As a cheery counterpoint to the environmental doom and gloom that features so prominently in our news, here’s a round-up of the great strides that have been made in environmental protection in 2023 and the good work that has been done for the benefit of our planet. To everyone sharing our precious Earth on this day, merry Christmas and a very happy, healthy and safe new year.
Greece plans to build first offshore wind farms, with potential to power 1.5 million Greek homes by 2030
England bans single-use plastic items, including plastic cutlery, balloon sticks, polystyrene cups and food containers
France ends automatic printing of paper receipts
360 solar panels installed in Norway’s Svalbard archipelago, helping Arctic communities to transition to clean energy
Stockholm bans gasoline- and diesel-fuelled cars from commercial district in 2025
UK now offers eco-friendly water burial, producing a third less greenhouse gas than cremation and using a seventh of the energy
California’s new high-speed train to be solar-powered, making it the first high-speed train in the world to run entirely on solar energy
Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon down 34%, its lowest in 6 years
Pollution cut by 46% in London’s low-emission zone
The Vjosa, one of Europe’s last wild rivers, declared national park, following 10-year environmentalist campaign
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