Spain latest to provide climate leave

Happy Sunday!

For anyone with us for the first time, welcome to Voyage Green News! We provide a weekly dose of news and inspiration for a sustainable life. 💚 

♻️ This week’s sustainability news

Spain introduces paid climate leave

What’s happening: Spain's left-wing government has introduced ‘paid climate leave,’ allowing workers to take up to four days off during severe weather conditions. This decision comes after recent floods resulted in the deaths of at least 224 people. The new rule is designed to address the climate emergency and ensure that no worker is put at risk, according to labor minister Yolanda Díaz.

Why it’s happening: Several companies faced criticism after the disaster on 29 October for making employees continue to work even though a red alert was issued by the national weather agency. The companies claimed that the authorities did not inform them properly and sent phone alerts too late during the worst floods in the country in decades. The legislation was reportedly inspired by similar laws in Canada.

Why it’s important: Economy minister Carlos Cuerpo said that the cost of extreme weather events might double by 2050. The government also announced €2.3 billion in new aid for people affected by floods. Heavy rainfall is happening more often and is stronger in many parts of the world because of climate change caused by humans. This is especially true in Europe, most of Asia, central and eastern North America, and parts of South America, Africa, and Australia. Warmer air can hold more moisture, leading to more rain. As a result, flooding is likely more common and severe in these areas. However, human factors like flood barriers and how land is used also play a role.

Consulting firm with links to fossil fuel paid to ‘guide’ Australia

What’s happening: The consultancy firm McKinsey was paid $1.6 million over 11 weeks to help shape Australia's energy and climate policy, even though it also works with major fossil fuel companies. McKinsey, known for its connections to oil and gas industries, did in-depth analysis and created models that supported internal policy work. The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water said they hired McKinsey because they lacked the necessary technical skills. However, some critics argue that hiring McKinsey was not suitable because of its ties to private sector clients.

Why it’s happening: The Centre for Climate Reporting and the non-profit group Aria found that McKinsey has connections with several fossil fuel companies in Australia. They discovered this by looking at US court documents. These companies include Caltex, Peabody Energy Australia, Santos, Shell Australia, Woodside, Inpex, BHP, Rio Tinto, AGL, and Origin. McKinsey did not say if it has worked with these companies, but some of them confirmed they have hired McKinsey in the past. McKinsey's website says they help oil and gas companies grow in a sustainable and inclusive way and achieve unique results in the energy sector.

Why it’s important: Polly Hemming, who leads the climate and energy program at the Australia Institute, said it was worrying that McKinsey was used to help shape Australia's climate policy. She mentioned that the public service has needed economic expertise and modelling skills for a while. According to Hemming, using public service experts is clearer and cheaper than paying millions to private consultants. The federal government has reduced spending on big consulting firms by $891 million over two years. Since Labor came to power in mid-2022, the amount of government work given to these firms has decreased to $1.5 billion. The goal is to train and grow the public service.

🌐 Travel to Mexico

Relax in thermal springs

A natural water park awaits: In the state of Hidalgo, you'll find the Grutas Tolantongo complex and the nearby La Gloria park. They have hot springs, waterfalls, caves, and more to discover. Check out Janna's experience and see all the beautiful pictures in our article.

😇 People doing great things

Decarbonising the built environment

Building better windows: Windows can provide beautiful views and natural light, but they also let heat out in the winter and in during the summer. If windows aren't well-insulated, more energy is needed to keep the temperature comfortable. This increases utility bills and causes more fossil fuels to be burned, which adds to global carbon emissions. LuxWall is a startup from Michigan in the US. They are addressing this climate issue by creating vacuum-insulated glass that insulates five times better than regular double-paned glass. Their product, called Enthermal, keeps energy in as well as fibreglass wall insulation but still looks like a regular window. Plus, because the glass is thin, building owners can easily replace old single-pane windows with LuxWall glass without needing to make big changes to the window frames. LuxWall started its first factory this summer, with a special event attended by Governor Gretchen Whitmer. On October 31, the company raised $51 million in a Series B funding round. Since LuxWall is making its product in America, it also received a $31.7 million grant from a part of the Department of Energy to strengthen local supply chains. This grant will help build a new factory in Detroit, while the Series B funding will be used to increase production at the current facility in Litchfield, about 100 miles west of Detroit.

⭐️ Weekly inspiration

London Fashion Week to ban exotic animal skins

The biggest industry event to do so: Starting in 2025, the first of the four major fashion weeks will stop using exotic animal skins in its shows as designers participating in the event must agree not to use skins from animals like crocodiles, alligators, and snakes in their collections.

Pakistan records one of the fastest solar revolutions

A lifesaver during heatwaves: Due to affordable solar technology from China, Pakistan is likely to add about 17 GW of solar power in 2024, over a third of the country's total power capacity, making Pakistan one of the leading countries in the world for installing solar panels in 2024, alongside bigger and wealthier countries like China, the US, and Germany.

742 new species discovered in the Congo Basin

The second-largest rainforest in the world: The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has released a new report titled ‘New Life in the Congo Basin: A Decade of Species Discoveries’ based on data collected across a decade between 2013 and 2023, which catalogs new plants, spiders, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.

More than 75% of UK universities join fossil fuel pledge

To exclude fossil fuel companies from investment portfolios: Part of a larger effort to reduce investment in fossil fuels and coming after years of efforts by staff and students in universities, the student group People & Planet said that 115 out of 149 UK universities have promised to stop investing a total of £17.7 billion in the fossil fuel industry.

California prepares to offer EV rebates

Response to Trump’s promise to kill federal EV credits: The money “could come from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which is funded by polluters under the state’s cap-and-trade program,” according to Governor Gavin Newsom, and would be a new version of an EV rebate program the state had in place previously before being phased out.

Thanks for reading! 😄 

Don’t be shy! Hit reply to this email if there’s anything you want to share. We love to read what’s on our readers’ minds and respond to everyone.

We’ll be in your inbox again next Sunday. Until then, we hope to see you around on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok. 💚