In spite of everything, a culture of peace is emerging in all fields of human endeavour
monthly, year 24th, number 323 – 5th April 2024
Good News Agency carries positive and constructive news from all over the world relating to voluntary work, the work of the United Nations, non-governmental organizations and institutions engaged in improving the quality of life – news that doesn’t “burn out” in the space of a day. It is distributed free of charge through Internet to media and editorial journalists, NGOs, service associations and high schools and colleges around the world.
It is an all-volunteer service of Associazione Culturale dei Triangoli e della Buona Volontà Mondiale, an educational charity associated with the United Nations Department of Public Information It is a supporter of the Global Movement for the Culture of Peace. In the final report of the Decade for a Culture of Peace project (2001-2010) provided to the UN Secretary-General for presentation to the UN General Assembly, Good News Agency is included among the three NGOs that have been playing an active role in the field of Information through Internet.*
Government and politics – Education and teaching – Economy, finance and planning
Arts of living and relationships – Work, science and industry
Society and communication –Rules, regulations and environment
EU seals deal on banning single-use plastic packaging in cafes from 2030
March 4, 2024 - EU negotiators struck an agreement Monday to ban single-use plastics in cafes and restaurants from 2030, officials said, under new rules to reduce waste from packaging across the bloc. The EU's 27 nations and lawmakers agreed on the draft text that sets a target of cutting packaging waste in the bloc by five percent by 2030, compared with the amount in 2018. The aim is to reduce that further by 10 percent in 2035 and 15 percent by 2040. The text is a key element of the EU's environmental goals under the Green Deal, a set of laws for helping the bloc meet its climate goals. (…)
News related with SDGs number 13-Climate Action
General Assembly Debates Use of Veto Following Security Council's Failure to Adopt Resolution Demanding Immediate Humanitarian Ceasefire in Gaza
March 4, 2024 - The General Assembly met this morning to debate the use of the veto, pursuant to resolution A/RES/76/262 that states:
United Nations – General Assembly – Seventy-sixth session – Agenda Item 124 – Strengthening of the United Nations system – Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 26 April 2022: Standing mandate for a General Assembly debate when a veto is cast in the Security Council.
The General Assembly (…)
1. Decides that the President of the General Assembly shall convene a formal meeting of the General Assembly within 10 working days of the casting of a veto by one or more permanent members of the Security Council, to hold a debate on the situation as to which the veto was cast, provided that the Assembly does not meet in an emergency special session on the same situation; (…)
3. Invites the Security Council, in accordance with Article 24 (3) of the Charter of the United Nations, to submit a special report on the use of the veto in question to the General Assembly at least 72 hours before the relevant discussion in the Assembly; (…)
https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/n22/330/37/pdf/n2233037.pdf?token=r8IPMwIp6nOj4YOYh9&fe=true
News related with SDGs number 16-Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
EU lawmakers adopt tougher rules on environmental crimes
February 27, 2024 - EU lawmakers on Tuesday approved new rules to fight environmental crimes -- from trafficking timber to dumping toxic waste -- by doubling the number of offences that could lead to fines or imprisonment. One of the main sources of income for organised crime, environmental crime has been surging worldwide by between five and seven percent per year, according to EU data. The European Union hopes that the stricter rules will deter would-be offenders, while harmonising penalties across the bloc -- increasing the number of environmental offences under EU criminal law from the current nine to 18. Actions such as timber trafficking, illegal ship recycling, importing invasive species and wrongfully depleting water resources will now all be dealt with under criminal law. (…)
https://www.terradaily.com/reports/EU_lawmakers_adopt_tougher_rules_on_environmental_crimes_999.html
News related with SDGs number 15-Life on Land
COUNCIL DECISION (CFSP) 2024/645 of 19 February 2024 in support of strengthening biological safety and security in Latin America in line with the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540 (2004) on non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery
February 20, 2024 - The COUNCIL of the EUROPEAN UNION (…) has adopted this Decision:
Article 1
1. In accordance with the EU Strategy against the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction adopted on 12 December 2003, the Union shall further support the activities of OAS/CICTE through an operational action in support of strengthening biological safety and security in Latin America.
