Nearly two thirds of British public want government action on the climate emergency
Greenpeace’s Opinium Poll revealed that 63% of the British public think that we are in a climate emergency with 64% placing the blame with the government.
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. breaks coal-free power record over bank holiday weekend
The U.K. had a coal free weekend over Easter, breaking the previous record which was set in April 2018. The coal free period lasted for 90 hours and 45 minutes.
European wind energy industry invested €65 billion in 2018
“Wind energy got 60% of all the new investments in power generation capacity in Europe last year,” said WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson.
Diageo to remove plastic packaging from Guinness multipacks
The company has said it is investing £16 million into reducing the amount of plastic used in their packaging. This initiative will remove 40 million plastic bottles from the world.
Bank of America commits $300 billion to sustainable finance by 2030
By helping clean energy business tap global markets, Bank of America is funding valuable sustainable projects and also creating green jobs, spurring economic progress.
World’s first’ Ultra Low Emission Zone comes into force in London
The introduction of the Ultra-Low Emission Zone will result in motorists who drive into the zone in a vehicle that does not meet the new emission standard having to pay a daily charge.
Last fur farm in Germany shuts down
The country introduced a ban on all fur farming in 2017, with a deadline for closures required by 2022 to allow farmers to transition into new, less cruel industries.
Swiss startup Innolith claims 1000 Wh/kg battery technology breakthrough
1000 Wh/kg batteries would theoretically allow an electric car to travel 600 miles or more on a single charge.
HPV vaccine linked to ‘dramatic’ drop in cervical disease in Scotland
Researchers said the vaccine has nearly wiped out cases of cervical pre-cancer in young women since an immunization programme was introduced 10 years ago.
70% of the materials used to make IKEA products during 2018 were either renewable or recycled
IKEA claims it is “on track” to achieve 100% by 2030 but will need to work with industry to spur the creation of larger supply chains for recycled materials such as wood, plastic and fabrics.