Mainland Spain registers first coal-free day
Mainland Spain went coal free from 23:50 local time on 13 December until 21:20 on 15 December — making 14 December the first day of no coal burn since records began.
Europe
Germany bans gay conversion therapy for minors
Germany is banning gay conversion therapy for minors saying the practice that purports to make patients straight has no scientific basis and often causes psychological harm.
Oxford City Council sets £19 million budget for climate crisis
Oxford City Council will set a Climate Emergency Budget that commits over £1 million additional operational funding and £18 million of capital investment to address the climate emergency.
IKEA to present path to become ‘climate positive’ at COP25
“Becoming climate positive and a fully sustainable business means a transformational change for IKEA. It means rethinking every aspect of how we do business.”
France bans two US pesticides, citing risk to bees
A court banned the products from US group Dow AgroSciences, on the grounds that their containing sulfoxaflor was harmful to bees’ nervous systems.
Ireland unveils plan for 70 per cent renewable energy by 2030
Ireland has published its long-awaited Renewable Electricity Support Scheme, unveiling details on how the country will increase its share of renewable energy to 70% by 2030.
Helsinki and Valladolid join dozens of cities worldwide committed to net zero buildings
By signing the Commitment, the cities pledge that all buildings in their cities will meet the target by 2050.
Glasgow commits to being free of ‘unnecessary’ plastics by 2030
Glasgow has announced a new goal of completely eliminating all unnecessary plastics by the year 2030 and eliminate all single use plastics by 2022.
France returns historical sword stolen in the 19th century back to Senegal
The French Prime Minister, Philippe said giving back Saidou Tall’s saber was “the first step” in a project tailored at returning more west African artifacts that are currently in French museums.
EasyJet becomes world’s first carbon-neutral airline by offsetting all emissions
EasyJet will begin to offset emissions from its 331 planes immediately. It will become the world’s first major airline to operate net zero carbon flights across their entire network.