Do you share our anxiety about the state of the planet? As green journalists, we are all too familiar with what climate anxiety, climate doom, and even environmental existential dread feel like. 

These terms all describe the same thing: the negative feelings, such as stress, fear, anger and grief, that come up when we are confronted with the reality of a warming Earth. With almost daily stories of lives lost or ruined by extreme weather, it’s hard to escape the consequences of climate change.

It’s easy to feel helpless and dejected. But as many experts agree, we can use some of those feelings of despair and turn them into action. 

At Euronews Green, we know we play a key role in combatting climate doom. While it’s our job to be truthful and accurate in our reporting and not downplay or greenwash the situation, we also want to highlight that there is always hope.

This is why, for the past three years, we’ve kept track of all the positive environmental news stories throughout the year. Every year we write hundreds of good news stories, from eco-innovations and green breakthroughs to climate wins and feel-good reports on nature. 

We hope to continue our efforts and keep doubling our numbers each year – because surely that’s a good sign of momentum.

As climate activist Tori Tsui says, “I think the beautiful thing about climate action is that everyone has a role, whatever that looks like to you”. 

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.

If you came across a great, positive story that we haven’t covered, please reach out to us on Instagram or X to share your ideas.

Positive environmental stories from May 2025

Coral gardens and volcano vents: See what scientists found in the icy depths of the Southern Ocean

Scientists on board a deep-sea expedition to the South Sandwich Islands near Antarctica have returned with a treasure trove of photos of previously unseen marine life.

They found coral gardens, hydrothermal vents and many suspected new species while exploring around the island chain, including in the deepest trench in the Southern Ocean. 

Indigenous women in India make ‘dream maps’ to protect lands from climate change

Indigenous women have surveyed and mapped out resources to show what is dwindling and what needs restoring. They have created what are known as dream maps, showing their villages in their ideal states. The most prominent of their bright colours is green.

‘Lost’ gecko species thought to be extinct rediscovered in South Africa

Researchers who were dropped off by helicopter in a largely inaccessible and remote canyon in South Africa say they have discovered a type of gecko that hadn’t been seen in more than 30 years and was thought to be extinct – or maybe to have never existed at all.

Can community engagement create real support for renewables?

The spread of disinformation and anti-renewables rhetoric is hampering Europe’s transition to green energy, often with ambiguous motivations.

But a new approach based on community involvement in wind and solar projects could help to ease people’s concerns.

Positive environmental stories from April 2025

Inside the new seal rescue centre caring for injured pups in the Netherlands

The World Heritage Centre can treat around 70 seals at a time and has 12 intensive-care units for animals with serious injuries who are able to recover in special enclosures which offer a calm environment.

The new building, which cost over €40 million, with financing provided by local and regional governments as well as charitable organisations, tells more than just the story of the seas.

Landmark ruling should encourage more cities to ban fossil fuel ads

A ban on fossil fuel adverts in The Hague has been upheld by a Dutch court, in an “historic ruling” that campaigners hope will embolden other cities to take action.

In a decision last September, The Hague became the first city in the world to write into law a ban on ads that promote fossil fuels, including petrol cars, air travel and cruise ships.

Scientists say they can now calculate the trillions in climate damage caused by fossil fuel giants

Experts believe the research could help bolster climate laws and make polluters pay for their role in global warming.

It is part of an effort to make it easier for people and governments to hold companies financially accountable, like the tobacco giants have been.

Mazhar Botanic Garden is a natural remedy to Cairo’s notorious air pollution

The garden plays a pivotal role in protecting rare and endangered plant species globally.

Alongside protecting biodiversity, it promotes environmental sustainability by increasing carbon dioxide absorption rates.

Mazhar Botanic Garden surpasses the Orman Garden in its ability to absorb pollutants, removing the equivalent of four times the amount absorbed by Orman from Greater Cairo. 

Scientists generate electricity from falling droplets

Rain could one day become a source of clean electricity, according to a group of scientists in Singapore.

Their experiments have been able to generate power from water droplets falling through a tube. They say this could be a model for harnessing larger amounts of electricity from falling rain in the future.

Scientists film colossal squid alive for the first time

One hundred years after the colossal squid was identified, scientists have filmed a live specimen in the wild for the first time, marking a milestone in deep sea exploration.

During a research expedition in March, a team aboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s Falkor (too) vessel encountered the elusive creature near the South Sandwich Islands, in the frigid depths of the southern Atlantic Ocean.