2. The overall objectives of the action referred to in paragraph 1 shall be to:
a) strengthen existing national normative frameworks related to biological safety and security in beneficiary States;
b) foster greater compliance with international regimes by promoting collaboration and cooperation between participating States through innovative exercises such as ‘peer review exercises’ and also by helping participating States with their submissions and declarations related to relevant biological weapons instruments;
c) strengthen public and private sector capacity to secure biological weapons through training activities;
d) create a regional community or network of public and private sector actors engaged in biological safety and security. (…)
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L_202400645
News related with SDGs number 15-Life on Land
WFP and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government partner to boost girls' education through a stipend programme
March 11, 2024 - Islamabad - On 7 March, the Elementary and Secondary Education Department (E&SED), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to mark the launch of a stipend programme for adolescent girls in the Merged Districts (MDs) of KP. The Girls’ Stipend Programme aims to improve girls’ access to and retention in schools, especially at the higher grades where drop-out rates are high, through the provision of income support to the families of adolescent girls. Over three years of the programme some 30,000 girls in grades 6 -12 in more than 500 government girls' middle and higher schools will receive PKR 1000 per month. This 3-year programme covering all seven districts and sub-divisions in the merged districts is costed at US$ 4.4 million, averaging US$ 1.1 million per year. The Girls’ Stipend Programme builds on a decades-long partnership between the Department of Education, KP and WFP. Most recently in 2021, WFP in support of the Government’s COVID-19 response piloted a Stipend Programme in the merged districts reaching some 21,000 girls in 280 schools. An impact assessment of the pilot found a significant 14 percent increase in enrollment, and a 96 percent improvement in attendance rates.
News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education
Democratic Republic of Congo: UNESCO and AFD promise to provide better training and support for teachers
March 6, 2024 - UNESCO is stepping up its investment in education in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The Organization will improve the training of primary school teachers in reading, writing and mathematics, increase women's access to this profession and enhance the role of school principals. Thanks to an agreement signed on Tuesday with Agence Française de Développement (AFD), €9 million will be channeled into these initiatives. In this context, UNESCO will implement one four-year project in the DRC to improve teacher training and motivation. This project is also designed to consolidate the role of school principals as the primary supervisors of education systems, and to relaunch local school networks. Because the teaching profession remains overwhelmingly male-dominated, this project also aims to encourage women to enter the profession. The feminization of the profession will help ensure classrooms are perceived as safe and welcoming places for young girls, and provide them with positive role models in their daily lives to encourage them to invest in their studies. More than 13,000 teachers, 1,500 school principals and 600 education inspectors will benefit from UNESCO’s initiatives, which AFD have backed to the tune of €9 million, as part of the Global Partnership for Education.
News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education
With UNESCO, Arab and European Universities are committed to promote transformative education
March 2024- Transformative Education equips the young minds of today with the tools, values, knowledge, and attitudes necessary to drive positive change and foster just, inclusive, and sustainable societies. In a world where the challenges of sustainability, equity, and inclusivity loom large, education emerges as a beacon of hope, a pathway towards a brighter future. It's within this context that Transformative Education takes center stage, encompassing Global Citizenship Education (GCED) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). Transformative Education equips the young minds of today with the tools, values, knowledge, and attitudes necessary to drive positive change and foster just, inclusive, and sustainable societies. At the heart of this endeavor lie Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), pivotal actors with the capacity to shape the educational landscape, notably through the training of teachers who will then promote Transformative Education in their classrooms. Recognizing their crucial role, the UNESCO Multisectoral Regional Office in Beirut has been committed to promoting Transformative Education through higher education across the Arab States...
News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education
How education transformed the lives of four girls in Brazil, Pakistan and Tanzania
March 2024- Girls’ education is a matter of human rights. And it is also a smart investment that allows the entire society to thrive. That is the core message of the new documentary film entitled ‘Her Education, Our Future’, produced by CGTN in partnership with UNESCO. The film tells the inspiring story of four girls on three continents - Anee from Pakistan, Mkasi from the United Republic of Tanzania, and Fabiana and Tainá from Brazil – whose lives were impacted by the transformative power of education. Through UNESCO programmes in these countries, the girls were able to access education, enhance their skills for life and work, and expand their learning and career opportunities.
