Global green energy patents up 43% in a year
Figures reveal that more than 14,800 renewable energy patents were filed worldwide in 2017 — a 43 per cent rise on the 10,500 in the previous year.
Climate crisis
The climate crisis demands action — and action is happening. This archive tracks real progress: policy wins, clean-energy milestones, community resilience, and scientific advances that show meaningful change is possible. Stories here come from every corner of the world.
World Bank offers $1 billion for batteries in emerging markets
The World Bank committed $1 billion to finance battery-storage systems in developing countries, and expects its participation to attract another $4 billion in backing.
Investor coalition joins manifesto to halt deforestation in the Cerrado region of Brazil
A coalition of investors managing over US$5.6 trillion in assets joined a coalition of more than 70 large food companies in calling for zero deforestation in Brazil’s Cerrado region.
Japan’s Marubeni to halve coal-fired power capacity by 2030
Japan’s Marubeni Corp said it would no longer start new coal-fired power plant projects and will halve its net coal power generating capacity of about 3 gigawatts (GW) by 2030.
Germany launches world’s first hydrogen-powered train
Hydrogen-powered trains moved from concept to reality when two passenger trains began quietly serving real commuters across rural northern Germany — on routes too sparse to justify overhead electric lines, where diesel had been the only option. The trains emit nothing but steam and water, matching diesel on practicality, and other countries quickly began exploring the technology after seeing it work in the real world. The bigger challenge ahead is cost: green hydrogen remains significantly more expensive than diesel at scale, and the supply infrastructure is still maturing.
California state universities commit to 100% clean energy by 2025
The schools have 40 MW of onsite renewable energy generation, with an additional 20 to 30 MW in planning stages.
27 major global cities have reached peak GHG emissions while populations increase and economies grow
Barcelona, Basel, Berlin, Boston, Chicago, Copenhagen, Heidelberg, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, Melbourne, Milan, Montréal, New Orleans, New York City, Oslo, Paris, Philadelphia, Portland, Rome, San Francisco, Stockholm, Sydney, Toronto, Vancouver, Warsaw and Washington, DC have all seen their emissions fall over the last five years.
ChargePoint to grow global EV charging network to 2.5 million
ChargePoint, one of the world’s largest charging station networks for electric vehicles, is targeting a near fifty-fold increase in its global network of loading spots by the middle of next decade.
In a world-first, Carlsberg to replace plastic ring can holders with recyclable glue
Carlsberg’s snap pack shows how rethinking a single everyday product can remove a genuinely harmful material from the environment at scale. The adhesive holds cans together through shipping and refrigeration, then releases cleanly — and because it bonds directly to aluminium, it recycles right alongside the can with no extra step for consumers. That adds up to more than 1,200 tonnes of plastic eliminated annually from one company’s packaging alone. Aluminium production still carries its own carbon costs, so this isn’t a complete solution — but it’s a concrete, verifiable step that other brewers and regulators could build on.
California pledges 100% clean electricity by 2045
Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill Monday that puts California — the world’s fifth largest economy if it was an independent country — on an ambitious path: using 100% clean electricity by 2045.