On December 30, 2024, significant advancements in global climate initiatives were reported alongside notable developments in environmental rights. Renewable energy sources are rapidly increasing worldwide, with the U.S. achieving record wind energy production in April 2024, surpassing coal energy output.
China is projected to account for at least half of the global renewable energy capacity by 2030, as reported by the International Energy Agency (IEA). The IEA anticipates an addition of 5,500 GW of renewable capacity globally by 2030, which would increase total renewable energy capacity by 2.7 times compared to 2022, approaching the United Nations' goal of tripling capacity by the same year.
The United Kingdom marked a historic milestone by shutting down its last coal-fired power plant, Ratcliffe-on-Soar, located in Nottinghamshire. The closure, which took place on September 30, 2024, signifies the end of an era for a country that pioneered coal use in public energy production. The site is set for decommissioning and demolition over the next two years, with future plans for battery storage under consideration.
In a groundbreaking legal shift, various natural features and spaces gained legal personhood, following Ecuador's historic ruling in 2021 that recognized the rights of nature. A recent judgment in Ecuador ruled that pollution violated the rights of the Machángara River in Quito. Reports indicate that such legal recognitions can effectively contribute to the protection of endangered ecosystems.
New Zealand also recognized the peaks of Egmont National Park, now named Te Papakura o Taranaki, as ancestral mountains, granting them legal personhood under the name Te Kāhui Tupua. Additionally, in Brazil, the coastal city of Linhares acknowledged its ocean waves as living entities, granting them rights to existence and restoration.
Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon reached its lowest level in nine years, decreasing by over 30% in the year leading up to July 2024, according to the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research (INPE). Approximately 6,288 km² of rainforest were lost, marking the smallest annual loss since 2015, despite an increase in fires due to a historic drought.