Anee Zahra is from Gilgit-Baltistan, a sparsely populated high-mountain area in the north of Pakistan. She dropped out of school as her parents couldn’t afford her education – only that of her brothers...
Anee was reached out to through UNESCO’s Girls’ Right to Education programme. It is the Organization’s largest programme on girls’ education, and has covered 19 of Pakistan’s most isolated and marginalized districts. ...
Mkasi Saidi Ali is from Pemba, a Tanzanian island forming part of the Zanzibar Archipelago. She is the sixth of eleven children. ...
Mkasi was connected by a District Social Welfare Officer to the UNESCO-UNFPA-UN Women Joint Programme on empowering adolescent girls and young women through education.
Fabiana Machado De Souza is in secondary school in Catu. They both have a keen interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education but have faced different barriers to pursuing studies in these fields....
Both Fabiana and Tainá have been engaged in UNESCO’s EDUCASTEM2030 programme, which aims to close gender gaps in STEM education...
News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education
Principality of Monaco helps WFP provide home grown school feeding in Lesotho
26 February 2024, Maseru – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has welcomed a €600,000 contribution from the Principality of Monaco for the period of 2023-2026, to help provide meals to school children and training for smallholder farmers as part of the national home-grown school feeding activities in the Kingdom of Lesotho. Monaco’s contribution will help strengthen food and nutrition support to some 10,000 school children in 80 schools and provide agricultural and financial literacy training for 300 smallholder farmers in Quthing and Mohale’s hoek districts. Under the national home-grown school feeding programme, WFP sources local produce from smallholder farmers to provide children nutritious mid-day meals on every school day. The programme links local farmers to the education sector by facilitating their access to the school feeding market. In 2023, WFP and its partners provided nutritious meals to over 50,000 pre-school learners between the ages of 2 and 5 in 2,500 schools while more than 100 farmers sold their produce to schools.
https://www.wfp.org/news/principality-monaco-helps-wfp-provide-home-grown-school-feeding-lesotho
News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education
Ministries of Education of Latin America and the Caribbean commit to increase efforts to reactivate, recover, and transform educational systems
Authorities, gathered in Chile for the Santiago 2024 Education Ministerial at the end of January, agreed to work to recover what was lost during the pandemic and to transform educational systems.
21 February 2024 - In a convergence of visions, ministers and high educational authorities from Latin America and the Caribbean agreed on the Declaration of Santiago 2024. The document reaffirms the commitment of the States to previous agreements at ministerial levels, renews the commitment to the right to education and the goals of Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4), and sets the course for regional educational policies with priority axes in reactivation, recovery, and transformation. Among other topics and agreements, ministers and other authorities reaffirmed in the Declaration the importance of addressing gaps in access to and quality of education and underscored the fundamental role of teaching staff. They emphasized the need to prioritize training and professional development of educators and to adopt evidence-based pedagogical approaches.
News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education
Sweet science: Food Brewer raises $5.6 million for lab-grown cacao and coffee
(by Rebecca Coons)
March 5, 2024 - In Switzerland, a startup using cell culture technology to produce cacao and coffee has raised CHF 5 million ($5.6 million) in a seed round. Founded in 2021, Food Brewer aims to use advanced techniques to produce commodities that are currently challenged by land scarcity, climate, and ethical concerns. Vegconomist reports that investors included family offices from Switzerland and the US, the Zürcher Kantonalbank, and chocolate manufacturer Max Felchlin AG. Funds will be used for R&D and to expand production. (…)
News related with SDGs number 8-Decent Work and Economic Growth
TômTex raises $4.15 million to convert shrimp shells to leather
(by Rebecca Coons)
March 5, 2024 - In New York, a company converting seafood waste such as shrimp shells into leather alternatives has raised $4.15 million. Founded by textile researcher and designer Uyen Tran, TômTex’s material can be used in place of leather, suede, latex and vinyl. The funds will be used to increase production and add employees. (…)
News related with SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
X-BATT produces lithium-ion battery anode materials from spent coffee grounds, other wastes
(by Rebecca Coons)
March 5, 2024 - In Florida, X-BATT has made a breakthrough in lithium-ion battery technology with the introduction of a composite anode materials made from feedstocks like wood, corn husk, rice husk, and spent coffee grounds. By leveraging agricultural waste products as a low-cost carbon source, X-BATT aims to address the critical mineral shortage threatening the electrification movement by replacing or supplementing graphite with abundant, renewable resources. (…)
