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.

Oil refinery towers silhouetted against a hazy sky for an article about the TotalEnergies greenwashing ruling

French court finds TotalEnergies guilty of greenwashing in a world first

By / / Good News For Humankind

A landmark greenwashing ruling against TotalEnergies marks the first time a fossil fuel company has been found legally liable for misleading climate claims anywhere in the world. A Paris court determined that TotalEnergies deceived the public by promoting carbon neutrality goals while continuing to expand oil and gas production. The company must now remove the false claims and display the full court judgment on its website for 180 days. Importantly, the case was won using existing consumer protection law, meaning similar challenges could be launched globally without waiting for new climate legislation.

Solar panels installed in a rural West African setting for an article about Benin solar energy

Benin bets on solar to end its dependence on imported electricity by 2030

By / / Good News For Humankind

Benin solar energy policy marks a significant turning point for West Africa, as the country has formally committed to making solar photovoltaics its primary electricity source by 2030. For years, Benin depended heavily on power imports from neighboring nations, leaving households and businesses vulnerable to supply disruptions and price volatility. The new strategy pursues both utility-scale solar farms and off-grid rural installations, extending reliable electricity to communities that centralized infrastructure has never consistently served. The commitment aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goal 7 and positions Benin to attract international climate finance at a moment when clean energy investment is accelerating across the continent.

Aerial view of dense green forest canopy in China for an article about China reforestation

China has planted more than 170 million acres of new forest since 1990

By / / Good News For Humankind

China reforestation has reached a scale never seen before in human history, with more than 170 million acres of new tree cover added since 1990 — an area roughly the size of Texas and California combined. Driven by government programs like Grain for Green, which paid tens of millions of rural farmers to convert degraded cropland back to forest, the effort has transformed eroded hillsides into maturing woodland across the country. China’s forests now absorb an estimated 800 million tonnes of CO2 per year while also improving water quality, reducing flooding, and expanding habitat for endangered species. The achievement proves that large-scale ecological recovery is possible within a single human generation.

Smoke stacks at a retired coal power plant for an article about coal-free New England

New England becomes coal-free as its last power plant closes permanently

By / / Good News For Humankind

Coal-free New England marks a milestone in U.S. energy history with the permanent closure of Merrimack Station in Bow, New Hampshire. The 480-megawatt plant, the region’s last coal-fired facility, ended commercial operations on September 12th following a settlement between owner Granite Shore Power and environmental groups. The shutdown makes New England the largest coal-free electricity market in the United States, nearly 18 months ahead of its original 2028 retirement date. The closure reflects decades of sustained advocacy, shifting economics, and expanding renewable capacity across the six-state grid.

Solar panels installed on rooftops in an African village for an article about Africa solar imports, for article on gigawatt-scale solar farm

Africa solar imports surge 60% in a year, pointing to a continent-wide energy leapfrog

By / / Good News For Humankind

Solar panel imports across Africa surged 60% in the year to June 2025, reaching a record 15,032 MW in the most geographically widespread clean energy expansion the continent has ever seen. Unlike previous spikes driven by a single country’s crisis, this wave spread across 20 nations setting new import records, including dramatic rises in Algeria, Zambia, Nigeria, and countries where reliable electricity has never existed. For nearly 600 million Africans without power access, decentralized solar offers a faster, cheaper path than waiting for centralized grids to arrive. The surge suggests energy leapfrogging is happening in practice, not just theory.

Solar panels in a field at sunset for an article about the renewable energy milestone surpassing coal

Renewables overtake coal as the world’s top source of electricity for the first time

By / / Good News For Humankind

Renewable energy milestone: For the first time in recorded history, clean energy sources generated more electricity globally than coal over a single half-year period, according to energy think tank Ember. Solar drove 83% of new electricity demand growth and now produces 58% of its output in lower-income countries, representing a genuine shift in who benefits from the energy transition. Even as global electricity demand rose, clean energy growth was strong enough to push a slight decline in combined coal and gas use. The forces behind this shift — collapsing costs, expanding markets, and growing manufacturing capacity — are structural, not temporary.

A row of electric vehicles charging at an outdoor station for an article about global EV sales

Global EV sales top 20 million units as market momentum outpaces politics

By / / Good News For Humankind

Global electric vehicle sales surpassed 20 million units in 2025, a 27% year-over-year increase that marks a fundamental turning point in transportation history. For the first time, consumer economics rather than government policy is driving adoption, with buyers in price-sensitive emerging markets across Southeast Asia and Latin America choosing EVs without heavy subsidies. Declining battery costs are pushing electric vehicles toward mass-market affordability across dozens of countries simultaneously. This geographic and economic diversification makes the transition significantly more resilient than one dependent on any single government’s policy commitments.

Rows of solar panels stretching across a wide open landscape for an article about China CO2 emissions and clean energy growth

China’s CO2 emissions fall as clean energy outpaces fossil fuels for the first time

By / / Good News For Humankind

China’s carbon dioxide emissions are falling for the first time in its modern industrial history, driven by a clean energy buildout outpacing even rising electricity demand. In the first half of 2025, China’s CO2 emissions dropped 1% year-on-year, extending a decline that began in early 2024, while a record 212 gigawatts of solar capacity was installed in just six months. China also announced its first-ever absolute emissions reduction target, pledging a 7–10% cut below peak levels by 2035. The milestone matters globally because China’s manufacturing scale has slashed worldwide solar costs by over 90%, making clean energy more accessible everywhere.

Aerial view of solar panels in an Australian landscape for an article about Australia emissions target

Australia sets its most ambitious climate target, aiming for 62–70% emissions cut by 2035

By / / Good News For Humankind

Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions target has reached a new milestone, with the Albanese Government committing to cuts of 62–70% below 2005 levels by 2035 — the country’s most ambitious climate pledge ever made. The commitment is backed by a detailed Net Zero Plan covering six economic sectors, giving investors, industries, and workers a clear roadmap rather than a headline number alone. Treasury modeling projects the transition will support economic growth and keep electricity prices lower than an unplanned fossil fuel exit would produce. With Australia seeking to co-host COP31 alongside Pacific Island nations, this pledge carries significant diplomatic weight on the world stage.

Aerial view of a coastal industrial facility at dusk for an article about osmotic power plant technology in Fukuoka Japan

Japan switches on its first osmotic power plant in Fukuoka

By / / Good News For Humankind

Osmotic power has moved from laboratory concept to working reality with the opening of Japan’s first salinity gradient energy facility in Fukuoka. The plant harnesses the natural pressure difference between fresh water and concentrated brine waste from an adjacent desalination plant, generating clean electricity around the clock without fuel or weather dependence. Estimated to produce enough power for roughly 220 households annually, it is only the second facility of its kind in the world built for continuous operation. Its significance lies in the blueprint it offers: osmotic plants can attach to existing desalination infrastructure worldwide, turning a disposal problem into a steady power source.