5 Important & Positive Climate Stories From 2024
We take a look at 5 exciting and important positive climate and biodiversity stories from 2024 which give us hope for the future.
These days, it’s easy to check the news or scroll through social media and feel pretty hopeless about the state of our planet and the ongoing climate crisis. So far 2024 has been the hottest year on record, with the global-average temperature currently at 0.73°C above the 1991-2020 average. There is also more carbon dioxide than ever in our atmosphere. None of this gives us hope for the future, but that doesn’t mean there haven't been some significant steps in the right direction.
Over the past six months, there have been several important positive climate stories that highlight how we can still slow the effects of climate change. Here are five promising stories from the past year that can give us some hope for the future.
95% of Portugal ran entirely on renewable energy in April 2024
Portugal is one of the global leaders in renewable energy. In a historic win for the energy transition, the country met 95% of its electricity with renewable power sources in April 2024. Not only that, between January and March 2024, Portugal met an average of 91% of its electricity needs with green power. They even had six days where they made more green power than they needed!
A huge part of Portugal's success is thanks to hydroelectric power, which creates almost half of their energy. This cool technology uses the natural flow of water through underwater turbines to generate electricity.
India shines bright as global solar power leader
India has officially overtaken Japan to become the world's third largest solar power generator in 2023, according to a report from May 2024. And there's more good news: in the first three months of 2024, India’s reliance on coal for power dropped below 50% for the first time since 1966.
Back in 2015, India was ranked ninth in solar power generation, look how far they’ve come! They’ve massively boosted their solar capacity. Around the world, solar power is now over six times bigger than it was in 2015. This awesome growth shows that solar power is going to be a big part of our greener energy future. Go India!
Fossil fuel use falls in the EU
The European Union has seen a huge drop in fossil fuel energy production, with fossil fuels contributing less than 25% of the EU's electricity in April 2024. Both coal and gas have fallen sharply, with coal providing just 8.6% of the EU’s electricity mix (compared to 12.3% in 2023). Germany has seen the largest drop in fossil energy since 2023, but the trend is being repeated across the rest of the block.
Solar and wind are now the stars of the show , with both now generating a third (34%) of EU’s electricity needs. A great win for the EUs ongoing green energy transition! However, the region still relies heavily on imported fossil fuels so much more will need to be done to hit their 2030 targets.
EU approves landmark Nature Restoration Law
In February 2024, the EU Parliament passed an important new law to bring back 20% of the EU’s land and sea to their former glory. The plan is pretty ambitious: rehabilitate at least 30% of damaged habitats by 2030, 60% by 2040, and a whopping 90% by 2050. The goal is to help achieve the EU’s climate and biodiversity goals while also boosting food security.
Right now, over 80% of European habitats are in bad shape. The new law is set to restore various ecosystems, including forests, grasslands, wetlands, rivers, lakes, and coral beds, by 2050. This initiative also aims to improve the EU’s grassland butterfly index, which saw a 29.5% species drop between 1991 and 2020. Plus, it backs the EU Green Deal's efforts to make agricultural land more diverse and sustainable.
Croatia’s incredible geothermal discovery
Croatia made an incredible discovery which could be a game-changer for clean and renewable energy. Energy company Bukotermal found an underwater geothermal lake which reaches super hot temperatures of over 284°F (140°C). The heat from the lake can be transformed into geothermal energy,generating electricity without any carbon emissions. The company estimates that the lake will produce 16 megawatts of electricity—enough to power tens of thousands of homes in the region! They’re planning to start construction on this exciting project in the next two years.
These are just five of the many stories which have come out of the first half of 2024, and give real examples of the lasting and impactful changes happening around the world in the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss.
