World’s first laundry detergent made from industrial carbon emissions launched by Unilever
Unilever has partnered with LanzaTech and India Glycols to produce a laundry soap made from industrial carbon emissions—instead of from fossil-fuels.
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.
Germany to return 19th century looted art to Nigeria
The announcement was made by the country’s culture minister, Monika Grütters, who said Germany will start the restitution of a “substantial” part of the artifacts held in its museums to Nigeria, starting next year.
World’s biggest jeweler will only sell lab-grown diamonds
This week, the world’s biggest jeweler Pandora announced it will cease to sell all mined diamonds, and switch exclusively to selling lab-made diamonds, as the BBC reports.
U.K. closes major loophole on plane and ship emissions
The U.K. has established an important international precedent, being the first major economy to account for its airline and shipping emissions under its carbon budget.
Poland clinches ‘historic’ deal to phase out coal by 2049
The country depends on coal for around 70% of its energy needs, although it is planning to reduce this to 11% by 2040.
Amazon, Unilever, and Nestlé join the U.K., U.S. and Norway in new $1 billion rainforest conservation initiative
During the international Climate Summit, three governments and nine giant corporations announced a groundbreaking coalition, called LEAF, which is mobilizing to raise at least $1 billion this year, alone, for large-scale forest protection and sustainable development.
Scientists have developed a “highly effective” malaria vaccine
Scientists from the University of Oxford have developed a vaccine that they say gives “unprecedented” protection against malaria, a deadly mosquito-borne disease that killed more than 400,000 people worldwide last year.
Ireland to replace last coal plant with massive green energy hub
The Republic of Ireland is set to say goodbye to coal, after the state-owned Electricity Supply Board announced it would transform its last remaining coal generation, the 915MW Moneypoint facility, into a green energy hub, including a 1.4GW floating offshore wind farm.
U.K. sets world’s toughest climate target for 2035
The U.K. government has announced a legally binding commitment to hit a 78 percent emissions reduction target by 2035, as compared to 1990 levels, on the way to net zero emissions by 2050. For the first time, this target includes aviation and shipping. The U.K.’s carbon emissions peaked at around 900 megatons per year in 1991, and the 2022 figure is on pace to be below 500 Mt, representing around a 45% emissions reduction achievement since 2002.
Lisbon orders 10 electric ferries
Public ferry company Transtejo is putting these electric ferries into service between 2022 and 2024 as it retires non-electric ferries used to transport people (up to 540 at a time) across Lisbon’s Tagus River.