Norway will pay Liberia $150 million to stop deforestation
Liberia is a global diversity hotspot, home to the last remaining viable populations of species including western chimpanzees, forest elephants and leopards.
Climate crisis
San Francisco bans sale of plastic water bottles on city property
Americans use 50 billion plastic water bottles a year, according to an anti-plastic bottle campaign Ban the Bottle, and just 23% of those are recycled. Ban violators found selling plastic water bottles 21 oz or below on city grounds after October 2014 would be subject to a fine up to $1000, according to the San Fransisco Examiner.
India completes its first solar park
Inaugurated in 2012 by the then Chief Minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi, it was home to about 250 MW capacity initially. In April 2012, a total of 214 megawatts had been commissioned. It also became the world’s third largest photovoltaic power station. 345 MW had been installed by March 2016. So far, the park has witnessed investments of Rs 5,365 crore and generated 3,441 million units till date.
Brazilian government launches $1.2 billion Amazon Fund to protect country’s rainforests
The Amazon Fund, made by possible from financial support from Norway and Germany, supports projects aimed at promoting the conservation and sustainable use of the Brazilian Amazon.
Chinese developers unveiled the world’s first permanent Maglev wind turbine in Beijing
Regarded as a key breakthrough in the evolution of global wind power technology, the generator was jointly developed by Guangzhou Energy Research Institute and Guangzhou Zhongke Hengyuan Energy Science & Technology Co., Ltd.
Egypt commissions its first large-scale wind farm
The state-owned Zafarana wind farm is located in Suez and was built in eight phases between 2000 and 2010. The farm is 120km2 in size and boasts 700 turbines with a combined capacity of 545 MW. The €110 million wind farm was supported by soft loans from Denmark, Spain, Japan, and Germany.
Denmark completes world’s first ever offshore wind farm
Vindeby Offshore Wind Farm was the first offshore wind farm in the world, erected in 1991 off the coast of the town of Vindeby on the Danish island of Lolland. It was decommissioned for cost reasons in 2017 after 25 years of useful life.
Finland enacts world’s first-ever carbon tax
The tax was based on the carbon content of the fossil fuels and charged at €1.12 per tonne of CO2 when it was first started. The carbon tax was reformed in 1997 and 2011. Now, it has evolved into a combined tax of carbon and energy tax charging €18.05 per tonne of CO2 and €66.2 per tonne of carbon.
46 countries sign the Montreal Protocol in historic move to restore the ozone layer
The Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of numerous substances that are responsible for ozone depletion. It was agreed on 16 September 1987 and entered into force on 1 January 1989. The ozone treaty has since been ratified by 198 parties, making it the first universally ratified treaty in United Nations history.
China builds its first major solar farm
China’s first 10kW civil photovoltaic power station, which is also the oldest existing photovoltaic power station in China, was built in Xiaocha Village, Yuanzi Township, Yuzhong County, Gansu Province, providing domestic electricity for 130 local households. After 40 years, the plant is still generating electricity at around 7 kW.