Positive Climate Stories in March

Written By Johanna Perraudin

While headlines swirl with political tensions and economic uncertainty, March quietly delivered real progress on climate. Emissions hit record lows, cities reclaimed streets for people, and tens of thousands demanded true sustainability in EU finance.

March Positive Climate Stories – Your monthly dose of climate positivity

1. UK emissions at its lowest since 1872

UK emissions fell by 3.6% in 2024 – reaching a level not seen since Victorian times.

About half of the drop in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions was due to a 54% reduction in UK coal demand, 2 million tonnes – the lowest level since 1666. There are two main reasons for this decrease. One-third is due to the end of coal power in the UK, with the last coal power station closing last year. Two-thirds are the result of lower steel production which is still heavily reliant on coal.

The rest of the drop in 2024 emissions was largely due to lower oil and gas demand. Oil demand fell by 1.4%, despite increased road traffic, mainly caused by the rise in the number of electric vehicles (EV).

While these historically low emissions are worth celebrating, the UK still needs to increase its annual rate of emissions reduction to reach national and international climate goals. The UK must continue to strengthen its efforts if it wants to stay on course for a sustainable future.

Encouragingly, some countries are on track to meet their goals. Germany, for instance, saw its emissions fall by around 3.4% in 2024, keeping the country aligned with its 2030 climate targets.

2. Climate action drives growth, inaction risks economic collapse, says OECD

A new OECD study finds that setting ambitious targets to cut GHG emissions, and embracing the right policies and investments to meet them, would result in a net gain in global GDP of 0.23% by the end of the next decade. For developing countries, this could mean lifting 175 million people out of poverty by then.

By 2050, the most developed economies would see their GDP per capita grow by 60%, while lower income countries would experience a staggering 124% increase.

In contrast, climate inaction would be economically devastating. A third of global GDP would be lost. In Europe, extreme weather is projected to shrink the economy by 2.3% per year by 2050 – equivalent to facing a major recession every year.

The cost of action is modest compared to the price of inaction. In the UK, investing in enough renewable energy to meet targets would cost just 0.2% of GDP annually through 2050. Fossil fuels may continue to attract investment, but with the evidence stacking up to the benefits the transition has to offer – not just environmental but economic and social too – states should soon wake up to what they would gain from a green and just transition.

3. 44,000 citizens demand real green standards in EU Taxonomy

The EU’s Taxonomy is meant to guide banks and investors in selecting sustainable investments to deliver a fair green transition. At the end of 2023, the EU Commission added aviation and shipping criteria to the Taxonomy whose eligibility for finances earmarked for green activities is determined by an efficiency criteria so weak that it green lights ships and planes running entirely on fossil fuels. That’s why Opportunity Green and 4 other NGOs – Fossielvrij NL, Dryade, Protect Our Winters Austria and CLAW –  brought the EU to court.

In the next stage of our campaign to call the EU Commission to account on these rules, we delivered a petition of 45,000 signatures to EU Parliament.

"It’s fantastic to see tens of thousands of EU citizens giving their support to our legal action against the EU Commission,” says our Legal Director David Kay. “It’s blatantly obvious that aeroplanes and cruise ships are not green investments and shouldn’t be getting finance that’s meant for the green transition. This petition demands better from the EU – and calls on it to support investment in real solutions.”

4. European cities take the lead on cutting cars

Paris voters have just approved a plan to pedestrianise 500 additional streets, stripping away 10,000 parking spaces to make room for trees, bikes and walkers. It’s the latest step in a citywide green push led by Mayor Anne Hidalgo, whose administration has already made 300 streets car-free since 2020.

And Paris isn’t alone — across Europe, more than 340 cities have adopted car-reduction policies, from congestion fees in Milan and London to low-emissions zones in Warsaw and Sofia. In the Netherlands, construction is underway in Merwede, a new 12,000-person suburb in Utrecht, designed to be entirely car-free.

Some places are far ahead. The Spanish city of Pontevedra, which banned cars from most of its centre in 1999, has seen air pollution drop by 67% and road deaths fall to zero for over a decade. Vilnius, Lithuania, with its 87 miles of bike lanes and 926 miles of footpath has just been named European Green Capital 2025. 94% of its residents live within 300 meters of a park, and the city is aiming for carbon neutrality by 2030.

These efforts go beyond climate targets. Cleaner air, quieter streets, and more green space have immediate health and wellbeing benefits to residents. In Paris, for instance, bike use has increased by 71%, contributing to a drop in air pollution. In London, air quality has improved at 99% of monitoring sites since the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) was first introduced in April 2019 – outpacing improvements seen in the rest of England.  

As cars retreat from city streets, a new vision of urban life is emerging – one where space is reclaimed for people and where fighting climate change also means building better, greener places to live.

5. UK government launches GCSE in Natural History

The UK government has announced a brand-new GCSE in Natural History, introduced in parliament by Education Minister Catherine McKinnell. The course is designed to deepen students’ understanding of the natural world and equip them to contribute to its protection and conservation locally, nationally and globally.

This is great news for the planet. Education is one of the most powerful tools we have to tackle the climate crisis. By helping students understand the value of nature, we’re creating a society that’s more informed, more engaged, and more likely to take climate action.

It’s also a way to make young people feel seen and included in the climate conversation. They are a powerful force for change, and this new qualification will help empower students across the UK to fall in love with the Earth – and protect it.

What positive climate stories have lifted your spirits this month? Share it with us on X, Bluesky or LinkedIn and we’ll help to spread the word.

Johanna Perraudin

Johanna is a Communications Assistant at Opportunity Green. Connect with Johanna on LinkedIn.

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