "record" 40 GW. (PV Magazine)

Positive News Round up — Monday, 12th January

The initial phase of a 500 MW multi-site project in Angola has been initiated by Abu Dhabi-based developer Masdar, which has executed its first power purchase agreement in the country. The agreement pertains to a 150 MW solar site. (PV Magazine)

An estimated 6.57 GWh of stationary battery storage capacity was added in Germany in 2025, representing an 8% year-over-year increase. (PV Magazine)

Positive News Round up — Tuesday, 13th January

US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Junior, also known as RFK Jr, disclosed that he and all departmental heads are "committed" to the ending of animal testing. (Plant Based News)

According to data released by the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate, Norway implemented 117 MW of solar energy in 2025. (PV Magazine)

Positive News Round up — Wednesday, 14th January

Between January and December 2025, India made its most significant annual renewable energy additions to date, adding a record 37.9 GW of solar and 6.3 GW of wind capacity. (PV Magazine)

A critical auction for the UK government's objective of establishing a clean electricity system by 2030 has granted subsidy contracts to an adequate number of offshore wind farms to supply electricity to 12 million households. (The Guardian)

Positive News Round up — Thursday, 15th January

Kyrgyzstan's solar power plant which was inaugurated on Christmas Eve will generate electricity for a small city, reducing annual CO2 emissions by 120,000 tons. (Good News Network)

The Energy and BMS teams at Warwick University collaborated to reduce the emissions associated with the festive break. The reduction of temperatures to 14 °C resulted in a saving of nearly £10,000 and the prevention of 25.82 tonnes of CO₂ emissions. (Warwick University)

Positive News Round up — Friday, 16th January

Last year, Texas achieved a significant milestone by generating more electricity from solar than coal, a first for the second-largest state in the nation. (Canary Media)

A pioneering rewilding site in England has documented a 900% increase in breeding birds in a mere 20 years, demonstrating the potential of nature to recover when it is provided the opportunity to flourish. (Positive News)

Positive News Round up — Monday, 19th January

The Czech solar association Solární Asociace has disclosed that in 2025, Czechia installed 696 MW of solar energy. (PV Magazine)

The United States court has granted Amazon permission to acquire the 1.2 GW Oregon solar project. (PV Magazine)

Positive News Round up — Tuesday, 20th January

Volunteers in Bangladesh are working together to help clean the environment up. (Grist)

Radiative cooling, which reflects sunlight and emits heat into space, is employed by cooling cement technology to reduce indoor temperatures by over 5°C. This process also reduces carbon emissions by 25%. (Happy Eco News)

Positive News Round up — Wednesday, 21st January

According to a recent study, adopting the "least expensive" healthy food alternatives could reduce dietary emissions by one-third. (Carbon Brief)

Dame Judi Dench has advocated for greater safeguards for London's parks and green spaces, as research indicates that over half of the city's parks are vulnerable to development. (The Guardian)

Positive News Round up — Thursday, 22nd January

According to the Hungarian Photovoltaic Industry Association, Hungary installed 1.1 GW of solar energy in 2025. (PV Magazine)

A report has discovered that wind and solar energy surpassed fossil fuels in the generation of electricity in the European Union last year, marking a "significant tipping point" for clean energy. (The Guardian)

Positive News Round up — Friday, 23rd January

In 2025, the European Electricity Review, which was published by the energy think tank Ember, revealed that solar energy generated a record 369 TWh of energy throughout the EU. (PV Magazine)

To ascertain the extent to which whales in the North Atlantic Ocean are adapting to a rapidly warming world, scientists have conducted an analysis of nearly three decades of data. (Euro News)

Positive News Round up — Monday, 26th January

China has switched on 1 GW of solar at 4,600 m above sea level. (PV Magazine)

Research has demonstrated that spider monkeys exchange knowledge regarding food sources by altering their social groups, a "clever system for sharing insider knowledge." (The Guardian)

Positive News Round up — Tuesday, 27th January

According to the Solar Energy Association of Ukraine, approximately 1.5 GW of solar energy was installed in Ukraine last year. (PV Magazine)

The world's two largest consumers of coal, China and India, have experienced a decline in coal-fired electricity generation for the first time in more than five decades. (The Optimist)

Positive News Round up — Wednesday, 28th January

China installed a record 315 GW of new solar capacity in 2025. (PV Magazine)

Swift bricks will be incorporated into all new structures in Scotland as a result of the Scottish parliament's endorsement of a law that will assist endangered cavity-nesting birds. (The Guardian)

Positive News Round up — Thursday, 29th January

In 2025, the UK's solar deployment reached unparalleled levels, resulting in a 13.6% increase in total capacity and a new record for small-scale installations. (PV Magazine)

In the fourth quarter of 2025, rooftop solar generation in Australia reached an all-time high of 4,407 MW, an 8.7% increase from the same period in 2024. (PV Magazine)

Positive News Round up — Friday, 30th January

According to estimates from the Swedish solar association Svensk Solenergi, 652 MW of new solar systems were installed in Sweden last year. (PV Magazine)

New research has discovered that a solar farm near Las Vegas is thriving with a rare desert plant. The most recent study to demonstrate that solar arrays can be beneficial to the environment under the appropriate conditions. (Yale E360)