Europe

Warsaw, Poland

Coal produces less than half of Poland’s power for first time since 1800s

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According to a report by Forum Energii, an energy think tank, electricity produced from coal in April 2025 amounted to 6.5 terawatt-hours (TWh), accounting for 49.4% of the total energy mix. This represents an 18.9% decrease from March and a 9.6% drop compared to the same month in 2024. Forum Energii described recent changes in the electricity mix as “unprecedented”, noting that the use of coal had fallen by 29.9 percentage points between April 2015 and April 2025.

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Marine litter on the E.U. coastline down by almost one-third since 2015

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The new E.U. Coastline Macro Litter Trend report has found that the amount of marine macro litter in the E.U. coastline has dropped by 29% between 2015-2016 and 2020-2021. While the largest reduction in terms of percentages is seen at the Baltic Sea (45%), major efforts at the Mediterranean and the Black Sea have led to impressive reductions in the absolute amount of litter on European beaches. This achievement is the result of multilateral, national, regional, and citizen efforts triggered by the Marine Strategy Framework Directive.

A row of newly built homes in England with solar panels installed on their rooftops under a blue sky — for an article about England's solar panel mandate for new homes.

England will require solar panels on all new homes by 2027 in major net zero push

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England is set to require solar panels on all newly built homes by 2027, making rooftop solar a legal condition of new home construction. The mandate is expected to save homeowners more than £1,000 a year on energy bills while advancing the U.K.’s net zero agenda. The government is also preparing loans and grants to help existing homeowners add solar. The announcement signals that Prime Minister Keir Starmer intends to press ahead with climate policy despite political pressure to slow down.

Hand holding smart phone

Finland bans smartphones in schools

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The Finnish Parliament has approved a law restricting the use of mobile devices by pupils at primary and secondary schools. Pupils will need to get special permission from teachers to use their phones to assist them in studies, to take care of personal health-related matters, etc. Research increasingly indicates that excessive smartphone use in children and adolescents can negatively impact their mental and physical health, academic performance, and social development.

Aerial view of Helsinki residential neighborhood for an article about Finland Housing First policy

Finland cut homelessness by 75% — and the rest of the world is watching

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Finland Housing First, launched in 2008 C.E., cut the country’s homeless population by 75% over 16 years — the only sustained decline of its kind in the E.U. The model works by giving people stable housing immediately, with no conditions attached. Support for addiction, mental health, and employment follows after. About 80% of participants keep their housing long-term, and research shows the program saves approximately €15,000 per person per year in emergency and justice costs. Here’s what Finland built, how it works, and why it’s hard to copy.

Ukraine flag

Ukraine allies pledge €21 billion in fresh military aid

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The announcement came as members of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group met at Nato’s headquarters in Brussels to pledge air defences, missiles, and other gear as Europe sought to fill the gap left by the changed priorities of the U.S. under Donald Trump. More than half of the aid – €11 billion over four years – is coming from Germany. Support also includes a $590m package from the U.K. and Norway to fund radar systems, anti-tank mines, vehicle repairs, and hundreds of thousands of drones as the nation faces a brutal, unlawful invasion from Russia.

Solar farm

Renewable energy now handles 40% of global electricity needs

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According to a new report from U.K. think tank Ember, clean energy accounted for 40.9% of electricity produced worldwide in 2024. The push past the 40% mark was fueled by an unprecedented growth in solar, significant contributions from wind, a recovery in hydropower, and a small rise in nuclear power. China and the E.U. demonstrated the most remarkable increases in clean electricity generation, meeting 81% and 71% of their new electricity demand from renewables in 2024, respectively.

Finnish flags

Finland has effectively phased out coal as a source of electricity generation

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The closure of a coal power plant in Finland today brings the country to the brink of a full coal phase-out – four years ahead of schedule. Power utility company Helen officially decommissioned its Salmisaari plant in Helsinki on 1 April, dropping coal to a less than 1% share of the country’s energy mix. Since 2020, coal generation has dropped by 73% from 2.44 terawatt hours to 0.67. Over the same span, wind power has more than doubled since 2020 to supply a quarter of the country’s energy.

Pharmacy

England to make the morning-after pill free over the counter in pharmacies

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Currently, women can get the emergency contraception pill for free from sexual health clinics run by the National Health Service (NHS). However, the pill can cost up to £30 ($62) at pharmacies in the UK. Starting this year, the pill will be available for free at pharmacies, aiming to “reduce inequalities”, according to a Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) statement. The move will also help free up general practitioners by reducing the need for women to make appointments to access the pill, the DHSC said.

A surgeon performing a minimally invasive procedure for an article about NeuroSafe prostate surgery

NeuroSafe prostate surgery nearly doubles odds of keeping erectile function after cancer treatment

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NeuroSafe prostate surgery nearly doubles the chances men retain erectile function after cancer treatment, according to the first large-scale clinical trial of the procedure. Published in Lancet Oncology and presented at the 2025 European Association of Urology congress, the trial of 344 men found 39% of NeuroSafe patients reported no or only mild erectile dysfunction at one year — compared with just 23% after standard surgery. The technique uses real-time tissue analysis to guide nerve-sparing decisions during the operation.