From a kite-powered Antarctic expedition to record-low Amazon deforestation and a crackdown on forever chemicals, Euronews Earth rounds up the year’s most uplifting climate news so far

Eco anxiety is very real, so we share this year’s most uplifting stories to prove there’s hope for our climate.

With powerful nations rolling back climate protections and temperatures soaring ever closer to dangerous thresholds, it’s hard not to feel worried about the state of the planet. As green journalists, climate anxiety, climate doom and even environmental existential dread are a daily presence. These terms all describe the negative feelings — such as stress, fear, anger and grief — that confront us when the reality of a warming Earth hits home.

Rather than being paralysed by helplessness, experts suggest channelling these feelings into action. At Euronews Earth, while it’s our job to be truthful and accurate in our reporting and not downplay or greenwash the realities, we also want to remind you that there is always hope. This is why, for the past four years, we’ve kept a roundup of positive environmental news.

Here are this year’s top positive stories so far — including the small and local, the silly that made us smile, and the enormous and potentially world-changing.

Positive environmental stories from October 2026

Europe’s EV boom has saved these 6 oil-importing countries almost €2 billion since start of Iran war — Electric car fleets have cushioned the spiralling costs of oil imports following the war on Iran and subsequent energy crisis.

Amazon deforestation hits record low in Brazil — Deforestation in the Amazon rainforest has fallen to its lowest level since records began in 1988, Brazil’s government has announced.

‘Every sunny surface’ is being put to work. Europeans transforming their homes with solar driveways — Europeans are transforming their driveways and patios into mini solar farms, bringing the continent closer to a “cheaper, more secure” energy system.

Bleached corals recover in record time after touching healthy clones — In the lab, bleached corals recovered within just seven weeks of being put in brief contact with healthy corals.

A kite-powered snow sled designed in Spain is gliding across Antarctica in world-first — Explorer Ramón Larramendi will lead an 80-day, 3,400 km South Pole expedition in a kite-powered vehicle that can travel up to 80kph.

Europe’s sponge cities are turning rain from waste into a valuable resource — The EU is creating a ‘Sponge Facility’ to help implement nature-based projects that aim to make cities less prone to droughts and floods.

From tigers to turtles: The conservation success stories that prove there’s still hope for wildlife — Biodiversity continues to be degraded at an “alarming pace” – but experts insist there are still grounds for hope.

‘Europe is ending its addiction to a toxic, costly drug’: Heat pump sales soar as electricity taxes fall — Heat pump sales in European homes rose by 11 per cent in the first half of 2026, following a surge in gas prices linked to the Iran war.

Huge victory for Spain as two cities crowned greenest in the EU. Which countries missed out? — Zaragoza has been named European Green Capital 2028, receiving first place for its “strong governance and long-term commitment, helping the city respond successfully to growing climate challenges”.

‘It’s given my mental health a massive boost’: Why everyone should hone their bushcraft skills — Bushcraft instructor and conservationist Jim Todd says the brightly coloured Bushcraft Bus — the mobile home of wilderness and nature education — aims to help those who feel “a little bit lost” in the great outdoors.

Positive environmental stories from September 2026

‘A gold mine’: How old EV batteries could help prevent Europe from wasting solar and wind energy — Retired electric vehicle batteries could transform Europe’s outdated energy grid — preventing billions of euros wasted on electricity annually.

‘Sunlight salary’: Exactly how much solar panels knock off your energy bills – even under grey skies — Britain may be famous for grey skies and rainy days, but its sunshine could still help residents shave more than €1,000 a year off household electricity bills.

Fat Bear Week returns as Alaska’s biggest bears compete for the crown — Sixteen bears are competing in this year’s tournament, with last year’s winner, Chunk, officially known as Bear 32, hoping to defend his title. Chunk reportedly weighed 544 kilograms when he won last year’s contest.

New Zealanders pick robin brought back from near-extinction as Bird of the Year — Despite only 350 remaining, the bird received 26,000 votes, with a record one in every 50 New Zealanders taking part.

Argentina’s first solar train runs on batteries charged by the Andean sun — The Tren Solar de la Quebrada can run nearly double its current length on solar power alone.