News related with SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
University of Bath joins biobased buildings material project
(by Rebecca Coons)
February 27, 2024 - In the United Kingdom, the University of Bath has joined a European consortium targeting natural and biobased building materials. Dubbed Inbuilt, the group is collaborating to develop 10 biobased materials, including fungus-based insulation, rammed earth blocks, hybrid straw-clay boards, and prefab wall panels made from waste wood. University of Bath joins 15 other institutions and will focus on testing performance of mycelium insulation developed by Mykor. (…)
News related with SDGs number 11-Sustainable Cities and Communities
University of Cincinnati engineers create more efficient way to convert CO2 into ethylene
(by Meghan Sapp)
February 23, 2024 - In Ohio, engineers at the University of Cincinnati created a more efficient way of converting carbon dioxide into valuable products while simultaneously addressing climate change. The team found that a modified copper catalyst improves the electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide into ethylene, the key ingredient in plastic and a myriad of other uses. Ethylene has been called “the world’s most important chemical.” (…)
News related with SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Providing vital anticoagulant medication in Lebanon
Anera Partners with Foundation S – The Sanofi Collective to Ensure Health and Economic Relief
March 8, 2024 – Amidst Lebanon's ongoing economic crisis and escalating security concerns, Anera is proud to announce a significant medical donation in collaboration with Foundation S, the Sanofi Collective. This shipment in Lebanon contains over 100,000 units of anticoagulant medications that are essential to preventing the coagulation of blood in patients with reduced physical activity, such as those recovering from surgery or undergoing dialysis. Without anticoagulation medication, patients are at risk of life-threatening conditions like deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. While this partnership is new to Lebanon, Foundation S – the Sanofi Collective has been a donor with Anera for years. This donation of medical aid has a significant impact at a time when access to crucial medications is limited by financial constraints. (…)
https://www.anera.org/stories/providing-vital-anticoagulant-medication-in-lebanon/
News related with SDGs number 3-Good Health and Well-Being
Women on the frontlines of polio eradication in Afghanistan
The Female Mobiliser Vaccinator (FMV) programme supported by UNICEF and partners continue to play a critical role in efforts to reach every child and end polio in the country.
March 8, 2024 – (…) Introduced in 2020 as a pilot in three provinces, the FMV programme has since then expanded to 20 out of the country’s 34 provinces. Today, there are over 650 FMVs reaching thousands of women and children every day in hundreds of locations countrywide. The FMV programme also helps alleviate some of the burden on the national health system: the pastoral care service the FMVs provide frees up doctors, nurses and midwives to concentrate on their life-saving work. Some of the FMVs are trained nurses or midwives, and pitch in to help when an extra pair of hands are needed. The FMVs are a unique group when it comes to reaching women. In the eastern part of the country where the polio virus persists, communities are also historically culturally conservative: here it really is a woman’s work to inform other women. Women are usually the primary caregivers, reaching more women means reaching more children, reducing missed vaccinations and broadening the cohort of fully immunized children. Moreover, they can reach all women, even getting the message to those who are unable to leave the house because they do not have a mahram– a male family member who acts as a chaperone, usually a husband, father, or brother. (…)
News related with SDGs number 3-Good Health and Well-Being
Valentina Carrillo, Venezuelan student and activist in Chile: "It is necessary to provide training and awareness on gender and human mobility to teachers and people in educational institutions"
March 2024 - This International Women's Day 2024 is commemorated under the theme "Investing in Women: Accelerating the Process" and reminds us that a collective effort is necessary for both women and men to enjoy equality of opportunities, choices, abilities, power, and knowledge. This is only possible by addressing the gender gaps that exist today in education and other issues. On the occasion of the commemoration, UNESCO interviewed a university student and education rights activist Valentina Carrillo, about the gender inequalities she has perceived as a young migrant woman in Chile. Valentina migrated to Chile at the age of 17 from Venezuela. She arrived with no expectations of studying, as she had to work to support herself. However, after a few years in the country, she was able to access higher education....
