In spite of everything, a culture of peace is emerging in all fields of human endeavour
monthly, year 25th, number 328 – 2nd January 2025
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.*
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Society and communication –Rules, regulations and environment
United Nations – General Assembly – Seventy-ninth session Agenda item 18 (d) – Sustainable development: protection of global climate for present and future generations of humankind – Report of the Second Committee
December 9, 2024 – The General Assembly (…)
1. Reaffirms that climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time, expresses profound alarm that the emissions of greenhouse gases continue to rise globally, remains deeply concerned that all countries, particularly developing countries, are vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change and are already experiencing an increase in such impacts (…)
2. Urges Member States to adopt a climate- and environment-responsive approach to COVID-19 recovery efforts, including by aligning investments and domestic policies with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (…)
5. Reaffirms the Paris Agreement temperature goal of holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels (…)
https://docs.un.org/en/A/79/437/ADD.4
News related with SDGs number 13-Climate Action
United Nations – General Assembly – Seventy-ninth session Agenda item 18 (i) – Sustainable development: ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all– Report of the Second Committee
December 8, 2024 – The General Assembly (…)
5. Strongly encourages Governments and other relevant stakeholders to take actions to achieve universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy, increase the global share of renewable energy, improve the inclusion of developing countries in energy sector cooperation, where relevant, and increase the rate of improvement in energy efficiency for a clean, low-emission, low-carbon, climate-resilient, safe, efficient, modern, affordable, reliable and sustainable energy system (…)
9. Encourages Governments, the United Nations system and relevant stakeholders to leverage the cost-competitiveness of renewable energy, especially in off-grid areas (…)
13. Calls upon Governments to expand the use of renewable energy beyond the power sector (…)
https://docs.un.org/en/A/79/437/ADD.9
News related with SDGs number 8-Decent Work and Economic Growth
United Nations – General Assembly – Seventy-ninth session Agenda item 18 (a) – Sustainable development: towards the achievement of sustainable development: implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including through sustainable consumption and production, building on Agenda 21 – Report of the Second Committee
December 6, 2024 – The General Assembly (…)
3. Reaffirms the commitment made in the 2030 Agenda to ensuring that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature (…)
rage more sustainable lifestyles;
4. Urges the full and effective implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and all other internationally agreed development goals and commitments in the economic, social and environmental fields, including the Millennium Development Goals and those under the three Rio conventions, building on their contributions, best practices, challenges and lessons learned, in order to support the full and effective implementation of the 2030 Agenda a, including Goal 12, to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns; (…)
https://docs.un.org/en/A/79/437/ADD.1
News related with SDGs number 12-Responsible Consumption and Production
United Nations – General Assembly – Second Committee – Seventy-ninth session Agenda item 22 (e) – Eradicating rural poverty to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
November 19, 2024 – The General Assembly (…)
7. Stresses the importance of establishing and implementing targeted policies and measures to eradicate poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, by formulating rural development strategies with clear poverty eradication goals, (…)
8. Encourages all countries and other relevant stakeholders to promote inclusive economic transformation in rural areas that increases productivity and contributes to bridging the present rural-urban divide while ensuring productive employment and decent work, access to reliable and appropriate social protection systems (…), and financial inclusion and support, as well as preparedness planning for crises and
early warning (…)
https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/ltd/n24/357/15/pdf/n2435715.pdf
News related with SDGs number 1-No Poverty
United Nations – General Assembly - Seventy-ninth session – Agenda item 64 – Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 24 October 2024: Zone of peace, trust and cooperation of Central Asia
October 28, 2024 – The General Assembly (…)
1. Welcomes the significant practical contribution of the Central Asian States in strengthening regional peace, trust and cooperation in achieving sustainable development, as well as their efforts in this regard; (…)
4. Calls upon the countries of the Central Asian region to make effective use of the platform of regular consultative meetings of Heads of State and other forums to promote cooperation within the region and beyond in ensuring peace, trust and cooperation; (…)
9. Encourages all States of the region and all other regions to cooperate in efforts towards sustaining peace in the Central Asian zone, and to respect the national unity, sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity of all States of the region, strictly observing the Charter of the United Nations; (…)
https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/n24/317/95/pdf/n2431795.pdf
News related with SDGs number 16-Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Women must be involved in peace processes, participate in decision-making on equal footing with men, President tells Security Council Open Debate