‘World’s largest untapped energy source’: How waste heat could help Europe end its reliance on gas — Capturing and reusing waste heat could be the next “breakthrough” in Europe’s energy security and competitiveness.

Barcelona has a bold plan to protect its vulnerable coastline – and it could be prize-winning — Barcelona has been announced as a finalist for The Earthshot Prize in the Revive Our Oceans category, pouring €150 million into restoring one of Europe’s most intensively used urban coastlines.

‘Remarkable’: Scientists discover new wild cat species for first time in 100 years — The Tilcayo tiger cat is a small feline with a spotted, leopard-like coat, first identified in the mountainous Yang’s region near La Paz, Bolivia.

‘Recovery becomes self-propelling’: Five positive tipping points that can save the world — Landmark new research from The Earthshot Prize and the University of Exeter has revealed 51 solutions that can trigger “rapid and transformative change” to repair the planet over the next five years.

‘Incredible progress’: Inside the €682bn drive to turn the Mediterranean into a renewable powerhouse — More than 552 GW of utility-scale solar and wind projects have been announced, or are already under development, across the Mediterranean.

From tiny houses to skis: This Swedish company is finding creative uses for retired wind turbines — Since introducing a landfill ban on blades, nacelle covers and nose cones in 2021, Swedish company Vattenfall has come up with creative ways to repurpose hard-to-recycle materials from wind power.

Inside the world’s first solar ambulance transforming remote healthcare even when the sun goes down — The world’s first solar-powered ambulance has officially taken to the road, described as an “important first step towards the future of sustainable healthcare”.

How ‘solar bonds’ could cut your energy bills without upfront installation costs — Published by the Common Wealth thinktank, the report A Right to the Sun proposes a universal Solar Bond scheme under which all households with a suitable roof would be eligible to access solar panels without credit checks.

‘We have to contribute to nature’: Meet the communities ‘marrying glaciers’ to bring new water to life — In the Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan, communities are turning to the Indigenous practice of glacier grafting, known locally as Gang Khswa, to combat water scarcity.

Solar outpaces coal for the first time in China: How does Europe compare? — China’s solar energy capacity has surpassed that of coal-fired power for the first time ever. “As of the end of July this year, China’s installed solar power capacity reached 1.286 billion kilowatts,” China’s National Energy Administration said.

Positive environmental stories from August 2026

‘They wrote little letters’: How kids in Portugal are making money off their neighbours’ plastic waste — Sisters Ariela and Alice had already been using Portugal’s bottle return scheme to earn money but since June they have upped the ante, asking neighbours for their empty plastic bottles and making money off those too.

Balloons take years to decompose: UK researchers invent ‘Bioloon’ as nature-friendly alternative — A UK PhD student may have found the solution to the deadly risk that discarded balloons pose to wildlife.

Powered by sunshine: London fruit and veg market now home to the city’s largest rooftop solar project — New Spitalfields, one of the UK’s largest fruit, vegetable and flower markets, now has London’s largest rooftop solar installation.

Record-breaking investment in renewables could cement Canada as new clean energy superpower — Canadian officials have announced plans for “the largest clean energy investment in North American history.”

Athens’ former airport is transforming into one of Europe’s largest urban green spaces — With more than 30,000 trees and around three million shrubs covering 70 per cent of its area in greenery, The Ellinikon Park will transform a former airport into one of the largest urban green spaces in Europe.

3,700 years young: Portugal is home to hundreds of ancient olive trees that outlive many generations — In Portugal there are hundreds of trees estimated to be at least 2,000 years old, particularly olive trees certified by the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro.

From the Hundred Horse Chestnut to the ancient olive tree: Where to see Italy’s oldest trees — Italy’s Agriculture Ministry has updated the national list of monumental trees with 82 new entries.

Harvesting rainwater from rooftops could cut the number of heatwave days and reduce air con reliance — New research from The University of Manchester modelled a system that stores rainwater harvested from rooftops and automatically sprays it onto buildings during hot weather.

The beetle that hears fire: Why it is so valuable to science — The black pine jewel beetle is drawn to forest fires — a seeming paradox that aids woodland recovery and inspires new early wildfire detection tech.

