Sweden to build reindeer bridges so the animals can safely cross highways
Work will begin this year on the first of the Swedish renoducts over the E4 motorway north of the city of Umeå, Vetenskapsradion reported.
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.
U.K. supports climate action in the Global South with $4 billion plan
The U.K. government has announced it will commit at least US $4 billion to climate change solutions in developing countries, helping to protect and restore nature and biodiversity over five years.
64% say climate change is an emergency in world’s largest-ever climate poll
The UN Development Program and the University of Oxford surveyed 1.2 million people across 50 countries through ads distributed in mobile gaming apps. Only 10% think world leaders are doing enough to address climate change.
Renewables surpassed fossil fuels in Europe for the first time in 2020
A new report found that renewables delivered 38% of electricity in Europe last year while fossil fuels delivered 37%. Solar and wind power have nearly doubled since 2015.
German scientists make paralyzed mice walk again
German researchers have enabled mice paralyzed after spinal cord injuries to walk again, re-establishing a neural link hitherto considered irreparable in mammals.
Gothenburg, Sweden develops world’s first zero-emissions zone
The developers hope to make the city one of the world’s largest-scale testing grounds for zero-emission technologies. If the initiative works as proposed, Gothenburg Green City Zone will implement 100% emission-free transport modes by 2030.
French central bank to drop coal and limit oil and gas in portfolio
The Bank of France, which manages 22 billion euros, will no longer invest in companies that generate more than 2 percent of their revenues from coal by the end of 2021 and will drop this threshold to zero percent by 2024.
Vegan restaurant is awarded Michelin Star for first time
The restaurant is in southwestern France and was started by chef Claire Vallée, a 41-year-old former archeologist who became a vegan after a trip to Thailand.
Germany used more renewables than fossil fuels in 2020 for the first time ever
For the first time in history, a combination of wind, solar, and other renewables overtook Germany’s coal, oil, and gas, for use as the country’s fuel source during 2020.
Record number of people sign up for Veganuary challenge
The annual challenge Veganuary announced Tuesday that it had received more than half a million sign-ups and counting, the most in a single year since it first launched in 2014.