Global investment in coal tumbles by 75% in three years
Estimates suggest 2018 was the first time there has been a reduction in coal-fired power capacity across the world since the industrial revolution.
Sustainability
This archive collects 524 stories about sustainability milestones — from renewable energy gains and regenerative agriculture to plastic reduction and corporate accountability. Each piece focuses on what’s working, who’s driving it, and how far it’s come. If you follow environmental and economic progress, this is a reliable place to track it.
187 nations signed a UN plastics waste protocol
The protocol requires countries that want to ship their waste products to other nations to first obtain the permission of the receiving nations.
Tanzania bans the use of plastic bags
In a historic conservation move the government of the United Republic of Tanzania has announced the ban on plastic bag use beginning June 1, 2019.
Germany tests its first ‘electric highway’ for trucks
Germany is testing a eHighway system with a hybrid truck receiving power from cables to keep it from using its combustion engine.
Residential solar booming in Australia: Q1 installations up 46% from 2018
A record amount of new solar capacity has been fitted to Australia’s households and businesses in the first three months of this year, an increase of 46% on the same period last year.
Bosch pledges to be carbon neutral by 2020
In over 400 locations worldwide, the company will no longer leave a carbon footprint, making Bosch the first major industrial enterprise to achieve this ambitious goal in a little over a year.
Los Angeles launches its own Green New Deal to go carbon-neutral by 2050
The plan requires all new city-owned buildings and major renovations to be all-electric, effective immediately. The plan also hopes to phase out styrofoam and to plant 90,000 trees by 2021, and to end plastic straws and single-use containers by 2028.
Selfridges announces own-brand food is now palm oil free
Selfridges, a major U.K. food retailer, now has all of their own-brand foods palm oil free, nine months ahead of the original target.
America’s renewable energy set to surpass coal for the first month ever in April 2019
America’s clean energy revolution is on the verge of a tipping point. The renewable energy sector is projected to generate more electricity than coal during the month of April.
Maine becomes the first state to ban Styrofoam
The law, which will go into effect January 1, 2021, prohibits restaurants, caterers, coffee shops and grocery stores from using the to-go foam containers because they cannot be recycled in Maine.