Human hair used as protective barrier in oceans — A new environmental initiative is using human hair to build barriers from donated locks to shield parts of Brazil’s coastline from oil spill pollution.

‘An underused tool’: How regenerative farmers are shielding Spanish land from wildfires — Europe’s regenerative farmers are providing vital wildfire protection – but they need more support.

A Japanese inventor is turning soil into a source of electricity — 72-year-old inventor Satoshi Nakagawa says he has pioneered “micropower collection (MPC)” – a way to source tiny dribbles of electrical current from everything from wine to French bread.

Solar power was Portugal’s main source of electricity in July – a first for the country — Renewable sources accounted for 53 per cent of consumption, with solar providing 19 per cent, followed by hydro, wind and biomass.

Short-haul electric flights could be a European reality in less than four years — European travellers could take electric flights on some of the continent’s most popular routes by the early 2030s.

Can bison help prevent forest fires in an increasingly threatened Spain? — A study led by Rewilding Spain explores whether European bison could curb undergrowth and make forests more fire-resilient.

First tiger released into the wild in Kazakhstan 70 years after Turan tiger extinction — A female Amur tiger named Umit has been released into the wild as part of a programme to restore the species to its historic range in Central Asia.

Wind and solar overtake fossil fuels in Germany — Germany is likely to wean itself off polluting coal “much sooner” than originally planned after hitting a major milestone in its clean energy transition.

Solar car parks could cut electricity bills by €32,00 a year — Europe’s car parks could be turned into mini solar farms to slash electricity bills and bolster decarbonisation targets.

Positive environmental stories from July 2026

How beavers are quietly tackling Europe’s raging wildfires and helping burnt landscapes recover — Beaver-built dams, channels and wetlands help keep plants lush and green even during droughts, making nearby vegetation much harder to burn.

There are only four certified ‘therapeutic forests’ in the world: One is now in Portugal — The Bussaco National Forest has become the first certified Therapeutic Forest in the Iberian Peninsula, joining an exclusive group of just four sites worldwide.

‘Major victory’: Sweden plans to ban forever chemicals in everyday products ahead of EU — Sweden has announced plans to ban ‘forever chemicals’ in consumer products as early as 2028. “This is a major victory for human health and for the Swedish environment,” said Minister for Climate and the Environment Romina Pourmokhtari.

Amazon forest fires fell to all-time low in 2025 — Forest fires in the Brazilian Amazon fell to a historic low in 2025 after peaking the previous year, according to environmental monitoring network MapBiomas.

Orange lips and a froglike roar: New monkey discovered after 18-year search in Congo rainforest — Almost two decades after an unusual monkey was first sighted in the treetops above a Congo rainforest, an international team of researchers has described it as a new species.

‘Excellent profit’: Meet the Bavarian hop farmer securing his harvest and income with solar ‘hats’ — One German farmer is exploring how agrivoltaics can combat heat-related drought impacts and produce renewable energy for the farm.

Sweeping victory for Europe as 15 nations top climate scoreboard — Europe has dominated new global sustainability rankings in the Environmental Performance Index, though experts warn all nations are “still far from critical goals”.

Solar generated record 25% of EU power in June with Germany, Spain and Poland leading the race — Solar generated a record 52 TWh of EU electricity in June 2026, making up 25 per cent of monthly generation for the bloc.

Cooling your home and lessening eco-anxiety: What are the hidden benefits of rooftop solar panels? — Aside from lowering energy bills and weaning Europe away from polluting oil and gas, rooftop solar comes with a host of hidden benefits.

Italy could be the next country to build a solar railway after Switzerland’s successful trial — Last year, Swiss start-up Sun-Ways unveiled the world’s first-ever solar railway after rolling out 100 metres of photovoltaic panels between active tracks in Buttes.

Denmark, Portugal, Lithuania lead the way as EU share of electricity from renewables hits 46% — In the first quarter of 2026, renewables reached 45.5 per cent of total electricity generated, up from 42.7 per cent in the same period in 2025.

Pigeons, frogs and beetles gather in Milan City Hall to debate the rights of urban animals — Humans wearing animal masks gathered at Milan City Hall for the first Parliament of Living Species.

