Plastic bag sales in England halved in past year
Asda, Marks and Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, the Co-op, Tesco and Waitrose sold 549 million single-use plastic bags in 2018-19, down from one billion in the previous year.
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.
Virgin Media commits to 100% renewable energy goal
The telephone and internet service provider has signed up to The Climate Group’s RE100 initiative, joining a group of leading businesses committed to increasing the consumption of renewable energy worldwide.
Holiday Inn dropping personal shampoo bottles to cut waste
Instead of using mini shampoo bottles, all of its more than 840,000 guest rooms will use bulk-size bathroom amenities.
Inditex clothing to be made from 100% sustainable fabrics by 2025
Inditex, the company that owns high street fashion brand Zara, announced that all clothing will be made from 100% sustainable materials by 2025.
Alan Turing – prosecuted for gay acts in 1952 – to be the new face of the U.K.’s £50 banknote
Despite his tremendous contributions to society, Turing was ultimately convicted for being gay and chemically castrated in 1952.
British boys will receive HPV vaccine to prevent ‘thousands of cancers’
In total, the HPV vaccine program could prevent over 100,000 cases of cancer by 2058, officials said.
E.ON transitions all of its 3.3 million U.K. customers to 100% renewable electricity
German electric utility E.ON has transitioned all of its 3.3 million residential customers in Britain to 100% renewable electricity at no extra cost.
France to implement new ‘ecotax’ on plane tickets from 2020
France will introduce a new charge on plane tickets from next year, with revenue used to fund environment-friendly alternatives.
German court allows Peruvian farmer to sue RWE over climate crisis
The lawsuit alleges that since RWE has produced an roughly 0.47% of GHG emitted by industry, it should be liable to pay an equivalent of the costs.
48% of the new cars sold in Norway in 2019 are fully electric
Almost half of new cars sold in Norway in the first six months of 2019 were fully electric, up from just over 25% in the same period last year.