World’s first university dedicated entirely to climate change opens in Wales
Black Mountains College in Wales is currently recruiting students for its BA in Sustainable Futures due to launch in September 2023.
Europe
Top British universities offer Afghan women free courses until Taliban lift learning ban
Afghan girls and women with internet access will be able to study more than 1,200 courses from 20 top British institutions at no cost to themselves.
France bans short-haul domestic flights to curb carbon emissions
The European Commission has approved the move which will abolish flights between cities that are linked by a train journey of less than 2.5 hours.
Denmark reverses the direction of an oil rig for bulk carbon storage
Denmark is moving forward with an initiative that will take huge quantities of captured carbon out to an oil rig in the North Sea, and pump it down to sequester it in the sandstone formations that once held oil and gas.
Ukraine passes bill banning LGBTQ+ hate speech in media
The bill bans hate speech and incitement based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
HSBC to end funding for new oil and gas fields
In 2020, HSBC – Europe’s largest bank – made a pledge to be “net zero” and invest up to $1 trillion in clean energy. But the bank has since come under criticism for investing billions in new oil and gas.
E.U. agrees to include shipping companies in emissions trading system
Starting in 2024, shipping companies will have to buy E.U. carbon permits to cover 40% of their emissions, including methane and nitrogen oxides, rising to 70% in 2025 and 100% in 2026.
E.U. strikes deal on world-first carbon border tariff
The levy aims to prevent European industry from being undercut by cheaper goods made in countries with weaker environmental rules and incentivize trading partners to decarbonize.
Heat pump sales are soaring around the world
Sales of the climate-friendly heating technology are set to hit record levels, especially in Europe where some countries are seeing sales double in the first half of 2022 compared with the same period last year.
World’s first solar car goes into production
The Dutch company Lightyear officially commenced assembly of its first vehicle, aptly titled ‘Lightyear 0’, becoming the first automotive firm to manufacture an electric vehicle that generates a realistic amount of charge via sunlight.