Air quality is improving across Europe as report finds ‘steady decrease’ in major pollutants — The EU’s Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service says the overall outlook “remains encouraging”.

‘The storks were here before me’: Pensioners live side-by-side with storks in this Croatian village — In Cigoc, white storks return from Africa each spring to nest on rooftops in such numbers that they regularly outnumber the people who live there.

Positive environmental stories from June 2026

Europe’s heat pumps replace Middle East gas imports twice over. Which country is leading the way? — According to the European Heat Pump Association, the continent’s heat pumps provide as much heat as the LNG carried by more than 200 tankers.

Europeans are making the most of cheap solar panels – by creating green garden fences — Solar fences are gaining ground in Europe as households continue to invest in renewables amid the war on Iran.

Glow-in-the-dark plants warn of crop pests — A team of Spanish researchers has created plants that glow in the dark and change colour when infected, allowing early detection of crop pests with ordinary cameras.

Solar-powered fridges are boosting farmers’ incomes by 50% while cutting food waste — Solar-powered, off-grid cold rooms and cooling hubs allow farmers and traders to preserve perishable goods without relying on expensive electricity grids across Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Rwanda and South Africa.

Spain’s renewables revolution is paying off: Electricity bills are lower despite energy crisis — Households have each saved €10 per month on electricity bills since the Hormuz strait was effectively closed in March, with renewables reducing the influence of fossil fuels on electricity price by 75 per cent since 2019.

France adds 157,000 hectares of protected forest — France has created seven new biological reserves and expanded two existing ones, safeguarding an additional 157,000 hectares of forest.

‘Coal power has lost its status’: Solar power outstrips coal in US despite Trump’s attacks — Even as President Donald Trump boosts coal over clean energy, solar power is hitting new milestones in the US and remains the leading source of new power.

Positive environmental stories from May 2026

‘Even a five-year-old can do it’: Collecting river water samples helps map life on 10% of Earth — Combatting wildlife decline, eDNA technology is turning simple water and soil samples into a global biodiversity map.

Clean energy saved EU €51 billion in 2025 by cutting fossil fuel imports – as solar leads the way — Using wind and solar to generate power meant significantly less reliance on imported oil and gas, according to energy think tank Ember.

From fur to data: How eDNA is revolutionising wildlife monitoring in Africa — Scientists in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park are using environmental DNA to protect endangered mountain gorillas and golden monkeys without needing to physically locate the animals.

Pee for the planet: How football fans are tackling Sweden’s fertiliser problem using urine — Eleda Stadion, home of Malmö FF, opened its toilets on 24 May to an initiative aiming to gather 1,000 litres of human urine to defeat Sweden’s dependence on imported fossil fuel-based synthetic fertilisers.

‘Turning crisis into opportunity’: How Lithuania became a wild card in the EU’s clean energy race — Lithuania’s domestic consumption of renewable electricity jumped from 15 per cent five years ago to 50 per cent in 2025.

Petrostates tried to squash this historic climate ruling. The UN just voted to back it — The UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly on 20 May to support strong action to limit climate change despite fierce campaigning against it by fossil fuel producing countries.

EU households could save ‘more than €2,200’ every year by switching to heat pumps and EVs — Switching to green heating and transport can cut EU household energy bills by thousands of euros every year, according to a new report.

Meet the 18-year-old whose prize-winning invention takes on the microplastics emergency — Irish student Ayra Satheesh was announced as the European winner for the prestigious Earth Prize, the world’s largest environmental competition.

‘David Attenborough Effect’: Meet the wildlife artists inspired by the legendary broadcaster — Sir David Attenborough turned 100 in May, and artists Skip and Katherine Khangurra described how the issues he highlights bring about real change.

‘They know they’re safe’: 1,500 beagle dogs start new lives after being rescued from research lab — 1,500 beagle dogs have been set free from a breeding and research facility after animal groups paid for them to be released.

‘This animal has given us a sense of identity’: Iconic kiwi birds return to New Zealand’s capital — The kiwi vanished from the hills around Wellington more than a century ago, and now residents are waging a citizen campaign to return the endangered flightless birds.

