44 Positive Environmental Success Stories — March 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

The Big Plastic Count – (9th March to 15th March) The Big Plastic Count is the largest plastic investigation in the United Kingdom where thousands of schools, households, community groups and businesses across the UK come together to count their plastic waste.

The Great British Spring Clean – (13th March – 29th March) The Great British Spring Clean is Keep Britain Tidy's annual national clean-up.

Earth Hour – (28th March 2026) Earth Hour is a global initiative initiated by the World Wildlife Fund. This event encourages people, communities, and businesses to turn off unnecessary lights for one hour on the last Saturday in March. It's a sign of respect for the environment.

Positive News Round up — Monday, 2nd March

A redevelopment project in west London is on track to utilise waste heat from a police data centre in an ambient loop network to provide low-carbon heating to 4,000 homes and a new commercial district. (Positive News)

A hydrofoiling electric ferry was introduced in late 2024 by the Swedish capital, has declared a success by the Swedish Transport Administration. The findings indicate that the number of passengers has increased, travel times have been nearly cut in half, and carbon dioxide emissions have been reduced by approximately 94% in comparison to diesel ferries of comparable size. (Optimist Daily)

Positive News Round up — Tuesday, 3rd March

A team from Belmez Higher Polytechnic School (EPSB) at the University of Córdoba have created a 100% recycled paving block made from mollusk shells and mining waste. (Techxplore)

The National Centre for Sustainable Energy (CNED) of Moldova reported that 315.7 MW of solar capacity was installed last year. (PV Magazine)

Positive News Round up — Wednesday, 4th March

Four hundred eighty-eight distinct plant-based meals are currently accessible on flights operated by the airline headquartered in the United Arab Emirates. (Plant Based News)

The largest solar project in Iraq has entered trial operations. (PV Magazine)

Positive News Round up — Thursday, 5th March

Indonesia has implemented an official ban on elephant rides in zoos and conservation centres throughout the nation, which represents a substantial evolution in the treatment of one of Southeast Asia's most iconic animals in tourism environments. (The Optimist Daily)

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has announced that the installation of solar panels has assisted an initial 100 schools in reducing their bills. A further 250 schools are expected to benefit from the roll-out in total. (Edie)

Positive News Round up — Friday, 6th March

Tesco has emphasized recent market data from Nielsen, which indicates a one percent increase in chilled plant-based foods over the course of a year and a 1.7 percent increase in the 12 weeks preceding the end of 2025. (Plant Based News)

A significant captive breeding program has successfully reintroduced over 7,000 rare invertebrates to their habitat, resulting in the return of glow-in-the-dark snails to their island homes. (Happy Eco News)

Positive News Round up — Monday, 9th March

A flurry of early spring sightings has revealed that the large tortoiseshell, an elusive and enigmatic butterfly that was extinct in Britain in the last century, is once again a UK resident species. (The Guardian)

First-time access to plant-based school meals is now guaranteed for children and adolescents in Poland. (Plant Based News)

Positive News Round up — Tuesday, 10th March

Rwanda's anti-poaching initiatives to safeguard gorillas have elevated the nation to a global leader in wildlife conservation. (Happy Eco News)

A rare species rediscovery in southern Thailand has confirmed the existence of the flat-headed cat, nearly three decades after the last sighting. This discovery provides hope for one of the world's most endangered wild felines. (Happy Eco News)

Positive News Round up — Wednesday, 11th March

Scientists have reported that the vegetation surrounding the Taklamakan is absorbing more carbon dioxide than the desert emits, following decades of extensive tree planting. (The Optimist Daily)

Climate-smart architecture employs conventional building materials and methods to generate naturally cool environments that mitigate energy expenditures and carbon emissions in regions with elevated temperatures. (PV Magazine)

Positive News Round up — Thursday, 12th March

Solar Energy Corp. of India (SECI) has initiated the process of accepting bids for the development of 1 GW of renewable power projects that operate continuously. (PV Magazine)

To incorporate captured carbon into its packaging, multinational beauty company L'Oreal has formed a partnership with clean chemicals company Dioxycle. (Edie)

Positive News Round up — Friday, 13th March

The world's first vertical floating solar technology plant has commenced operations in Germany. (Happy Eco News)

