Positive Climate Stories in January
Between the devastating fires in California and Trump withdrawing (again) from the Paris Agreement, climate news has been quite bleak this month. But OG is here to bring you some positive stories and shine a light on the progress being made!
1. Thailand bans plastic waste imports
Thailand has become the latest country to ban plastic waste imports from rich countries, bringing the end of ‘waste colonialism’ a step closer.
China, the world’s biggest market for household waste, banned such imports in 2018. As a result, Thailand had become a leading destination for exports of plastic waste from Europe, the US, the UK and Japan. Yet, much of the imported plastic was burnt instead of being recycled, impacting both the environment and the health of local citizens.
This ban puts pressure on nations to reach a global deal to stop plastic pollution. Last year, the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to advance a plastics treaty (INC-5) was stalled by petrostates’ resistance. No date has yet been agreed for the next round of negotiations, but Thailand’s ban could put this crucial initiative back on the table.
2. Norway could be the first country to drive solely electric cars
In 2024 Norway soared ahead in electric vehicles sales, making up 88.9% of all cars sales. In comparison, 19.6% of cars sold in the UK in 2024 were electric, up from 16.5% in 2023. This figure was 8% in the US, up from 7.6% the year before.
This Norwegian electric revolution began as early as the 1990s. Rather than imposing bans, Norway progressively steered consumer choices by taxing petrol and diesel engine cars, while exempting electric cars from taxes. Other perks followed, such as free parking, discounted road tolls and access to bus lanes. This simply means that buying an electric car makes more economic sense than buying a petrol or diesel car.
Many fuel pumps have also been replaced by fast-charging points. Per 100,000 people, Norway has 447 chargers, when the UK has just 89.
Sales of new fossil-fuel cars are planned to be banned in both the EU and UK by 2035 – although it remains to be seen whether the Labour government might reverse Rishi Sunak’s delay and bring the deadline back to 2030. Norway offers a good example of how to make a sustainable choice a practical and economically attractive one too.
3. Irish Court clears the path for new renewable energy infrastructure
In a recent judgment relying on the KlimaSeniorinnen judgment, as well as EU and Irish climate laws, the Irish High Court overturned a planning refusal for a wind farm in Cork. This decision opens the way for a significant acceleration of new renewable energy projects in the country.
Although the judgment might still be appealed, it is worth noting its strong wording. The judge highlighted the “critical risk to human and other natural life on earth” stemming from the climate emergency (para. 87 of the judgment) and warned that “immediate end to business as usual is a precondition for planetary survival” (para. 89 of the judgment).
Our Senior Legal Manager, Sophie Prinz, says: “Judges are truly starting to take the measure of the climate crisis and of the critical role they can play in this context. This judgment, read in combination with other recent rulings, including KlimaSeniorinnen or Shell, has far-reaching consequences, and will be a valuable precedent in our work to push high-emitting sectors such as aviation, shipping, steel and agriculture to invest in low carbon technologies and infrastructure.”
“Judges are truly starting to take the measure of the climate crisis and of the critical role they can play in this context.”
4. UK’s electricity has never been so clean as in 2024
A new Carbon Brief study shows that fossil fuels made up only 29% of the UK’s electricity in 2024 – the lowest on record, while renewables achieved a record-high 45%, and nuclear accounted for 13%. This has been achieved thanks to a surge in renewables and the long-term phase out of coal culminating in the closure of the UK’s last coal-fired power plant last year.
Analysis: UK’s electricity was cleanest ever in 2024 | @DrSimEvans @VernerViisas
— Carbon Brief (@CarbonBrief) January 28, 2025
Read here: https://t.co/VPjwE2MH1I pic.twitter.com/EMocnHy7sy
While these unprecedented numbers are good reason to rejoice, significant efforts still need to be made. Under the government’s target for clean power by 2030, the carbon footprint of electricity generation should drop by another two-thirds by the end of the decade.
5. South Korea to reduce biomass energy subsidies
Following criticisms regarding deforestation and carbon emissions, South Korea announced it will decrease its biomass energy subsidies.
Biomass, predominantly made from burning wood, is the second-largest source of non-fossil energy in South Korea. Yet, the country has limited domestic forest resources and thus relies heavily on importation of wood. In 2023, imports accounted for 82% of the country’s wood pellet demand, resulting in significant carbon emissions.
Research has unequivocally established the biodiversity risks associated with bioenergy, such as an AP report finding that biomass imported from Indonesia was linked to deforestation of natural, intact forest, not to mention the SASHA Coalition’s report on biofuels’ biodiversity impact in the EU. Despite this, the South Korean government has injected millions of dollars’ worth of subsidies into biomass energy in the last decade.
Under the revised policy, the country will not support any new biomass power plants. Subsidies for six state-owned biomass-coal co-firing plants will end by 2025, and others will be phased out between 2027-2040.
Environmentalists welcomed the changes but criticised slow timelines and loopholes, such as continued support for domestic wood pellets. Yet, South Korea’s policy change could signal a shift in how countries consider and incorporate biomass as part of their own energy transitions.
What positive climate stories have lifted your spirits this month? Share it with us on X, Bluesky or LinkedIn and we’ll help to spread the word.
