Barcelona’s bus fleet will soon run on biofuel made from sewage sludge
The initiative is part of the Nimbus Project, which aims to encourage a circular economy in the city, starting with green public transportation.
Europe
This archive covers progress stories from across Europe, spanning the U.K., Scandinavia, the E.U. and beyond. Readers will find reporting on health, climate policy, social welfare, science and more — drawn from nearly 1,200 articles tracking real gains made by communities, governments and researchers throughout the region.
Scotland ends all coal power
Scotland has marked the end of its coal-powered history by demolishing the huge chimney at its last remaining coal plant at Longannet in Fife.
12 international donors pledge $1.5 billion to support protection of the Congo Basin forests
The 500 million acres of forests may be the last significant land-based tropical carbon sink in the world, making the forests vitally important in the global fight against climate change.
Spain approves new law recognizing animals as ‘sentient beings’
Animals will no longer be able to be seized, abandoned, mistreated, or separated from one of their owners, without having their well-being and protection taken into account.
Assisted dying is rapidly becoming legal and accepted – currently in 11 countries and 10 U.S. states
Since 2015, Belgium, Luxembourg, Canada, New Zealand, Spain, the Netherlands, Colombia, Germany, Austria, Portugal, five Australian states, ten American states, and D.C. have legalized assisted dying.
Ukraine to plant one billion trees over the next three years
The country’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, made the announcement only a few days after the end of the COP26 climate negotiations.
Milan enacts groundbreaking strategy to cut food waste in half
Milan is the world’s first major city to enforce a citywide food waste policy, relying on the wide-ranging cooperation of public agencies, food banks, charities, NGOs, universities, and private businesses.
Portugal becomes fourth E.U. country to stop using coal plants
The Pego plant located 90 miles northeast of Lisbon stopped generating over the weekend, as Portugal became the fourth E.U. country to stop burning coal to produce electricity.
Major French dictionary adds non-binary pronouns for the first time
An entry for iel and iels was added to the dictionary Le Robert that says: “Third person subject personal pronoun – singular and plural – used to refer to a person of any gender.”
Largest-ever psilocybin trial finds the psychedelic is effective in treating serious depression
Overall, 29.1% of patients in the highest-dose group were in remission three weeks after treatment, compared to 7.6% of those in the control group.