Positive environmental stories from April 2026

‘Time to move forward, or be left behind’: Colombia climate talks end with fossil fuel phaseout push — 56 countries gathered in Santa Marta, Colombia, for the first international conference dedicated to mapping a fair and orderly transition away from fossil fuels.

‘Decoupling from fossil fuel shocks’: Europe’s electricity made 25% cheaper thanks to solar and wind — An analysis by SolarPower Europe found that harnessing sunlight has saved Europe more than €100 million per day since 1 March, totalling more than €3 billion.

‘I loved everything about it’: Reconnect with nature on Germany’s barefoot hiking trails — At the edge of a trail in Germany’s Black Forest region, visitors walk barefoot along picturesque pathways, reaping benefits to their emotional well-being and overall foot health.

‘Fit and feisty’: Once extinct bandicoots are now running wild on this Australian island — Conservationists released up to 100 eastern barred bandicoots onto Phillip Island thanks to a world-first genetic rescue programme.

Five European countries will save 58% on energy bills this year thanks to clean power — EU countries with the cleanest energy mix will be cushioned from the soaring price of oil and gas as the war on Iran continues.

‘Important threshold crossed’ as renewables meet world’s energy demands and fossil power drops — Clean energy generation surpassed the global rise in electricity demand in 2025, pushing fossil fuel power into reverse for the first time ever.

‘Miracle tree’ removes 98% of microplastics from drinking water, outperforming chemical alternatives — Seeds from the ‘miracle’ moringa tree were found to match or outperform their chemical counterpart in filtering out aged PVC microplastics.

Solar and wind outpace coal as energy crisis fails to spark fossil fuel revival — A predicted ‘coal comeback’ due to the Iran war energy crisis has not materialised, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.

Hungary election promises renewable energy investment and foreign factory crackdowns — Hungary’s landslide election on 13 April saw Viktor Orbán ousted after 16 years, with cautious optimism that the country’s decimated environmental protections could be restored.

Dune-esque, record-breaking solar city puts Türkiye first place in the renewables race — Türkiye is now home to one of the biggest solar facilities in the world as well as one of Europe’s largest battery storage pipelines.

From biodiversity to carbon capture: Saving bison from extinction has brought big benefits to Europe — The European bison is making a comeback across the continent, with herds now found in the UK, Romania, Germany, Switzerland, Poland, Belarus and Lithuania.

‘Life goes on’: Ukrainians find relief and joy by releasing endangered bats rescued from the war — Hundreds of bats, many rescued from war-torn areas in the east of Ukraine, were released to coincide with the arrival of spring.

‘It was a hoax’: Jonathan, the world’s oldest tortoise, is very much alive despite death rumours — Reports of the death of the world’s oldest living land animal turned out to be a “hoax” linked to cryptocurrency.

Solar saved Europe €3bn in fossil fuel imports in March: Which country is leading the way? — In the first 20 days of March alone, analysis by SolarPower Europe found that solar generation saved the EU €2 billion it would otherwise have spent on fossil fuel imports.

Positive environmental stories from March 2026

‘Transformation into life’: Your dead body could become ‘beautiful’ soil thanks to terramation — Campaigns are ramping up across Europe to legalise human composting as a green alternative to burial and cremation.

UK vows to give homeowners ‘free electricity’ instead of switching off wind turbines — To use up excess power instead of wasting it, the UK’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has unveiled plans to supply homes with discounted power on windy days.

‘Putting biodiversity in our hands’: British wildlife will soon be celebrated on banknotes — Historical figures like Winston Churchill will soon be replaced by native wildlife on UK banknotes after more than 26,000 people voted to put nature on sterling notes.

Ultrasound could save Europe’s hedgehogs from extinction, researchers discover — European hedgehog populations have plummeted by 30 per cent over the last decade, but a new discovery could change their fate.

‘Rarely seen moments’: Winners of the British Wildlife Photography Awards revealed — The winners of the British Wildlife Photography Awards 2026 have been revealed, celebrating the quiet beauty of the UK’s natural world.

‘We change the future’: Why women are leading green politics in Europe — “A Green tidal wave is coming at the next general election,” declared Hannah Spencer as she became the first ever Green Party MP elected in the north of England.