This zoo in Spain is helping elderly animals to age gracefully

At the Barcelona Zoo, a 40-year-old African elephant places her foot through the metal barrier where a zookeeper gently scrubs its sole. The beloved pachyderm gets her “pedicure,” along with apple slices every day.

The treatment is part of the zoo’s specialised geriatric care for ageing animals that cannot be reintroduced into the wild as zoos worldwide increasingly emphasise lifelong care.

Lego says new factory in Vietnam will make toys without without emissions

Lego opened a $1 billion (€906 million) factory in Vietnam in April that it says will make toys without adding planet-warming gas to the atmosphere by relying entirely on clean energy.

The factory in the industrial area of Binh Duong, close to Ho Chi Minh City, is the first in Vietnam that aims to run entirely on clean energy. Lego says it will do that by early 2026.

World surpasses 40% clean electricity with Europe leading as a ‘solar superpower’

The world generated more than 40 per cent of its electricity from low-carbon sources last year, according to analysis from clean energy think tank Ember. That’s a record not broken since the 1940s, when the global electricity system was 50 times smaller than it is today, and hydropower did the heavy lifting.

Now, it’s solar energy that is soaring in a targeted race to build an entirely clean electricity system

Meet the teen duo that won this year’s Earth Prize Europe

Two teenagers have been named as the European winners of The Earth Prize 2025 for their groundbreaking innovation that promises safer drinking water for all.

18-year-old Tomáš Čermák from Czechia and 19-year-old Anna Podmanická from Slovakia developed a unique filtration device they call PURA. 

They are the first from either Czechia or Slovakia to win the Earth Prize.

Finland ‘ahead of schedule’ on coal phase out

The closure of a coal power plant in Finland today brings the country to the brink of a full coal phase-out – four years ahead of schedule.

Power utility company Helen officially decommissioned its Salmisaari plant in Helsinki on 1 April, dropping coal to a less than 1 per cent share of the country’s energy mix.

Positive environmental stories from March 2025

Massive Attack concert made history by slashing greenhouse gas emissions by 98%

Last year, a concert by UK trip-hop collective Massive Attack made history – not for the music, but for its environmental footprint.

The group collaborated with climate researchers to stage the gig, and it broke the world record for the lowest carbon emissions ever produced by a music event.

Five lions traumatised by war in Ukraine settle in to their ‘forever home’ at UK sanctuary

Five traumatised lions rescued from the war zone in Ukraine settled into a new home in England after an international effort to bring them to safety.

Male African lion Rori and lionesses Amani, Lira and Vanda arrived in March at the Big Cat Sanctuary after a 12-hour journey by road and ferry from temporary homes at zoos and animal shelters in Belgium.

Renewables stepped up to meet surge in energy demand from rising temperatures in 2024

Record temperatures around the world contributed significantly to the annual 0.8 per cent rise in global CO2 emissions to 37.8 billion tonnes.

But the deployment of solar and wind energy, nuclear, electric cars and heat pumps since 2019 now prevents 2.6 billion tonnes of CO2 each year, according to the IEA. That’s equivalent to 7 per cent of global emissions.

More good news from the report includes how the expanding supply of low-emissions sources covered most of the increase in global electricity demand in 2024.

Scientists were in Antarctica when a giant iceberg broke free. Here’s what they found in its shadow

Giant sea spiders, ice fish and octopuses are among the surprisingly abundant creatures scientists have found in a stretch of sea that used to be covered by ice.

An international team onboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s Falkor (too) research vessel were on a trip around Antarctica earlier this year, studying “the interface between ice and sea” when a rare opportunity suddenly opened up.

On 13 January, an iceberg the size of Chicago named A-84 broke away from the George VI Ice Shelf, one of the massive floating glaciers attached to the Antarctic Peninsula ice sheet.

EVs set to save Europe 20 million tonnes of CO2 this year

One in five new cars sold in the EU this year will have zero tailpipe emissions. How did we get here? A surge in the uptake of electric cars will save Europe 20 million tonnes of CO2 this year, according to analysis from campaign group Transport & Environment (T&E).

That’s equivalent to the emissions pumped out by eight coal power plants and represents one positive trend within a notoriously difficult to decarbonise sector.

