Big U.K. court win for the climate

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♻️ This week’s sustainability news

U.K.’s highest court delivers a win for the climate

What’s happening: The supreme court in London has decided that the effects on the climate from burning coal, oil, and gas must be considered when approving proposed fossil fuel projects. The important court decision now sets a precedent that future greenhouse gas emissions from a fossil fuel project must be taken into account. Activists celebrated the decision as a "big victory for a livable climate" and said it helped other lawsuits in the country that are against fossil fuel extraction.

Why it’s happening: Campaigner Sarah Finch started a case against Surrey county council. She opposed their decision to extend the planning permission for an oil drilling well. She argued that the council should have considered the greenhouse gas emissions from using the oil, not just the emissions from the drilling site. These emissions are called "scope 3" or downstream emissions. The council said they had the right to decide what the full impact of the project would be. The lower courts did not agree with Finch's arguments, but most of the supreme court said it was clear that the emissions from burning oil were part of the project's environmental impact.

Why it’s important: This decision strengthens lawsuits that campaigners have brought against other fossil fuel burning projects such as coal mines and oil and gas fields. The downstream impacts of fossil fuel projects must now be considered when governments are considering their approval.

Vanuatu celebrates reduction in plastic waste

What’s happening: Vanuatu has seen the benefits of introducing a ban on certain single-use plastic items in 2018. Plastic shopping bags are rarely seen now, with most people using reusable bags when they go shopping. At festivals and outdoor events, food is often served in banana leaves instead of polystyrene boxes. Items that are now banned used to make up 35% of Vanuatu’s waste, but now they are less than 2%. New businesses have started to make eco-friendly alternatives to the banned items. An example is on the island of Pentecost, where people are using biodegradable planter pots made from native pandanus leaves instead of plastic ones.

Why it’s happening: French immigrant Christelle Thieffry started a Facebook page in 2017 with her husband called “no plastic bag, please”. They also began asking people to sign a petition to ban single-use plastic bags. After gaining 2,000 signatures, the prime minister mentioned it in a speech to the nation. Eventually the government developed and implemented one of the first policies in the world to ban the sale and use of some single-use plastics in 2018. This included being the first in the world to ban plastic straws. Fines of at least 20,000 vatu (£130 / $164 USD / $246 AUD) were implemented for those breaking the law, a significant amount for many locals. In 2020, the policy was updated to ban seven more plastic items, including cutlery, single-use plates, and fake flowers.

Why it’s important: The Vanuatu government hopes to keep building on their success. They want to add disposable nappies to the plastic ban. They also plan to start a plastic bottle deposit program this year to recycle plastic waste and help alleviate their presence along coastlines and river systems. Even though there is less plastic waste since the ban, it is still harming Vanuatu's environment. In some places, people can't swim anymore because of the pollution. Most of the plastic waste is now made up of the packaging used in imported goods that the island nation is reliant upon, such as noodle, rice, and biscuit packaging. Some hope that the plastic ban will eventually cover such items, but this would be difficult without international manufacturers changing their packaging for global markets.

📖 Read the article: How the small Pacific island nation of Vanuatu drastically cut plastic pollution

🌐 Travel to Nguna Island, Vanuatu

Hike an extinct volcano

Hike to Mount Taputoara's summit: You’ll be rewarded with breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean and landscapes of Vanuatu.

😇 People doing great things

From zoo to animal sanctuary

Buenos Aires responded to public opinion: Acknowledging the ethics of displaying animals for entertainment, often in enclosures originally designed in the 1880s, the city’s zoo closed in 2016. More than 1,000 animals have been relocated to sanctuaries around the world since then. Only a few animals who were too old to be relocated remain, but they are being well looked after including two hippos enjoying their new enclosure and two aged elephants who receive regular podiatry sessions. Now operating as an eco park, it’s still open to visitors, but restricted to 2,000 a day. It’s focused on operating as a conservation and rescue centre, caring for injured animals from all over Argentina.

⭐️ Weekly inspiration

Clean energy production from waves

Commercial solution available: Ocean Power Technologies revealed its PowerBuoys can harvest wave energy to supply reliable power to industry.

Australia to open a new national park later this year

Home to 158 native species: Including 12 endangered ones found so far, Comeroo Station in the state of NSW will span more than 37,000 hectares.

U.S. clean energy projects win higher pay and training

Biden administration rules: Developers get bigger tax breaks if they pay fair wages and hire apprentices so they can earn money while they learn.

Over a billion less plastic bags in Colorado, U.S.

1.5 to 1.8 billion fewer bags used in 2023: According to nonprofit Eco-Cycle, and comes after introduction of law to phase out single-use plastic bags.

Chicago on track to massively improve bikeways

150 miles (240 kilometres) of new and improved bikeways: To be completed by 2025, with 47 miles (76 kilometres) of new bikeways in 2024.

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