Renewables account for 18 percent of U.S. power generation in 2017
Last year, Bloomberg New Energy Finance defined renewable energy as the new normal” in its Sustainable Energy in America Factbook. This year’s edition affirms that finding.
Nations
Australia could double its solar capacity by the end of 2018
The solar energy boom has been spurred by solar projects large and small, with multiple industrial projects paired with the appearance of solar panels on buildings all over the country.
Renewables overtake coal in European electricity supply
Good wind conditions and huge investment into wind energy have helped the European Union generate more electricity from renewable energy sources like wind, solar and biomass than from coal in 2017, a new study has shown.
Chile adds 10 million acres of parkland in historic first
At a ceremony on Monday, Chilean president Michelle Bachelet officially declared a major expansion of Chile’s parklands, creating two new national parks and protecting vast swaths of the country’s rainforests, grasslands, and other wild terrains.
Gambia’s river basin to be protected against climate change impacts
A new $25.5 million project from UN Environment and the Green Climate Fund (GCF) will protect Gambia’s natural landscape from the increasingly damaging effects of climate change.
New Zealand creates first climate change refugee visa program
Faced with the looming prospect of entire islands disappearing under rising sea levels, New Zealand is designing the world’s first climate change refugee visa program.
Rwanda becomes first poor country to provide eye care for all
In a country where a third of people have sight problems, specialist nurses have visited all 15,000 villages as part of a life-changing project
France to shut all coal-fired power stations by 2021, Macron declares
The 2021 goal sets a more aggressive target than the timeline advanced by Mr Macron’s predecessor, Francois Hollande, who sought to shut down the country’s coal-powered plants by 2023.
Myanmar LGBT festival goes public for first time
The widening acceptance boosted numbers with some 6,000 people coming along on the first day alone, compared with 2-3,000 over the whole festival in previous years.
E.U. votes to increase 2030 renewable energy goal to 35%
The European Union Parliament voted Wednesday to increase its renewable energy goal for 2030 from a goal of 27% to a new target of 35%, which will now be taken to EU member states in upcoming talks.