From carbon-storing tigers to flood-blocking beavers: How wildlife secretly tackles climate change — Wild animals are secretly playing a “crucial role” in mitigating human-made climate change through their natural behaviour, Euronews Earth highlighted to mark World Wildlife Day.

‘Hope for Indigenous peoples’: An unexpected birth could bring this Amazon tribe back from the brink — In December, Babawru – the youngest of three surviving Akuntsu women – gave birth to a boy.

Positive environmental stories from February 2026

‘It’s a real New Zealand duty to save these birds’: Berry harvest brings hope for beloved kakapo — The world’s only flightless parrot’s fate is teetering toward survival after an unlikely conservation effort that has coaxed the population from 50 to more than 200 over three decades.

Giant tortoises are returning to this Galápagos island nearly 150 years after they went extinct — Dozens of juvenile hybrids were released on 20 February to begin restoring Floreana Island’s depleted ecosystem.

‘Clean power everywhere’: How space-based solar could help us go beyond net zero targets — A new study commissioned by the UK’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero suggests small-scale space-based solar power could become cost-competitive with other commercial power sources as early as 2040.

‘Ridiculous’ plan developed at Florida zoo saves wild rhino’s eyesight in Africa — Animal behaviourists from Florida travelled to Africa to help an endangered white rhino with a life-threatening parasitic eye infection.

Quiet, comfortable and low emissions: How this ‘flying’ ferry is transforming Stockholm’s waterways — In late 2024, commuters in Stockholm gained a ‘flying’ electric ferry, and the project has been declared a resounding success by the Swedish Transport Administration.

Return of Sardinia’s griffon vultures hailed as one of Italy’s greatest conservation success stories — Today, the Italian island is home to more than 500 individuals, up from near-extinction at the beginning of 2010.

An ‘Uber on rails’: French company adapts vans to train tracks to revive abandoned networks — Engineering firm SICEF’s project will see hybrid vans called Ferromobiles using disused railway lines.

Portugal tops EU leaderboard as over 80% of electricity in January came from renewables — A staggering 80.7 per cent of Portugal’s electricity generated in January 2026 came from renewable energy, according to APREN.

‘Hot sand for a cooler climate’: Has Finland finally found a solution to industrial heat emissions? — Finland is harnessing the unexpected power of sand to decarbonise industrial heat, one of the largest and hardest-to-solve sources of carbon emissions.

Are air fryers secretly improving indoor air quality? — New research says air fryers may be better for indoor air quality too — with one key condition.

Positive environmental stories from January 2026

‘Off the fossil fuel rollercoaster’: 10 European countries pledge €9.5bn for North Sea wind projects — Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and the UK signed the Hamburg Declaration to deliver 100GW of joint offshore wind projects by 2050.

Can a ‘sustainable’ fungicide save France’s vineyards from climate-driven disease? — Sean Smith, CEO of Eden Research, has come up with a “viable and sustainable” alternative to copper-pesticides after France banned fungicides heavily relied on to protect harvests from mildew and mould.

Solar and wind overtake fossil fuels in the EU for the first time — Wind and solar generated more EU electricity than fossil fuels for the first time in 2025, marking a “major milestone” in the transition to clean power.

‘Historic’ High Seas Treaty comes into force — Covering almost half of the planet’s surface, the High Seas lie beyond national borders, and until now there was no legal framework dedicated to protecting biodiversity in these international waters.

We’ve neglected the power of carbon-sucking fungi. Meet the scientist determined to change that — Evolutionary biologist Dr Toby Kiers was named winner of the 2026 Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement, often touted as the ‘Nobel Prize’ for the climate.

How the oceans’ coral reefs could be a secret weapon to tackle food insecurity around the world — New research from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute says rebuilding coral fish stocks and managing them at a “sustainable level” may help tackle malnutrition, in some places within as little as six years.

A rare whale is having an encouraging season for births — The North Atlantic right whale’s population numbers an estimated 384 animals and is slowly rising after several years of decline.

France’s ban on ‘forever chemicals’ comes into force. Here’s what will change — France’s ban on “forever chemicals” came into force on 1 January following mounting concern over the adverse health impacts of these persistent pollutants, after more than 140,000 citizens called on their MPs to support the ban.