This month, there’s news of a ground-breaking commitment to nature in Europe, the return of sea otters to Californian marshland, France’s fix for fast-fashion, a milestone moment for electric transport in Germany and a historic dip in emissions from the world’s leading economies.
Read on for all the details 👇
In a huge boost for biodiversity, the widely hailed EU Nature Restoration law was passed this month, requiring all 27 member countries to commit to restoring 20% of their land and sea by 2030.
But the ambition doesn’t stop there, with targets set for 60% of ecosystems to be restored by 2040 and 90% by 2050.
Since committing to a zero-emission fleet in 2020, Hamburg’s e-buses have racked up a total of 20 million kilometres so far, helping to clean the city’s air for its citizens and preventing more than 22,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
The city is aiming to have 260 e-buses in their fleet this year and are due to open an all-electric bus depot by 2026.
During the 19th century fur trade, sea otter numbers in the tidal estuaries of Monterey, California, were badly hit. This led to a surge in one of their main sources of food – striped shore crabs, whose uncontrolled burrowing was severely affecting the stability of marsh banks.
Now as the sea otter populations return, balance is being restored to the ecosystem with erosion now under control and approaching natural levels.
In a bid to limit the wasteful behaviours created by fast-fashion, France is looking to become the first country in the world to impose a surcharge on “ultra-fast” fashion, linked to the item’s ecological footprint.
Based on the volumes of new clothing ranges a manufacturer produces, the charge would start at €5 per item, rising to €10 by 2030. Proceeds generated from this measure are to be used to subsidise producers of sustainable clothes, allowing them to compete more easily.
According to the International Energy Agency, CO2 emissions generated by the world’s largest economies dropped last year to levels not seen since 1973.
Most of this decline was seen in the electricity generation sector, with half of all demand being met by clean power sources like wind, solar and nuclear. Combined with further dramatic decreases in coal power, the news marks an encouraging step forwards on our journey to fix the climate.
Keep an eye on our channels for all the latest optimism from around the world, including updates from our amazing Finalists.
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