Newsletter (copy 38)

View this email in your browser

Happy Wednesday, dear reader.

Some good news to kick things off:

• Coal consumption in the European Union will likely fall another 19% in 2024 after declining by 23% last year, the International Energy Agency says.

• China’s main grid operator will raise spending to $83 billion this year to facilitate the roll out of renewables.

Know anyone else who’d be interested in signing up to this free newsletter? They can do so here.

Thanks for reading.

Nick Hedley

Editor, The Progress Playbook

How oil-rich Texas became a clean energy titan

Texas, the Republican state that dominates America’s oil & gas industry, has quietly become a clean energy superpower.

In the first half of 2024, wind and solar accounted for 38% of electrical output in the state’s main grid, which is managed by ERCOT. Together with nuclear, clean sources comprised 47% of the mix. That’s up from 31% just five years ago.

- Here’s how the Republican state got here — despite not having clean energy mandates.

Two-wheelers drive East Africa’s EV revolution

Motorcycles have long dominated East Africa’s road transport sector. They’re ubiquitous in the region’s cities and villages, and play a key role in connecting people to markets and opportunities. Now, they’re leading an electric vehicle revolution.

And unlike many other parts of the world, East Africa’s electric two-wheelers are powered largely by carbon-free energy.

- Read the full story here.

How Oslo is building a cleaner city using its ‘climate budget’

Quieter and cleaner construction sites are just one way the city is being shaped by its Climate Budget, which was created in 2016 by Oslo’s Climate Agency.

- Read the full story here.

The UK has made huge progress in freeing its beaches of plastic bags

The average number of plastic bags washed up on the UK’s beaches has plummeted 80% in a decade, according to an analysis by the Marine Conservation Society.

- Read the full article here.

Other articles you might find interesting:

• Renewables will overtake coal as world’s biggest power source next year — IEA

• Germany’s ‘balcony solar’ boom accelerates as regulators cut red tape

• Cities that reduce speed limits improve road safety and cut emissions, European study finds

• Here’s what happened after the city of Anchorage axed parking mandates

• Renewables meet 82% of Portugal’s electricity needs in first half of 2024

Have any tips, ideas or feedback for us?

Please contact [email protected].

Subscribe to The Progress Playbook (it’s free)

Follow The Progress Playbook on social media:

Copyright (C) 2023, The Progress Playbook. All rights reserved.Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here to subscribe yourself.Want to change how you receive these emails?You can unsubscribe

Thanks in part to their ambitious renewable energy programmes, Denmark and Estonia are the world leaders in climate action, a recent assessment by a group of non-profit researchers has found.

Both countries aim to complete the transition to 100% renewable electricity by 2030, notes the 2024 Climate Change Performance Index, which was complied by Germanwatch, the NewClimate Institute, and the Climate Action Network.

Denmark is well on its way, with renewables comprising 88% of its electricity mix in 2023, according to data collated by Ember. Estonia has more work to do, but the share of renewables in its electricity system has surged from 16% to 44% in just five years.

- Read the full story here.