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Publish Date: December 9th, 2024
Once a quarter, we bring you a collection of recent good climate news to help you feel optimistic about the work that’s being done in the world.
There’s still so much to do when it comes to climate change mitigation. And celebrating progress will help fortify us on this journey.
In the wake of an election that suggests uncertain climate policy, there are still positive things to celebrate, in the U.S. and abroad, and a case for keeping hope alive. Let’s look at the good climate news from the last quarter of 2024.
The Good News
Positive Election Results & Policy
- No matter what happens at the federal level, positive environmental impacts can still be made at the state level. In the recent elections, California voters passed a $10B bond to help protect people from climate change. It would allocate $3.8 billion for safe drinking water, drought, flood and water resilience programs; $1.5 billion for wildfire prevention and restoring the health of forests; and $1.2 billion to increase coastal resiliency and mitigate sea level rise. Other funds would address extreme heat, create nature-based solutions, fight air pollution, etc. It also requires that at least 40% of the funds be used for projects that benefit disadvantaged communities.
- Washington state upheld a landmark climate law in its election. Its cap-and-invest program, a part of the 2021 Climate Commitment Act, launched a carbon market in the state and is designed to help the state halve its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and virtually eliminate them by 2050.
- Though the future of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is uncertain, there’s no denying that it’s been beneficial to Americans so far. This fact sheet from the White House breaks down its impact and highlights that it’s lowered costs for millions of Americans, is tackling the climate crisis, and creating jobs. This forward momentum is encouraging and helps make the case to uphold the IRA in future congressional sessions.
- The IRA’s success in creating unprecedented investment in clean energy is driven by tax credits. However, when relying on tax credits, the amount of money a company can receive from them is limited to what it pays in taxes each year. The tax equity market is a workaround that has blossomed. This allows the financial sector to partner with clean energy developers and use their tax credits to reduce massive tax burdens. A concept called transferability is revolutionizing this further with the volume of transactions in this market reaching up to $25 billion.
- Across the country, climate initiatives fared well in this election. Washington, California, Hawaii, Louisiana, South Dakota, North Carolina, Texas, Arizona, and Alabama all passed or protected some form of climate initiative, suggesting that local organizing has a powerful impact.
Media & Climate Anxiety
- With 37% of teenagers experiencing anxiety when they think about climate change, it can be difficult to hold this weight for teens and parents alike. Lizzy Nash, an Australian mom, couldn’t bear the thought of her son inheriting a broken climate. As a filmmaker, she realized that she had to be a part of the climate solution and use her skills to help the next generations feel more positive about their future. So, she created a climate series aimed specifically at teenagers. The 28-episode climate-action docuseries called Stay Tuned To Our Planet (STTOP) is a designed for young people on YouTube and TikTok. “It’s the first series of its kind – but hopefully not the last,” said Lizzy.
Conservation & Wildlife
- Bee populations are essential to our food system. And because of pesticide use, populations have seen a decline. But new bee species are being discovered across the country, providing a beacon of hope.
- Another community is investing in climate resiliency. South Baltimore uses wetland restoration and shoreline rehabilitation to make communities more resilient against climate change and severe weather while spawning new green spaces. While this is an evolving science, these steps are promising and powerful.
- A new national marine sanctuary, the third largest in the U.S., will soon be protected by the federal government off the central California coast. Sitting at more than 4,500 square miles, the sanctuary will be the first to be led by Indigenous people. The effort to designate this new sanctuary was driven by members of the Northern Chumash Tribe for more than a decade. The rugged coastline is their historic homeland.
- Water scarcity affects more and more people every day. Singapore has always been water-stressed. And they’ve found a way to be water independent as a result. Further, they’ve become a global pioneer in managing water, an extremely scarce resource.
Electric Vehicles & Electric Vehicle Batteries
- A new generation of EV technology is reducing environmental impact while reducing prices. A form of lithium-ion battery called LFP is becoming increasingly popular among automakers due to its advantages in cost, safety, and materials. These batteries made up 6% of the market in 2020 and jumped up to 30% as of 2024. As far as the environment is concerned, the primary benefit of LFP is that they do not contain nickel, manganese, or cobalt which are minerals that take a heavy environmental toll to mine.
- Used EV batteries have a lot of potential. Used with innovation in mind, they can help move the clean energy transition forward. But discarded inappropriately, they can cause more environmental damage. A Canadian startup is repackaging electric vehicle batteries for commercial customers to use for grid storage. The Department of Energy is giving the startup, Moment Energy, $20 million to build its first gigafactory in Texas.
Renewable Energy
- Over 9,000 K-12 schools nationwide have gone solar, including Denver Public Schools. With 80% using Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) to finance the projects, this model has enabled thousands of schools to access less expensive, clean power.
- Wind & solar energy has tripled in the U.S. over the past decade, exceeding even the “sunniest expectations.” The U.S. produced more than 3X as much solar, wind, and geothermal power in 2023 than we did in 2014, with growth in all 50 states.
- The residential solar market is at a turning point, according to Energy Sage. Their key findings include residential solar and battery storage prices are approaching all-time lows, while storage plus solar installations skyrocketed nationwide.
Local Development
- Denver got a brand-new eco-hotel that’s expertly and mindfully crafted. It’s designed to visually mimic Colorado’s beloved aspen trees and includes biophilic architecture – a design approach that incorporates natural elements into buildings to improve the health and well-being of occupants. The building also used sustainable materials during construction. Further, they plant a tree for every stay, source food from regenerative farms and ranches, and run an on-site biodigester to compost 100% of the food waste. This hotel is truly a unique model of how development can help, rather than harm, the environment.
Celebrate the Wins Along the Way
Though these times can be heavy and uncertain, celebrating the good along the way is a positive antidote. And the future you’re dreaming of is comprised of hundreds of meaningful, small steps. Every step we take now helps to determine the future that we build. If you’re interested in going solar to help do your part, get your free quote today.
