Climate change news that’s not too hot to handle: Your monthly roundup of good news
- Following years of public pressure and a well-coordinated campaign organized by the Rainforest Action Network, Bank of America unveiled its new global coal mining policy committing to reduce exposure to coal mining companies across the board. They announced the new policy at an annual shareholder meeting, stating “…Our new policy…reflects our decision to continue to reduce our credit exposure over time to the coal mining sector globally.” This policy is the strongest of its kind to date, and a big deal considering Bank of America is the biggest bank in the U.S. and was the biggest underwriter of the coal industry – leading banking investments in coal.
- Big oil asks for a price on carbon: In a surprising move, several major oil companies collectively announced they “want to be a part of the solution and deliver energy to society sustainably for many decades to come.” Yes it’s true – CEOs from Shell, BP, Total, Statoil, Eni and the BG Group addressed a joint letter to Christiana Figueres, the United Nation’s climate chief, in support of putting a price on carbon. In the letter, they asked for national and regional governments to set a price on carbon and for those regional carbon markets to be linked.
Click here to read the full letter. This is good news for the climate fight, especially considering that several other big oil companies (Exxon Mobil, ConocoPhillips, Chevron, BP and Shell) already have carbon pricing written into their business plans so they can be ready if and when we begin accounting for the true cost of carbon.While some argue we should be skeptical of big oil asking for a price on carbon, I believe this is still good news to celebrate. It signals they may be beginning to acknowledge the realities of climate change, as well as increasing desire from their customers to diversify their energy portfolios and be part of the solution. - A new study reveals that clean energy jobs grew by 18% last year, employing more than 7.7 million people across the globe. About 25% of those jobs were in the U.S. – an exciting development, and just imagine the job growth potential if we continue to invest in a clean energy economy!
- Also in May, Norway’s parliament unanimously agreed to sever its financial ties with coal, mandating the country’s sovereign wealth fund divest from the coal industry. This is a major climate victory, as the Norwegian Government Pension Fund Global is the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund, and was one of the top ten investors in the global coal industry. The mandate dictates the government exclude from its portfolio companies deriving more than 30% of their revenue or power production from coal; it will be formally adopted by the Parliament starting today!
The University of Washington also made history last month by becoming both the richest public university and the school with the biggest student body to divest so far, committing to divest its $2.8 billion endowment off of fossil fuels. This may the only time those of us in Duck country utter the words “Go Huskies!”
And finally, Pope Francis called together a strategy meeting with 40 Catholic leaders in Rome leading up to his much-anticipated encyclical on the environment (due later this month.) Religious leaders discussing climate change is not a new concept, but the scale to which it’s being done – along with directly urging parishioners to join the climate movement – represents a major shift. It indicates a rising collective consciousness, that more and more people are compelled from a deeply spiritual and emotional place to participate in this work.And in order to successfully continue participating in this work, month after month, year after year, we have to stay inspired. I hope noting these victories inspires you to keep fighting the good fight – whether you participate because your religious beliefs call you to this work, because you’re thinking about your kids, out of a desire for a more equitable world, because you love coffee, or skiing – whatever your motivation may be, we’re in this work together, and we’re making significant progress.
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September 28, 2023, 2:44 pm
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Oregon Climate Action Plan gives the good news we all need
With the world as we know it seemingly crashing down
April 3, 2020, 2:02 am
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Good news: Electric vehicles now take you the distance
By Belinda McFadgen
Guest author
If you’re tired of the exhaust fumes, noise, and climate-damaging emissions from your typical gasoline car, the electric vehicle is a great option for your future ride.
Good reasons exist for going electric. Switching from gas reduces air pollution and carbon emissions so electric vehicle engines run cleaner and quieter than gas cars. Electric cars also
December 8, 2017, 12:05 am
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Statement regarding news of Paris Agreement
Oregon Environmental Council remains committed to standing strong for environmental protections here in Oregon, despite President Trump’s move to pull our nation out of the Paris Agreement. (
June 1, 2017, 1:03 pm
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August Climate Good News: 7 Reasons to Have Hope
Sick of election news coverage yet? Does the negative banter make your brain go bonkers? Well, there’s over three months left – and the news cycle (election coverage aside) is enough to drive even the most optimistic souls into a mental funk. Yet quietly, alongside headlines fraught with dire predictions for humanity’s fate, there are amazing developments taking place to make our world a better place, for us and for future generations —in c
August 5, 2016, 1:56 am
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Fighting to Win: Your Monthly Dose of Climate Good News
It’s been a hard month. While there is good news, it’s important to take the time to acknowledge that sometimes we feel overwhelmed by the realities of climate change. And so, the continual challenge is to STAY INSPIRED: Inspired amidst the headlines, which often focus on the doom and gloom, and amidst the climate impacts, which are hitting close to home, and often more intensely than anticipated.
Thankfully, just as the world is changing, so is our collective consciousness evolving. T
June 9, 2016, 10:18 pm
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BREAKING NEWS! The Clean Electricity and Coal Transition Bill (HB 4036) has passed the House of Representatives! The bipartisan vote was 39-20. This is a BIG deal for our climate!
This exciting step happened because people like you took the time to share your priorities with lawmakers. Thank you for helping Oregon lead the way toward our clean energy future. Your voice matters!
What’s next? The Senate floor vote could happen as
February 16, 2016, 12:58 am
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Oregon Environmental Council | The collective consciousness shift: your monthly dose of climate goodness
March 12, 2018 (9:20 pm)
[…] right—even when such bold moves may result in investment losses in the short term. Check out our previous good news posts to see who else is following the fossil fuel and coal divestment […]