For climate campaigners everywhere, it was a terrifying sight. Donald Trump stood before a crowd of supporters at the Republican National Convention. As they whooped and cheered, he shouted the words: "We will drill, baby, drill."

Within days of being elected, Trump repeated his promise on drilling for oil, adding: "We have more liquid gold than any country in the world."¹ He also appointed an oil and gas businessman, known for his role in fracking, as the next US Energy Secretary.

So far, 2024 has been the warmest year on record and global carbon emissions hit new highs. Most climate projections show that the planet is on track to exceed a global temperature increase of 2C.²

Given these negative headlines, many people feel demoralisedTo cause someone to lose hope. about the future. But 2024 also saw plenty of good news on the environment. So here are seven of the best stories:

Eastern sunrise. In the first nine months of this year, China added 160GW of solar power capacity to its grid. That is roughly 10% of the world's total solar installations!³ The country also activated the world's largest offshore solar park, which can meet the energy needs of 2.6 million people.⁴

Rainforest revival. Brazil announced plans to restore 30 million acres of degradedReduced in quality. land - an area equivalent to half the UK. Much of this is planting trees in what was the Amazon rainforest, the most biodiverseRich in biological diversity. habitat on the planet, a move vital for removing carbon from the atmosphere.⁵

Ocean rescue. Australia has promised to expand its sub-Antarctic marine park by 300,000km. This means the country will be protecting 52% of its ocean territory - more than any other nation. The Australian energy minister called it "a huge environmental win for the world". ⁶

Baby beaver. Last year a conservation charity released four beavers into the wild in Northumberland. The animal's dams have created wetlands that attract other wildlife, from crayfish to bats, as well as reducing flood risk downstream. This year the mother gave birth to the first beaver born in northern England since beavers died out in the British Isles 400 years ago.⁷

Compulsory composting. In France, composting food waste is now "obligatoire". The organic matter can be turned into biogas or used to replace chemical fertilisers. If rolled out across the EU, this could mean 40 million tonnes of potential soil nutrients collected each year.⁸

Holy solar. Vatican City, headquarters of the Catholic Church, will become the eighth country in the world generating all its energy from renewable sources. This comes mainly from solar panels installed on Vatican-owned property outside Rome. Pope Francis hopes to encourage other Catholics to combat the "perniciousHarmful. " consequences of climate change.⁹

Saving the savanna. Miombo woodland is a mix of grassland and forest that covers much of south-central Africa. In September, 11 African nations joined forces to protect the Miombo corridor, a precious natural habitat covering one million square miles. They have agreed to conserve and restore what the president of Mozambique calls "one of Africa's most vital ecosystems".¹⁰

Could science save our planet?

Yes: From installing record levels of solar power to generating energy from unwanted food, this year made it clear that scientific innovation matched with popular support can slow and possibly even reverse environmental destruction.

No: Few people oppose policies that increase the use of renewable energy or help to restore biodiversity. But these cannot hide the fact that carbon emissions keep rising and with them global temperatures, yet the next US president plans to drill for more oil.

Or... There may be more bad than good news on the environment, but despair is not the answer. Focusing on positive stories will inspire more people to repair the damage that humans have caused.