First-ever Ebola vaccine approved by European regulators
The drug, which has already been given to hundreds of thousands of people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, can now be distributed more widely.
Europe
Heineken removes plastic multi-pack rings
Brewery giant Heineken joins other drinks manufacturers to reduce its plastic packaging by switching to cardboard.
Italy to become first country to make studying climate change compulsory in schools
Under a new law, all state schools will dedicate around an hour a week to sustainability and climate change issues from the beginning of the next academic year.
Budapest declares climate emergency
The new Green mayor of Budapest added his city to the growing list of capitals to have declared climate emergencies.
IKEA banning disposable plastic products in Israel
“We want to harness people’s energy behind ditching single-use plastic straws and disposables, to draw attention to the thousands of everyday changes we can all make to have a big impact on the planet.”
Germany’s CO2 emissions set to fall “markedly” in 2019 as energy use declines
Germany is headed for second consecutive year of substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, as a sharp drop in coal consumption is driving a decline of the country’s overall energy use in 2019.
E.U. Commission passes new laws to make large appliances easier to repair
The so-called “Right to Repair” law says spare parts should remain available for at least seven to ten years after the appliance has been sold.
E.U. to step up its support to Zimbabwe with a new package of €53 million
The new package will strengthen national health systems and promote equal access to health services, notably from a gender perspective.
Diesel and petrol-fuelled cars banned in Brussels by 2035
The government of the Brussels-Capital Region has approved its far-reaching climate plan, which includes a complete ban on cars that run on diesel or petrol by 2035.
Dunkirk, France makes all public transportation free
The free bus service started in September of 2018. Since then, there has been an increase in ridership, rising 57% during the week and 115% on weekends.