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1. The closure of the UK's last coal-fired power plant -

The first big win is the closure of the last coal fired power plant in the UK. On 30 September 2024, the turbines at the Ratcliffe-on-Soar power plant in Nottinghamshire turned for the last time.

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Significant event -

While there are many other countries that still need to phase out coal fired power plants, this was a significant event as the UK was the first country in the world to use coal for public power generation.

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What happens next? -

The site of the Ratcliffe-on-Soar power plant will now undergo a decommissioning and demolition process that will last two years. After that, it may be turned into a battery storage site.

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Previous cases -

There is precedent for this. The decommissioned power plant Ferrybridge C, located in West Yorkshire, was converted into a battery storage site. Nowadays, it has capacity to power 250,000 homes.

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2. The rapid growth in renewable energy sources -

The second big climate win of 2024 was the rapid growth in renewable energy sources. In the US, for example, wind energy generation hit a record high in April 2024.

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Statistics -

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), between now and 2030, the world is expected to grow global renewable capacity 2.7 times in comparison to 2022.

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Country specific progress -

Much of the growth during 2024 came from China, which is expected to provide at least 50% of the world’s cumulative renewable energy capacity by the end of the decade.

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Driving the growth -

According to Fatih Birol, executive director of the IEA, the growth in renewables is mainly driven by the fact that they are currently the cheapest option for many countries.

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3. Legal personhood for natural wonders -

In another victory for the planet, various rivers, mountains, and even waves were granted legal personhood in 2024. Depending on the jurisdiction, their status as a legal person affords them various rights, such as the right to existence, regeneration, and restoration.

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Not a new concept -

The concept of granting legal personhood to nonliving entities is nothing new. In fact, the landmark ruling occurred in 2021, when the Ecuadorian government granted legal personhood to its Los Cedros cloud forest.

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Egmont National Park -

We have seen more progress in this area throughout 2024. In New Zealand, for example, the mountain peaks of Egmont National Park were recognized as ancestral mountains jointly became a legal person.

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Waves in Linhares -

In Brazil, part of the ocean was declared to be a legal person. The coastal city of Linhares now recognizes its waves as living beings with rights.

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4. The marine protected area in the Azores -

Next up we have the new marine protected area (MPA) announced by the Azores. MPAs are great for protecting biodiversity, providing their restrictions are properly enforced.

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Large section of the ocean -

Once it is established, the MPA off the coast of the Azores will be the largest in the region. It will span 30% of the ocean around the archipelago.

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Half vs. fully protected -

Half of the area will be ‘fully protected,’ which means there will be no fishing or other natural resource extraction allowed. The other half will be ‘highly protected.’

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Protecting diversity -

The main aim of the MPA is to protect the biodiversity of the area, which is currently home to 28 species of marine mammals and 560 species of fish.

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5. The reduced deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon -

Deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon also hit a nine year low in 2024, hitting around 2,428 sq miles (6,288 sq km) total destroyed area. 

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Albeit a large area -

This is by no means a small area – it is larger than the state of Delaware. However, it still represents the lowest loss of rainforest since 2015.

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Increase in wildfires -

This loss occurred despite the fires in the Brazilian Amazon, which were up almost 18-fold following a period of historic drought.

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The President's pledge -

When the current President of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, took office in 2022, he pledged to end deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon by 2030.

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6. The evidence that conservation efforts work -

Another piece of good news in 2024 is that conservation efforts have been proven effective in slowing or even reversing biodiversity loss.

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Scientific review -

In their major review, a group of scientists looked at 665 trials of conservation measures across the world, including some historical trials. They found that they had a positive impact in two-thirds of cases.

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Case in point -

A good example of this is the Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative, which worked in the Golden Steppe grassland of Kazakhstan to save the critically endangered saiga antelope from extinction.

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Numbers -

In 2003, there were just 20,000 of these antelopes roaming the grassland. In 2024, thanks to the initiative, there are more than 2.86 million.

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7. The return of salmon to the Kalmath River basin in Oregon -

Last but not least, in 2024, the Native American Yurok Tribe, which has spent decades working to replenish animal species on tribal territories, had its efforts rewarded.

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100 year hiatus -

After more than 100 years without being seen in their historical home, salmon finally returned to the Klamath River basin in Oregon.

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Major dam removal -

Their momentous comeback happened after the final of four dams were removed from further downstream in the California stretch of the Klamath River.

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Exceeding expectations -

The Yurok Tribe had hoped that removing this dam was to prompt the salmon to return to the upper stretches of the river, but they never could have dreamed it would happen so quickly. The dam was removed in August and the fish were spotted in October.

Sources: (BBC)

See also: Cities that will be least impacted by climate change

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