News related with SDGs number 5-Gender Equality
Echoes of history: a young artist reimagines AlUla’s ancient legacy
March 2024 -In the heart of Saudi Arabia’s AlUla region, ancient civilizations weaves through time, leaving behind a rich heritage. From the enigmatic Dadanite and Nabataean kingdoms that ruled the land to merchants and pilgrims who travelled through the region, written legacies are on display in the form of thousands of inscriptions in Dadanite, Nabataean and Kufic scripts that help trace the origins and evolution of the Arabic language. Amidst this backdrop, a new generation of the AlUla community has embraced its storied documentary heritage as a knowledge asset and breathing life into AlUla’s ancient legacy. In the bustling market district neighbouring the Old Town, hundreds of ancient homes are being restored as part of a comprehensive regeneration project led by the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU). Ms. Abdullah is one of 18 female Saudi Arabian store owners in this district. With women accounting for 25 percent of owners, she is part of a growing number of women from the community engaging with the region’s heritage through innovation and creativity. A local artist and calligraphist, she has made it her mission to capture the essence of AlUla’s history through skilfully crafted stone pieces. With her family’s farm nestled among rocks engraved with ancient scripts, she “grew up captivated by the intricate design and meaning of rock inscriptions” that surrounded her. Enrolling in courses led by archaeologists, she says that she wanted to learn about the civilizations that once inhabited her land and decode the mysteries they left behind...
https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/echoes-history-young-artist-reimagines-alulas-ancient-legacy
News related with SDGs number 11-Sustainable Cities and Communities
UKRAINE: ADRA’s Unwavering commitment to healing communities despite two years of conflict
Silver Spring, MD (February 23, 2024) –The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) continues humanitarian efforts in Ukraine, two years after the armed conflict erupted. ADRA has been at the forefront in Ukraine and neighboring countries providing critical assistance to the most vulnerable populations affected by the hostilities, including food, shelter, psychological support, and medical care. Within hours of the conflict beginning on February 24, 2022, ADRA mobilized its global network of emergency response teams, thousands of Adventist Church volunteers, and massive resources to assist children, women, families, and individuals who fled their homes to avoid shelling and seek refuge across the border in other countries. (…) According to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the fighting in Ukraine has internally displaced about 4 million people and forced more than 6.4 million to seek shelter in Europe and other countries around the world, with more than 14 million needing humanitarian assistance in 2024. (…)
News related with SDGs number 16-Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Interior department announces $195 Million for America’s National Parks through President Biden’s investing in America Agenda
February 28, 2024 - WASHINGTON — The Department of the Interior today announced a $195 million investment from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda for climate restoration and resilience projects over the next decade, protecting America’s national parks for generations to come. National parks across the United States will use this funding to prepare for the impacts of climate change, protect species, restore ecosystems and invest in conservation jobs. Many of these projects support restoration and resilience efforts in national parks located in small and rural communities, bringing much-needed investments and jobs that support local American economies. (…)
News related with SDGs number 13-Climate Action
Glomar Offshore reduces CO2 emissions 28% using GoodFuels HVO30
(by Meghan Sapp)
February 23, 2024 - In the Netherlands, Glomar Offshore has reduced their CO2 emissions by 28% by transitioning from traditional fuels to GoodFuels HVO30. Glomar’s commitment to sailing on HVO30 on a fixed basis marks a new chapter in the longstanding partnership between FincoEnergies and Glomar. (…)
News related with SDGs number 12-Responsible Consumption and Production
Valmet to supply partial bioconversion for Indonesian coal-fired power plant
(by Meghan Sapp)
February 22, 2024 - In Indonesia, Valmet will supply a partial bioconversion for PT. Cikarang Listrindo Tbk’s coal-fired circulating fluidized bed (CFB) boiler in Babelan, Indonesia. The investment reflects Cikarang Listrindo’s initiative for greener energy production and environmentally friendlier operation by reducing reliance on fossil fuels and cutting CO2 emissions. (…)
News related with SDGs number 12-Responsible Consumption and Production
ETH Zurich removing CO2 from the atmosphere with new method
(by Meghan Sapp)
February 21, 2024 - In Switzerland, researchers at ETH Zurich are developing a new method to remove CO2 from the atmosphere. It involves molecules that become acidic when exposed to light. Their new process requires much less energy than conventional technologies. (…)
News related with SDGs number 13-Climate Action
Radio: UNESCO’s enduring commitment to information and communication
March 2024 -UNESCO has long recognized the global power of radio. Two years after its inception in 1945, UNESCO created its first broadcast facility to spread meaningful news to people around the world. Today, through radio projects and initiatives, the Organization supports Member States in facilitating access to crucial information.
