Positive Sustainability News of 2024

​Climate change remains as a reality. Although our ecological concerns and fears about the future of our planet continue to exist, some good news coming from 2024 prove that there is still hope for our world.

As the usage of renewable energy increases, sensitive ecosystems become entitled and decisive steps towards the fight against climate change bear their fruits, we are sure that good news will keep coming.

In this article, we compiled positive environmental news for you. Enjoy reading!

Positive Environment Stories and News from 2024

1- New US limits on toxic chemicals in drinking water expected to save thousands of lives.
USA imposes federal restrictions for the first time on toxic ‘forever chemicals*’ in drinking water.

The restriction put into final form by the Biden government on Wednesday, April 10th requires public institutions to reduce the chemicals to the lowest level that can be measured reliably. Authorities state that this application will eliminate the victimization of 100 million people and help to prevent many diseases, including cancer derivatives.

*Hundreds of products we use every day are produced using highly toxic chemicals called PFAS (polyfluoroalkyl substances). These are described as forever chemicals since they are very persistent in our body and our environment.

2- The “historical” decision of European Court of Human Rights supports Swiss women in the climate change case.
In a landmark decision, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled that the government’s inaction about climate change violates basic human rights. The case was filed by an organization consisting of elderly Swiss women who are concerned about the impact of global warming on their health.

3- Solar energy installations using subscription system.
A Spanish company started to install solar panels without initial investment cost. Wouter Draijer, 29-year-old, is the CEO and founding partner of SolarMente which aim to change energy consumption and distribution ways of the people in Spain. The subscription service of the company enables homeowners and businesses to install solar panels without any initial costs.

4- European Union makes its ‘Bicycle Declaration’.
European Union governments acknowledged that bicycle is one of the “most sustainable, healthy and effective” ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Countries made a commitment to build more bicycle roads and safe parking areas, to increase safety for cyclists and to support plans that will encourage the transition from four wheels to two wheels.

5- Deutsche Bahn has stopped using domestic flights to send letters.
Domestic flights will not be used anymore to carry letters by the national mail carrier of Germany. This move by Deutsche reflects the decreasing importance of letter post and enables improvement in carbon footprint.

6- Nigerian women spearhead solar energy projects.
More children die due to air pollution in Nigeria compared to other African countries. Yetunde Fadeyi, a 32-year-old Nigerian green energy entrepreneur, made eliminating energy poverty leading to these deaths her life purpose. Having been educated about installation of solar panels, Fadeyi founded Renewable energy and Environmental Sustainability (REES) corporation. This non-profit corporation is an organization dedicated to defending the climate and supplying clean energy for the poor communities in the rural parts of Nigeria.

7- Cities of the future are being built inside Berlin’s Tegel Airport.
Aiming to store the surplus of generated renewable energy as heat, the German company Heat Storage Berlin supplies steam to all sectors, from beer factories or the paper industry, using renewable energy. As the world starts to face the reality of climate change, more companies work together to bring green solutions to the table.

8- A town exemplary in sustainabilityhas been built.
Although building wind and solar power plants is becoming increasingly difficult, a German town may have found the solution. The village called Sprakebuell has more electric automobiles compared to average as well as a wind farm that supplies power to the whole village. In addition, energy transformation is achieved using renewable heat obtained from biogas. Despite its small size, this German village provides lessons that can make a splash at a global scale.
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9- Coffee grounds provide undeniable benefits.
6 million tons of used coffee grounds are generated every year. These mostly contribute to environmental pollution by leading to methane and CO2 emissions in landfills or get incinerated for energy generation. However, according to new research published in the Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, used coffee grounds have the potential to provide a solution for environmental issues. This research explains how coffee grounds can be beneficial in reducing waste amount, keeping greenhouse gas emissions under control, and using these in sustainable methods such as biofuel or compost.

So how can 6 million tons of used coffee ground that are generated every year provide a solution for agricultural pollution? Scientists at Paraná Federal Technology University in Brazil discovered that coffee grounds can absorb bentazone, an herbicide frequently used in agriculture. They found that the carbon content of coffee grounds becomes 70% more effective in removing herbicide when activated with zinc chloride. Thus, coffee grounds waste will be removed from landfills and the damage of herbicides on the environment will be prevented.

10- Manchester City Football club is planning to install almost 11,000 solar panels on the roof of its training ground.
Manchester City is planning to realize a solar energy project that will make the club one of the biggest renewable energy producers in the global football scene.

The Premier League Champion submitted a planning request to Manchester Municipality to install 10,887 solar panels at its training ground and Joie Stadium.

11- Danish company is building a massive solar farm in Arizona desert.
Danish Ørsted company is building a massive solar energy plant in the depths of Arizona desert with batteries which recharge with solar beams during the day and provide energy for that power grid.

12- Governments agree on packaging waste law.
Holding Presidency of the Council of European Union, Belgium enabled agreement among governments to fight against the issue of increasing packaging waste by overcoming the European Commission’s concerns associated with commercial diplomacy National intermediaries have agreed on the new European law related to packaging waste which encourages overseas producers to comply with the EU environmental standards in terms of recycling plastics who are faced with the risk of losing access to the market.

