ECO₂ Smart Schools Climate Conference Photography Competition

Renewables on the Rise 2025 was a good year for renewables! Following a 19% increase in solar capacity, wind and solar power produced more electricity in the European Union (EU) than fossil fuels for the first time. Wind and solar generated 30% of the EU’s electricity in 2025, ahead of the 29% generated by fossil

The First Young Planet Leaders Changemaker Academy In December the first Young Planet Leaders Changemaker Academy class graduated. 38 students, aged 14 – 22, representing 19 countries and six continents, came together for a series of online workshops that gave them the tools needed to create meaningful environmental change. After hearing from a variety of

COP30, or the 30th UN Climate Change Conference, was hosted in Belém, Brazil. Held annually, COP is a major global summit, bringing together scientists, researchers, policy makers and world leaders from around the globe. 56,000 representatives from 194 countries attended COP30, making it the second largest COP in history. Indigenous voices were prominent with over

Vatican City Is Now Producing All of Their Electricity from Renewable Sources Before his death, Pope Francis fulfilled his green energy vision with a massive solar installation that now powers all of Vatican City’s operations. Combining solar energy production with agricultural land use, the dual-purpose agrivoltaics system allows crops and solar panels to co-exist on

California Places Solar Panels Over Canals in a Novel Solar Power Project: An exciting new solar power project just went live in California. Solar panels have been placed across canals in the vast agricultural region as early research suggests that putting solar panels above water can help keep the panels cool, improving their efficiency and

Global River Map Created to Improve Flood Modelling: A team of researchers, led by Oxford University, have created the most detailed map of the world’s rivers ever, which could transform how we prepare for and respond to flooding. As rainfall becomes more erratic as a result of climate change, floods are expected to become more

Company launches eco-bricks that ‘absorb carbon A start-up company in Sheffield has launched environmentally-friendly bricks which absorb and permanently store greenhouse gases. Materials developer earth4Earth, based at Sheffield Technology Parks, said the bricks capture carbon dioxide from the air around them but are also manufactured using methods which do not produce it. The first batch

Three years left to limit warming to 1.5C, leading scientists warn. The Earth could tip over the 1.5C warming limit within the next 3 years if current carbon dioxide emissions do not decrease. This is the warning  coming from more than 60 of the world’s leading climate scientists in the most recent global warming update.

Global river map created to improve flood modelling: A team of researchers, led by Oxford University, have created the most detailed map of the world’s rivers ever, which could transform how we prepare for and respond to flooding. As rainfall becomes more erratic as a result of climate change, floods are expected to become more

Historic agreement tackling shipping emissions: After nearly a decade of negotiations, countries have agreed to a historic international agreement to tackle shipping emissions. Starting in 2028, ship owners will have to use cleaner fuels or face fines. At any given moment there are about 50,000 ships transporting goods across the world’s oceans and with global

Natural History GCSE: The UK Government has confirmed that they will be moving ahead with a Natural History GCSE. The course content has been designed to deepen student’s understanding of the natural world and equip them to contribute to its protection and conservation, both locally and globally. Education is one of the most powerful tools

Pilot scheme to support oil and gas workers to transition to renewables: Through a pilot scheme, oil and gas workers will be supported to transition to a career in renewables, initially into a variety of roles in offshore wind. Research from Offshore Energies UK showed that 90% of oil and gas workers have skills that

UK’s Electricity Generation Was Cleanest Ever in 2024: The UK’s electricity generation was the cleanest ever in 2024. Renewables, such as wind and solar power, generated 45% of the UK’s electricity in 2024, a record high, whilst fossil fuels generated only 29% of the UK’s electricity in 2024, the lowest level on record. The UK