April positive news
10 POSITIVE ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS STORIES FROM THIS MONTH.
Article by: Eveline Vouillemin
From groundbreaking renewable energy projects to significant strides in climate policy and a landmark ruling by the European Court of Human Rights, this month has witnessed a surge of positive climate developments. As Earth Day galvanised global attention towards the need for environmental action, these April highlights are a testament to the incredible work which is taking place all over the world to build a more sustainable future for all.
Follow us on Instagram to see more positive news, brought to you weekly.
1. Greece becomes first European country to ban bottom trawling
Greece has become the first country in Europe to announce a ban on bottom trawling in all of its national marine parks and protected areas. The country said it will spend €780m (£666m) to protect its “diverse and unique marine ecosystems”.
Find out more on the Guardian website.
2. Peak District rangers celebrate 70th anniversary
The Peak District National Park ranger service has celebrated its 70th anniversary outside the pub where it was founded. The warden service of part-time volunteers, as it was originally known, was launched on 16 April 1954.
Rangers provide access and information for visitors to the national park, which covers 555 square miles.
Find out more on the BBC website.
3. Britain’s ‘largest’ people-owned renewable project
A 14-turbine wind farm being built in the Scottish Borders will be Britain’s biggest people-owned renewable energy project.
People across the country can co-own the wind farm via a co-operative, powering their homes with up to 100% green energy, cutting bills and reducing their carbon footprint.
Find out more on the Current website.
4. Governments' climate policies tackling deforestation and nature double in 12 months
A new report looked at 300 different policies around the world and found that around half of global emissions reductions by 2035 are likely to come from those aimed at ending deforestation, reducing food waste, restoring ecosystems, lowering agricultural emissions and rolling out nature-based climate solutions.
In just the last 12 months, the report says credible national nature-based policies designed to tackle emissions related to land use have doubled.
Find out more on the Euronews website.
5. Nature reserve celebrates five years of rewilding
Wild Ken Hill, at Snettisham, Norfolk, is celebrating five years since the start of its rewilding project and has opened its doors to tell local residents about the project.
The reserve, which has hosted BBC Springwatch and Autumnwatch, changed its farming methods to focus on regenerative farming and soil health.
Since the project began in 2019, the site has reintroduced a number of animals including Eurasian beavers, Red Poll cattle, Exmoor ponies and Tamworth pigs. It is hoped they will provide vital habitats for other animals that graze and live on the reserve.
Find out more on the BBC website.
6. Dutch gardener redesigns RHS flagship Wisley garden
The Dutch designer behind the Olympic Park in London, the High Line in New York and countless other green spaces, has redesigned one of his famous horticultural tapestries, the Glasshouse borders at the Royal Horticultural Society’s flagship Wisley garden in Surrey, in the UK. The two-acre space, which he has redeveloped 20 years after he created them, will open to the public next month.
Find out more on the Guardian website.
7. Manchester City is planning to install almost 11,000 solar panels
Manchester City is planning a solar project that it believes would make it one of the largest producers of renewable energy in world football.
The Premier League Champions are seeking planning permission from Manchester City Council to install 10,887 solar panels on their training facility and the Joie Stadium.
Pete Bradshaw, Manchester City’s Director of Sustainability says that with the aim of becoming net carbon zero by 2030, the club knows that the “production and consumption of renewable energy has an incredibly important role to play”.
Find out more on the Euronews website.
8. European Court of Human Rights ruling backs Swiss women in climate change case
In a landmark decision, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled that government inaction on climate change violates fundamental human rights. This is the first ever climate case victory in the ECHR.
The case was brought by an association of older Swiss women concerned about the impact of global warming on their health. They claimed that the Swiss government is not taking enough action.
Find out more on the BBC website.
9. Meet the Nigerian women spearheading solar projects
This article shares the incredible stories of the women who are leading solar projects across Africa from Yetunde Fadeyi, the founder of Renewable Energy and Environmental Sustainability (REES), Yinka Omoregbe, CEO of Etin Power, and Solar Sister, a US-based NGO which aims to make women in rural communities solar entrepreneurs.
They are dedicated to providing clean energy to poor communities in rural Nigeria, fighting energy poverty while lifting women in Africa out of financial poverty too and supporting vulnerable communities on the frontlines of climate change.
Find out more on the Euronews website.
10. Rainwater harvested for National Trust garden
The National Trust has taken "small, but important" steps towards making a visitor attraction more sustainable.
The team at Somerset's Tintinhull Garden has taken the whole site off mains water for irrigation purposes.
Building on the success of using rainwater to irrigate the Kitchen Garden in 2023, two large water tanks have been installed over the winter.
Find out more on the BBC website.