Otters of the Great Lakes are a conservation success story, with populations flourishing in the United States and Ontario. (Good News Network)

Positive News Round up — Monday, 16th March

A Bolivian Andes-based conservation non-governmental organization (NGO) has assisted in the proposal and funding of the establishment of a vast new nature reserve along a critical corridor of biodiversity. (Good News Network)

Money is being paid to people who follow an environmental protection code on a remote African island. The money is helping the locals improve their homes, while the people do good for the environment.  (Optimist Daily)

Positive News Round up — Tuesday, 17th March

Tijuca National Park, reintroduced the ariel toucan over 50 years ago, after it was locally extinct in the 1960s. Since then, the population has nearly recovered, which is helping disperse seeds, allowing forest restoration. (Mongabay)

Two species of marsupials that were previously believed to be extinct for the past 6,000 years have been discovered to be alive on the island of New Guinea. (Mongabay)

Positive News Round up — Wednesday, 18th March

A DNA database that was built to protect lions has helped convict the people who killed one. (Optimist Daily)

The Federal Electricity Commission (CFE), a state-owned energy utility, has announced a significant expansion of solar energy projects, which will result in a total of 1.5 gigawatts of production and storage. (Good News Network)

Positive News Round up — Thursday, 19th March

A new study found that old-growth forests store 78-89% more carbon than managed forests do, helping prove why older trees need better conservation. (The Conversation)

In 2025, European energy transition investment rose by 19% year-over-year to a record $583bn, surpassing the growth rates of both the United States and China. (Edie)

Positive News Round up — Friday, 20th March

Greece has received 12.2 GW of merchant battery applications for 4.7 GW program. (PV Magazine)

The Panamanian golden frog, which has not been seen in the wild since 2009, is being released back into the wild. (Mongabay)

Positive News Round up — Monday, 23rd March

First-time mapping of Greenland seaweed carbon storage pathways has yielded new insights into the role of coastal seaweed forests in the long-term cycling of ocean carbon. (Happy Eco News)

The Virunga twin mountain gorillas, born to mother Mafuko, are the first births of 2026 at the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This development represents a newfound optimism for one of the world's most endangered ape populations. (Happy Eco News)

Positive News Round up — Tuesday, 24th March

Volunteers establish a "Mega Hedge" that spans 15 miles across England, thereby establishing a connection between wildlife in two national parks. (Good News Network)

Numerous British organizations have committed to establishing emissions objectives that are founded on scientific principles. (Edie)

Positive News Round up — Wednesday, 25th March

The energy storage market in the United States installed 18.9 GW and 51 GWh of capacity in 2025. (PV Magazine)

South Korea has initiated a nationwide initiative to establish community-owned village solar cooperatives throughout the nation. This year, over 500 sites will be selected, and KRW 550 billion ($366.4 million) in national funds has been allocated for 2026. (PV Magazine)

Positive News Round up — Thursday, 26th March

The fastest rate in a decade was achieved by the addition of 2.5 GW of new solar power in a 12-month period, according to government data. (PV Magazine)

New open-access resources have been introduced by the H&M Foundation, a philanthropic entity, to assist businesses in the textiles and fashion industry in identifying and implementing opportunities to reduce emissions. (Edie)

Positive News Round up — Friday, 27th March

Sri Lanka's sawfish, which is currently considered to be "functionally extinct," has received a small glimmer of hope. (Mongabay)

The finding of a rare, tongue-shaped fungus is being celebrated as a testament to the critical ecological importance of England's national nature reserves. (The Guardian)

Positive News Round up — Monday, 30th March

Plastic pollution and climate impacts could be mitigated by the development of biodegradable packaging from food waste, which could also revolutionize waste streams. (Happy Eco News)

A high school student, from Virginia, is using magnetic oil to trap microplastics. (Optimist Daily)

Positive News Round up — Tuesday, 31st March

To enhance grid stability and facilitate the integration of renewable energy sources, President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan has initiated a substantial battery energy storage system (BESS) project as part of a 500 MWh rollout. (PV Magazine)

As part of the Government's efforts to standardize domestic waste collections and alleviate confusion regarding what can be recycled, councils in England are required to adhere to a new set of recycling regulations that will take effect this week. (Edie)