https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/radio-unescos-enduring-commitment-information-and-communication
News related with SDGs number 10-Reduced Inequalities
Solidarity before differences: a student-led initiative for visually impaired students at the University of Belgrade
March 2024 - Young creators join forces to provide access to literature – for blind and visually impaired students in Serbia, in the form of audiobooks. The initiative began as a public advocacy campaign on social media with the ultimate goal of presenting the issue of a lack of access to literature for blind and visually impaired students to decision-makers with the proposal to produce audio books.
News related with SDGs number 10-Reduced Inequalities
Wasabi can be used as ecofriendly preservation tool for the ancient knowledge contained on papyrus
March 2024 -Papyrus was the premier writing material of the ancients, and an international team of researchers has discovered that wasabi, the spicy green goop you get with your sushi, can save ancient papyrus manuscripts from fungal contamination. Papyruses contain all manner of ancient wisdom, including the Egyptian Book of the Dead, the Will of Naunakhte, treatises on medicine and surgery, the only extant copy of the Greek playwright Menander, many different Biblical sections, Book V and VI of Homer’s Illiad, and the Vision of Dorotheus, one of the earliest examples of Christian hexametric poem, just to name a handful.
News related with SDGs number 11-Sustainable Cities and Communities
Cutting-edge cinematic techniques to save the planet
March 2024 -In independent cinema, filmmakers have begun to exploit a range of digital technologies to create a profound connection between society and the ecological sphere. Through the use of hydrophonic microphones, acoustic buoys or thermal infrared cameras it is possible to immerse spectators in ecological phenomena otherwise invisible to the human eye. From an ecological point of view, the added value lies in immersing and directing the viewer's gaze into natural phenomena imperceptible to the human senses. The hope is that these experiences can guide the viewer towards more sustainable social practices.
News related with SDGs number 15-Life on Land
SOLARPUNK: science fiction at the service of the environment
March 2024 - In recent decades, some cultural and artistic movements have taken hold that exaggerate the consequences of some thorny issues such as climate change, social inequality and capitalism. Unlike the Cyberpunk movement and cli-fi (climate fiction) literature which immerse us in dystopian or post-apocalyptic scenarios, the Solarpunk genre presents itself with a decidedly more optimistic vision of the future.
https://veracura.network/solarpunk/
News related with SDGs number 13-Climate Action
1,000-year-old scientific instrument was passed between Muslims and Jews, historic neighbors for centuries
Scientists say an 11th-century Islamic astrolabe, bearing both Arabic and Hebrew inscriptions, is one of the oldest examples ever discovered, and one of only a handful known in the world. They say the astronomical instrument, discovered by Dr. Federica Gigante in Verona Italy – Cambridge, was adapted, translated, and corrected for centuries by Muslim, Jewish, and Christian users in Spain, North Africa, and Italy where it was discovered.