How a fish doorbell in the Netherlands is helping with migration

‘Fish doorbell season’ officially began on 3 March for the fifth year in a row. This camera shows live footage, allowing viewers to let the lock keeper at the Weerdsluis lock know when fish are waiting to swim upstream so they can open the gate.

Linda Voortman, alderwoman for Utrecht, says each year the fish doorbell is received with enthusiasm by the people of the city and far beyond.

“In fact, last year there were almost three million unique visitors who together helped thousands of fish through the Weerdsluis gates in Utrecht,” Voortman says.

Scientists discover more about how sea otters come to the rescue of undersea forests

It’s well known that sea otters help make kelp forests more abundant, by eating the sea urchins that nibble away at the plant. But scientists were puzzled as to why the impact of otters on kelp – particularly along the coastlines of islands in Southern California and British Columbia – varied by location.

Now, new research has found that sea otters’ level of influence on how quickly kelp forests grow back depends on what other species the mammals interact with.

Czechia’s €1m dam built for free by beavers

A family of beavers made global headlines earlier this year when they built a dam exactly where authorities had been planning one in Czechia, saving taxpayers around CZK 30 million (€1.2 million). The project had been held up by bureaucracy but they cut the red tape overnight.

These industrious animals are doing good work across Europe with England approving releases into the wild in February. But how do they know where to build their dams?

Positive environmental stories from February 2025

Scientists in Hawaii are training ‘hungry’ marine fungi to eat ocean plastics

In a world that relies on plastic, the time it takes to break down is a major problem. But scientists at the University of Hawaii have found a possible solution – marine fungi.

Researchers at the University of Hawaii (UH) in Mānoa believe it is a “promising and largely untapped” solution to the removal of plastic waste from both on land and in our waters.

‘Humans helping humans’: Tree surgeons are the unsung heroes when storms cut off power

Dubbed the storm of the century, Storm Eowyn produced record-breaking gusts of 184 km/h and made headlines worldwide. At its peak, it left 750,000 homes without electricity. The west of Ireland was hit especially hard.

Tree surgeons came to the rescue, clearing fallen trunks, logs and branches to allow emergency crews who flew in from around Europe to help Ireland’s Electricity Supply Board (ESB) in restoring power.

Activist hopes 48 hours of non-stop tree-hugging will inspire others to love nature

Truphena Muthoni attempted a new world record with a tree-hugging marathon. The 21-year-old hugged a single tree in a public park in downtown Nairobi, Kenya for almost 48 hours.

The Kenyan revealed that she wants to set the record to help others understand the link between nature and good mental health.

Tree-hugging has been a protest activity by environmentalists for almost 300 years, and there are now even world championships in the pastime.

India doubles tiger population in a decade due to conservation efforts

India doubled its tiger population in a little over a decade, a study found in early February. It has done so by protecting the big cats from poaching and habitat loss, ensuring they have enough prey, reducing human-wildlife conflict, and increasing living standards for communities near tiger areas.

In the early 2000s, experts were warning that tigers could soon go extinct. But over the last 25 years, India’s national animal has seen a remarkable recovery.

Positive environmental stories from January 2025

How the Arctic tundra is keeping seeds safe for future generations

Tucked beyond the Arctic Circle, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault sits proudly in a former coal mine and stores fruit and vegetable seeds from all over the world.

Holding over 6,297 crop species, last year saw the highest numbers of depositing genebanks and the highest number of newcomers in the history of the vault, proving that cooperation on conserving seeds is flourishing.

How the Scottish whisky industry is inadvertently tackling overfishing

A love of the oceans inspired one man to create a sustainable alternative to Omega-3 supplements for both humans and farmed fish. 

Previously, Omega-3 has relied on wild fish, which takes vital food from coastal communities. The solution also cleans up a problem within Scotland’s most popular industry. 

Whisky wastewater usually ends up in the ocean, but the company MiAlgae uses nutrient-rich byproducts to create dried algae powder through a giant renewable-powered fermentation process. This is then used as aquafeed for farmed fish and pet food.

Tile whipping: The eco-friendly sport taking over the Netherlands

The Dutch have created a national sport out of tile-whipping to help make the Netherlands ‘climate-proof’.

Tile whipping – or ‘tegelwippen’ – sees residents try to remove the most paving slabs from their gardens, ensuring that urban spaces are greened and rewilded. This also eases pressure on drainage systems. 

Winning communities receive a golden shovel with prizes going to the ‘whipper of the month’.

