Australia’s main grid reaches 50% renewables for first time
Australia’s main grid broke through the 50% benchmark for renewable energy in one trading period this Wednesday, the first time that half of net demand had been met by renewables.
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.
IKEA banning disposable plastic products in Israel
“We want to harness people’s energy behind ditching single-use plastic straws and disposables, to draw attention to the thousands of everyday changes we can all make to have a big impact on the planet.”
McDonald’s tests plant-based burger in Canada
McDonald’s and Beyond Meat have teamed up to bring a new plant-based burger to North America. Announced in September, McDonald’s is conducting a 12-week test of their new plant-based burger called the P.L.T.
India replaces ten million conventional streetlights with ‘energy-efficient’ LEDs
These LED streetlights have helped the country to reduce its greenhouse gas emission by 4.63 million tonnes annually.
The Ocean Cleanup begins catching trash in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
At age 19, Boyan Slat founded The Ocean Cleanup. The organization has developed a massive plastic-cleaning device which is now operating in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
Costa Rica produces 98.84% of its power from renewables in 2019
According to the National Centre for Energy Control, the Central American country has maintained the trend of keeping the annual share of the renewable generation above 98% since 2015.
Timberland clothing brand to plant 50 million trees over five years
Over the next five years, Timberland plans to plant 50 million trees. Partnering with nonprofits, the company will begin with projects in Haiti, China, the Dominican Republic, the United States, Tanzania, and Mali.
Burger King removes plastic toys from kids’ meals in the U.K.
Burger King claims the initiative will save 320 tonnes of single use plastic every year. This move will help them reach their 2025 goal to make all packaging 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable.
Peru passes “momentous” ban on palm oil deforestation
Peru has just become the second South American country to commit to ending palm oil driven deforestation by 2021.
Researchers develop method to convert heat into light that could significantly boost solar efficiency
Recycling the thermal energy from solar cells using carbon nanotube technology could increase the efficiency from 22% to 80% according to the researchers.