Germany used more renewables than fossil fuels in 2020 for the first time ever
For the first time in history, a combination of wind, solar, and other renewables overtook Germany’s coal, oil, and gas, for use as the country’s fuel source during 2020.
Nations
4 major Asian nations cancel 80% of planned coal power projects
Indonesia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and the Philippines have canceled nearly 45 gigawatts of proposed coal power projects, a figure equal to more than one-quarter of the total installed capacity of Germany.
Ivory Coast designates first-ever marine sanctuary
The 1,000 square mile area is the first of five that the Ivory Coast government has designated for protection.
50 countries pledge to conserve 30% of land and water
The High Ambition Coalition (HAC) for Nature and People is a coalition of more than 50 countries that was formed in 2011 to encourage internal action on the climate crisis prior to the Paris Agreement.
U.S. government lifts ban on federal student aid for incarcerated individuals
The lifted ban is part of the $1.4 trillion government pandemic stimulus package for 2021 and reflects a long push for prison reform which encourages rehabilitation and lowered incarceration rates.
Plastic straws and single-use bags vanish from China as ban kicks in
In China, 2020 was bid farewell with a flurry of fireworks and the scratching off of 200 million metric tonnes of plastic straws from the nation’s pollution inventory.
Subscriptions to satellite alerts linked to decreased deforestation in Africa
Deforestation dropped 18% in two years in African countries where organizations subscribed to receive warnings from a new satellite service.
31 countries, states, and cities now have gas/diesel car bans in place
At the start of 2021, there are 31 national and local governments that have announced bans on the sale of some forms of transportation powered by internal combustion engines.
China will open its huge FAST telescope to scientists globally
The “Sky Eye” parabolic dish is the world’s largest Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) used for spotting pulsars and other energetic astronomical targets.
U.S. renewable energy consumption surpasses coal for first time in over 130 years
Compared with 2018, coal consumption in the United States decreased nearly 15%, and total renewable energy consumption grew by 1%.