Seven climate wins you may have missed in 2024

illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on the BBC News or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: Despite rising global temperatures and extreme weather, 2024 brought several overlooked breakthroughs for climate and nature
• Key milestones include the UK shutting down its last coal-fired power plant, significant expansion in global renewable energy, and new legal protections for ecosystems and species
• These wins highlight global progress in addressing environmental challenges

🔭 The context: Among the highlights, the UK’s closure of its final coal plant symbolizes a historic shift from fossil fuels, while China leads in renewable energy growth
• Natural features like Ecuador’s Los Cedros cloud forest and whales in the Pacific gained legal personhood, enhancing protections
• Conservation successes include Amazon deforestation reaching a nine-year low and the recovery of species like the saiga antelope and California condor

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: These achievements demonstrate the potential of renewable energy, conservation, and Indigenous-led initiatives to mitigate biodiversity loss and climate impacts
• Legal recognition of ecosystems and species reframes nature as an intrinsic value, aiding in sustainable management
• Together, these steps offer hope in the fight against ecological degradation

⏭️ What's next: The focus now shifts to scaling up renewable energy to meet global goals, enforcing marine and biodiversity protections, and supporting Indigenous-led conservation
• Maintaining momentum will require collaboration, ambitious policies, and global investments in green initiatives

💬 One quote: "The major expansion [of renewables] was a 'beautiful story,' summed up in two words: 'China' and 'solar,'" - Fatih Birol, IEA executive director

📈 One stat: The Brazilian Amazon saw a 30% drop in deforestation, reaching its lowest annual loss since 2015, despite increased wildfires

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