As the year draws to a close, we’ve decided to take a look back at the best things that happened in 2024 in the area of sustainability. Here’s the good news:
1.In England, more than 8,300 people with mental health problems were prescribed time spent in nature. Happiness levels increased and anxiety levels decreased
2. Data published in October revealed that emissions in the European Union fell by 8% in 2023, meaning that greenhouse gas pollution is now 37% below 1990 levels.
3. In August, a historic law came into force to reverse the loss of biodiversity in the EU. The law requires all EU countries to restore and protect wildlife on a fifth of their land and seas by 2030.
4. The 2026 European Green City Award goes to Guimarães and the 2026 European Green Leaf Award to Águeda. The cities will receive 600,000 and 200,000 euros respectively to continue improving environmental sustainability.
5. More than 80% of the energy generated in Portugal comes from renewable sources. The target set by the government is 80% by 2026.
6. Alandmark decision by the European Court of Human Rights ruled in favor of the women’s organization – most of whom are around 70 years old – and ordered Switzerland to change its climate strategy.
7. Citieschanging: Paris bets on more green spaces and closes roads to cars. London charges 16 dollars for non-low emission cars and creates over 400 km of cycle paths
8.C
onservation interventions – including the creation of protected areas and the eradication of invasive species – have increased biodiversity or slowed its decline in the majority of cases (66%).
9. The Sounds Right initiative recognizes nature as a “musician”. They now raise funds from the royalties of songs produced and played on streaming platforms that use nature sounds.
10. The global second-hand clothing market is expected to reach 325 billion euros by 2028 and will represent 10% of the global fashion market by 2025. Here you can see some of the best Portuguese second-hand clothes stores.
The Smart City Expo World Congress looked at transportation options in more than 20 European cities. London, Amsterdam, Vienna, Berlin and Helsinki are the ones
The “Neighbourhood in Bloom” project was launched by the municipality of Antwerp to encourage residents to take up gardening and plant trees in order to
Google has announced new features to help users find more sustainable routes on Google Maps. Google has announced new features to help people access more
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