How deaf educators put tricky climate change terms into sign language

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh wanted to ensure a new generation could be part of climate conversations. 

This was no mean feat, but British Sign Language has now expanded its vocabulary to include terms such as greenhouse gases, carbon footprint, and sustainability. 

‘Keep at it’: At 74, anti-whaler Paul Watson continues to fight

After being released from prison and into the care of the French government, Paul Watson, the founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, a direct action group focused on marine conservation activism, spoke to Euronews Green in early January.

Watson, who began protecting whales in 1974, highlighted that very few nations still hunt whales, with Norway, Iceland and Japan the only exceptions, and is increasingly confident about the future of these gentle giants.

And so Watson should be, as Euronews Green reported on multiple sightings of the magnificent humpback whale seen by people living along the UK coast – likely due to humpback whale populations having recovered extensively over the past half a century after whaling bans. 

Scientists transform waste into batteries that could power grid

Scientists discovered a way to turn previously useless industrial waste into a vital material used in batteries that could power our future.

Discovered by scientists at America’s Northwestern University, the redox flow batteries use a chemical reaction to pump energy back and forth between electrolytes.

They could be an invaluable solution for energy storage on the scale of an electricity grid and help smooth out the current issue of troughs and peaks in wind and solar supply.

Tiny British island is now home to the world’s most remote EV charger

The island of St Helena in the British Overseas Territory has installed the world’s most remote public EV charger in its capital Jamestown.

In a trial supported by Norwegian charging company Easee and Japanese car brand Subaru, the hope is that by improving the infrastructure for electric vehicles, more people on the island will ditch their petrol and diesel-powered vehicles and adopt EVs.

Italy, Albania and UAE agree deal to share renewable energy

Three countries signed a clean energy cooperation deal that means they will share wind and solar energy across the sea.

The UAE is lending its technology and expertise to develop Albania’s renewable energy. Some of the energy produced from these new technologies will then be transferred to Italy via an underwater cable across the Adriatic Sea.

Researcher fired for refusing to fly wins monetary compensation

Sticking to your morals does eventually pay off, at least for the Italian climate researcher Dr Gianluca Grimalda, who was fired by his employers for refusing to fly back from a research trip.

In a bid to follow his beliefs of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by avoiding flights and instead adopting slow travel, the researcher went viral on social media when he publicly shared his story in early 2024. 

Grimalda filed a lawsuit for unfair dismissal, and in January, a settlement was agreed. €75,000 of the severance payment will be donated to environmental and climate protection and climate activism. 

Solar grazing: Why sheep are the perfect partner for photovoltaics

Dubbed nature’s best lawnmowers, farmers in the USA are waking up to the benefits of keeping sheep on solar farms.

Known as agrivoltaics, solar farms now realise the benefits of making good use of the ground underneath solar arrays. Not only is it grazing sheep and other livestock, but also growing crops, and keeping bees.

Euronews Green shares some of the European projects that have been doing this for ages – and the benefits are numerous.

Dutch court orders government to cut nitrogen pollution by 2030

A Dutch court ruled that the government was failing to address critically high levels of nitrogen oxide pollution, mostly from farming and transport, in a case brought by Greenpeace.

Nitrogen pollution degrades soils and inadvertently fertilises trees, grasslands and tolerant species, putting them at high risk. 

This is a huge win as nitrogen pollution is the third most influential driver of human-caused biodiversity loss after habitat destruction and greenhouse gas emissions.

Oil and gas workers will be helped to find green jobs in the UK

The UK is helping oil and gas workers switch to green energy careers by providing them with a ‘skills passport’ so that people working in the fossil fuel industry can make informed decisions about their jobs and future.

Research has found that around 90 per cent of fossil fuel workers have skills that are relevant to the clean energy transition. 

The UK government has announced that regional skills investments worth almost £4 million (€4.7m) will help people make the move into clean energy jobs.

Solar energy outshines coal in a first for EU energy

Solar provided more power than coal did to EU countries for the first time last year, marking a new milestone in the unstoppable rise of renewables.

The EU’s electricity transition has moved faster than anyone could have hoped for, as the sunlight-soaking renewable generated 11 per cent of EU electricity in 2024, overtaking the dirtiest fossil fuel, coal, which dropped below 10 per cent. 

For more good news on the environment from last year, check out all of Euronews Green’s positive environmental stories from 2024.