News related with SDGs number 16-Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Rules, regulations and environment
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Stellantis to invest $6B in Latin America with focus on Bio-Hybrid technologies
(by Meghan Sapp)
March 8, 2024 - In the Netherlands, Stellantis announced a record investment plan for the South American region totaling €5.6 billion from 2025 to 2030, making it the largest investment in the history of the Brazilian and South American automotive industry. The planned investments will support the launch of more than 40 new products during the period as well as the development of new Bio-Hybrid technologies, innovative decarbonization technologies across the automotive supply chain, and strategic new business opportunities. (…)
News related with SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Ten EU countries commit to stop burning fossil fuels by 2035
(by Joshua S Hill)
March 7, 2024 - Ten countries from the European Union representing over 60% of the bloc’s electricity generation capacity have committed to exit fossil fuel generation by 2035 or sooner. A new analysis published today by civil society campaign Beyond Fossil Fuels finds that ten EU countries – Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands – have committed to move their power systems away from fossil fuels by 2035 or sooner – the date determined by the International Energy Agency for European nations to align with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C target. Four of these ten – Austria, Denmark, Lithuania, and Luxembourg – have explicitly pledged to replace fossil fuel generation with renewables. (…)
https://reneweconomy.com.au/eu-lines-up-behind-2035-exit-from-fossil-fuels/
News related with SDGs number 7-Affordable and Clean Energy
India inaugurates first green hydrogen plant in stainless steel sector
(by Juan Pedro Tomas)
March 7, 2024 - In India, BNN Breaking reported that India’s Steel Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia recently inaugurated a plant to produce green hydrogen for the stainless steel sector. Located in Hisar, Haryana, this plant is set to reduce carbon emissions, aligning with global environmental goals. The plant is engineered to cut down carbon emissions by approximately 2,700 metric tons annually. Over the next twenty years, it is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by 54,000 tons, according to the report. By integrating green hydrogen into the stainless steel production process, India sets a precedent for reducing industrial carbon footprints globally, the report added. (…)
News related with SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Green Arrow Capital and Lazzari & Lucchini complete first 7 biomethane plants together
(by Meghan Sapp)
March 7, 2024 - In Italy, Green Arrow Capital, one of the main independent Italian operators in panorama of alternative investments, and Lazzari & Lucchini, a leading company specialized in production of energy from renewable and sustainable sources present in nature, announce the completion of their first portfolio of 7 biomethane production plants. The realization of the assets is in order as part of the partnership, launched in 2020, which now aims to double the number of plants with a second portfolio of at least 6 assets, which will come into operation by 2025. (…)
News related with SDGs number 17-Partnerships for the Goals
Horizon Europe project to establish four circulatirty industrial hubs
(by Meghan Sapp)
February 28, 2024 - In Germany, a consortium of 35 organizations from various countries in Europe is working on this in the Horizon Europe Innovation Action project entitled “Sustainable Circular Economy Transition: from Industrial Symbiosis to Hubs for Circularity (IS2H4C)” under the leadership of the University of Twente (NL). The four-year project aims to establish four industrial hubs: in the Netherlands, Turkey, the Basque Country and Germany. (…)
News related with SDGs number 11-Sustainable Cities and Communities
Solar expansion leads renewable energy to provide over a fifth of U.S. electrical generation in 2023
(by Clarence Oxford)
February 27, 2024 - The landscape of U.S. electrical generation is witnessing a pivotal shift, underscored by the latest data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). The SUN DAY Campaign's review of the EIA's most recent "Electric Power Monthly" report, covering data up to December 31, 2023, highlights solar power's unparalleled growth streak, marking it as the nation's fastest expanding electricity source for over a decade. (…)
News related with SDGs number 7-Affordable and Clean Energy
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Good News Agency is published monthly (except August) in English, Italian and Portuguese. Past issues are available at www.goodnewsagency.org . Rome Law-court registration no. 265 dated 20 June 2000. Managing Editor: Fabio Gatti. Editorial research by Fabio Gatti, Isabella Strippoli, Elisa Minelli, Salvatore Caruso Motta, Chiara Damilano, Francesco Viglienghi, Carlo Toraldo, Andrea Landriscina, Nazzarena Franco. Webmaster, media and NGO coverage: Simone Frassanito (simone.frassanito@goodnewsagency.org)
Good News Agency is distributed free of charge through Internet to media and editorial journalists of the daily newspapers and periodical magazines and of the radio and television stations, NGOs, service associations, high schools and colleges as well as over 26,000 Rotarians around the world.
It is an all-volunteer service of Associazione Culturale dei Triangoli e della Buona Volontà Mondiale, a registered, not-for-profit educational charity chartered in Italy in 1979 The Association operates for the development of consciousness and promotes a culture of peace in the ‘global village’ perspective based on unity in diversity and on sharing. It is based in Piazzale degli Eroi 8, 00136 Rome, Italy. The Association is a member of the World Association of Non Governmental Organizations.
* http://decade-culture-of-peace.org/2010_civil_society_report.pdf - In section A - International Organizations, page 12, the Report says: ”Diffusion and exchange of culture of peace information via the Internet has become the major instrument for several international organizations, notably the Culture of Peace News Network, the Good News Agency and the Education for Peace Globalnet.”