Hope for the Planet: Positive Environmental Stories from 2024

In a world where climate anxiety is on the rise, it’s important to highlight the positive stories that offer hope for our planet. Despite the challenges we face when it comes to the environment, there are reasons to be optimistic. Here are some good news stories from 2024 that prove there is hope for our planet:

1. European cities are becoming climate CHAMPs. A new acronym, CHAMP, stands for the Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships, focusing on all things multilevel in climate action.

2. Portugal generated an ‘historic’ 95% of its electricity from renewables in April, covering 91% of the nation’s power needs for the first four months of the year.

3. Fossil fuels provided less than a quarter of the EU’s energy for the first time in April, with a record low of 23% of electricity generated by fossil fuels last month.

4. Two men instrumental in creating a global seed vault designed to safeguard the world’s agricultural diversity will be honoured as the 2024 World Food Prize laureates.

5. More than 30% of the world’s electricity now comes from renewables, with major growth in wind and solar power pushing global electricity production past a new milestone in 2023.

6. Tuesday, 9 April marked a milestone in the fight for a livable future as the European Court of Human Rights recognized the climate crisis as an existential threat and urged immediate action to protect people of all ages.

7. Scientists hit upon the first known nursery for hammerhead sharks in the Galápagos, a significant discovery for the vulnerable shark species.

8. Battery costs have dropped by more than 90% in the last 15 years, giving hope for renewable energy goals to be achieved.

9. Eurostar promises to power its trains with 100% renewable energy by 2030, laying out plans to reduce energy use, source renewable power, and promote train travel as a greener alternative to flying.

10. Shuttered coal power plants are finding new life as clean energy hubs, further contributing to the transition to renewable energy sources.

These positive environmental stories from 2024 showcase the progress being made in the fight against climate change and offer hope for a sustainable future. It’s important to focus on these success stories to inspire continued action and momentum in the fight against climate change.