13- Germany’s emissions fell by a record rate of 10.1% in 2023.
Germany’s greenhouse gas emissions fell by 10.1% in 2023 thanks to the country’s investments in renewable energy resources and high energy prices which may have decreased the demand. As the biggest economy in Europe, Germany presses forward to decrease its emissions by 65% until 2030 compared to 1990.

14- Policies based on nature doubled at a global scale in the last 12 months.
In a study analyzing 300 different policies across the world, the researchers indicate that the reduction of global emissions by 2035 will originate from policies aiming to stop deforestation, reduce food waste, restore ecosystems, decrease agricultural emissions, and popularize nature-based climate solutions.
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15- The French are making their town cemetery a source of solar energy.
A French town started to build a canopy over its cemetery which consists of solar panels that will generate energy for the residents of the town. In the town with a population of 4,000, 420 people have officially registered to participate in the project. The participants will be proprietors of a share of the generated energy in exchange for an entry fee of only 5 Euros.

16- Private jets polluting the environment will receive a tax penalty.
Private jets will face 400% fuel tax under the new proposal of Joe Biden, the US President. The fuel tax increase for private jets not only improves justice in air travel, but it may also discourage the use of transportation means that pollute the environment.

17- The birds studied by Charles Darwin have been reintroduced to an area of the Galapagos Islands.
Experts, who have been fighting against the ones who caused the disappearance of numerous native species and blocked the way of ecological restoration, released approximately 510 finches from five species on Floreana Island as part of a nature restoration program. Eliécer Cruz, Spokesman for the Jocotoco Conservation Foundation, said "This is a very special day."
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18- European Union criminalizes cases of environmental damage.
Ecosystem destruction, including habitat loss and illegal tree cutting, will be punished with more severe penalties and prison sentences in scope of the updated environmental crimes directive of the EU.

19- Spain announces plans to ban short-haul domestic flights.
Spain is banning some short-haul domestic flights in scope of its plans to reduce carbon emissions. Flights with a rail alternative that takes less than two and a half hours will no longer be allowed, “except in cases of connection with hub airports that link with international routes.”

20- Cars powered by woodchips are being produced.
CarbonScape, a company providing service in New Zealand, transforms woodchips into synthetic graphite that can be used in electric vehicle batteries. The company produces ‘biographite’ by heating byproducts obtained from forest products industry by using a process called thermo-catalytic graphitization. Thanks to this process, these byproducts are used as charcoal that can be catalyzed and transformed into batteries through refinement.

21- The most beautiful tree award given.
In a world full of division, anger and heartbreak, there is an award ceremony organized for us not to forget to look at and protect beautiful things. The European Tree of the Year Award. Organized since 2011, this award brings together the most unique and beautiful trees across the continent. Finalists of the 2024 European Tree of the Year Award were announced; olive tree and beech.
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22- “Godfathers of the Wind” jointly win the ‘Nobel Prize’ of engineering.
The winners of “Nobel Prize of Engineering” were announced; and they are the two European pioneers of wind power. Often referred to as ‘the Godfathers of the Wind,’ Danish Henrik Stiesdal and British Andrew Garrad shared this year’s Queen Elixabeth Engineering Award due to their critical contributions to the development of wind power.

23- A disused mine in Finland is being turned into a gravity battery to store renewable energy.
A zinc and copper mine with a depth of over 1,400 meters, located in Pyhäjärvi, a distant region in Finland 450 kilometers to the north of Helsinki, is being turned into an underground energy storage. Gravity will take effect in order to store the excess power to be used when needed and energy distribution will be possible.

26- Ireland is on track for 225 million Euros climate finance target.
Ireland is preparing to realize its commitment to provide 225 million Euros per year for climate financing to poor countries until the year of 2025.

27- Peru’s fight against deforestation continues
Young Peruvians are learning how to defend rain forests in the Amazon’s tallest treehouse. Junglekeepers, a nonprofit which conserves threatened habitat in the Madre de Dios (Mother of God) region of Peru’s Amazon, started to provide education to young people.

28- Plastic bag bans work.
According to a new study, the bans implemented in five states and cities in the US with a total population of nearly 12 million prevented nearly 6 billion disposable plastic bag usage per year.

29- Poland’s new government commits to join EU’s ‘fight’ against climate change.
As one of the most enthusiastic supporters of climate action in Europe in recent years, Donald Tusk’s return to power as the prime minister of Poland will enable the country to give weight to a radical emission reduction target by 2040.

30- Solar cells can help your devices to work battery-free.
California-based Ambient Photonics company has been working on indoor solar cells since 2019 and improves the performance and prices of this new technology. Cells which can be used in almost any size and shape for use on everyday devices such as remote controls and wireless keyboards eliminate the need for conventional batteries and have the potential to decrease the size and weight of electronic devices.

Why Are Positive Sustainability News Important?

The year 2024 witnessed encouraging developments in environmental sustainability. The increase in renewable energy sources, popularization of sustainable agricultural practices and communities with heightened awareness about the environment have been among the featured headlines this year. These positive stories and news are promising for a greener and more sustainable world in the future. It is in our hands to make this positive change sustainable by jointly taking environmentally sensitive steps.