Fairphone launches new sustainable smartphone
The phone has a modular design which allows it to be durable, easily repairable, and upgradeable and is made with responsibly sourced and conflict-free tin and tungsten and recycled copper and plastics.
The Netherlands
This archive collects solutions-journalism stories and milestones from the Netherlands — covering advances in water management, energy, public health, urban design, and more. Each entry highlights real progress happening in Dutch communities and institutions.
The Ocean Cleanup begins catching trash in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
At age 19, Boyan Slat founded The Ocean Cleanup. The organization has developed a massive plastic-cleaning device which is now operating in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
Lightyear unveils the world’s first long-range solar car
Lightyear’s solar-powered EV boasts a range of 450 miles on a single charge – far more than the 370 miles of Tesla’s market-leading Model S.
World’s first water-free system dyes fabrics with CO2
DyeCoo uses a machine that dyes fabrics with pressurized CO2, which allows dyes to quickly dissolve and penetrate the textile — all without the use of water or chemicals.
Shell becomes first energy company to link executive pay to carbon emissions
Royal Dutch Shell caved in to growing investor pressure over climate change, setting out plans to introduce industry-leading carbon emissions targets linked to executive pay.
World’s first plastic-free aisle opens in Netherlands supermarket
Campaigners hail progress as Amsterdam store offers dedicated aisle of more than 700 products, with plans for a national roll-out
Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands want to build an island wind power hub
Showcasing the power of human collaboration at an international level, Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands hope to work together to build an Island Hub to help harness offshore wind power.
The Netherlands became the world’s first country to legalize same-sex marriage
No country recognized marriage between two people of the same sex prior to the 21st century, but a law to legalize marriage equality passed the Dutch legislature in 2000 and went into effect several months later.
The United Nations establishes the International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice was born in June 1945, when the UN Charter created the first permanent global tribunal for disputes between nations. It held its first session the following April at the Peace Palace in The Hague, with fifteen judges drawn from the world’s major legal traditions. A quiet but radical idea: countries could bring their grievances to judges instead of armies.
Van Gogh paints “The Starry Night” from an asylum window in southern France
The Starry Night was painted in June 1889, inside an asylum in Provence where Vincent van Gogh had voluntarily checked himself in weeks earlier. Working from his second-floor window view, sketches, and memory, he produced over 150 paintings during his year there. He called this one a failure.