October 25, 2024 - Women remain starkly under-represented from peace talks and conflict resolution efforts, including in some of today’s most intractable conflicts, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed told the Security Council today, opening its annual day-long open debate on women, peace and security. (…) The Common Pledge on Women’s Participation in Peace Processes brings together a broad array of mediation actors, she said, announcing the launch of the initiative on behalf of the Secretary-General. (…)
https://press.un.org/en/2024/sc15862.doc.htm
News related with SDGs number 16-Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
United Nations – General Assembly - Human Rights Council – Fifty-seventh session – Agenda item 3 – Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council on 10 October 2024: The human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
October 14, 2024 – The Human Rights Council (…)
1. Reaffirms that the human right to safe drinking water entitles everyone, without discrimination, to have sustained access to sufficient, safe, acceptable, physically accessible and affordable water for personal and domestic use and that the human right to sanitation entitles everyone, without discrimination, to have physical and affordable access to sanitation, in all spheres of life, that is safe, hygienic, secure, socially and culturally acceptable and that provides privacy and ensures dignity, and also reaffirms that both rights are components of the right to an adequate standard of living; (…)
4. Calls upon States to ensure, as appropriate, that their development efforts in the areas of water, sanitation and hygiene are aligned with their human rights obligations under international law;
https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/g24/192/58/pdf/g2419258.pdf
News related with SDGs number 6-Clean Water and Sanitation
Connecting digital and green transitions through education
December 2024- Our world is going through two transformative and simultaneous transitions: the green transition and the digital and artificial intelligence (AI) transition. While both transitions promise to help us realize a better future and achieve national and international development goals, they are often perceived as distinct or even in conflict.
News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education
Parents are preparing generation alpha children for the future by prioritize creative thinking
December 2024- Parents are prioritizing creative activities with their young children to prepare them for the future, according to a new survey. The survey of 2,000 parents of Generation Alpha children (born after 2010) examined their children’s parenting and play time in early childhood.
News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education
United Nations – General Assembly – Seventy-ninth session Agenda item 127 – Global health and foreign policy - World Meditation Day
November 29, 2024 – The General Assembly (…)
1. Decides to proclaim 21 December as World Meditation Day;
2. Invites all Member and observer States, the organizations of the United Nations system and other international and regional organizations, as well as civil society, including non-governmental organizations and individuals, to observe World Meditation Day, in an appropriate manner, in order to raise awareness of the benefits of meditation; (…)
https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/ltd/n24/372/60/pdf/n2437260.pdf
News related with SDGs number 3-Good Health and Well-Being
Lost Silk Road cities discovered in Uzbek mountains
November 2024- Archaeologists have found the remains of two medieval cities in the grassy mountains of eastern Uzbekistan, a discovery that could shift our understanding of the fabled Silk Road. Known for the exchange of goods and ideas between the East and West, the trade routes were long believed to have linked lowland cities. But using remote sensing technology, archeologists have now found at least two highland cities that sat along a key crossroad of the trade routes. One of the cities - Tugunbulak, a metropolis spanning at least 120 hectares - sat more than 2,000m (6,600 ft) above sea level.(…)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c238kv8ddeyo
News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education
7 ways countries are transforming education
November 2024- UNESCO capitalizes on the G20 meeting in Brazil to convey the message that greater investment in education is needed. There is a global crisis in the quality and equity of education, but transformation is possible, leading to economic growth and a path to peace.
https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/7-ways-countries-are-transforming-education
News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education
The only "AIR BNB BOOKSTORE" in the world has a 2-year waiting list for guests wanting to sell used day books
November 2024- Over 450 guests stayed at the “Airbnb, the world's only bookstore,” where guests spend the night and run the store during the day. The village of Wigtown is known as Scotland's national book town and one of its charming bookshops, The Open Book, rents out its upstairs apartment, giving literature lovers the chance to 'live their dream' of having a their own shop by the sea.
News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education
United Nations – General Assembly - Human Rights Council – Fifty-seventh session – Agenda item 9 – Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council on 10 October 2024: Education as a tool to prevent racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance
October 11, 2024 – The Human Rights Council (…)
1. Underlines the need for increased political will and commitment in using education as a tool to prevent and combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance; (…)
3. Reaffirms that education, development and the faithful implementation of all international human rights norms and obligations, including the enactment of laws and political, social and economic policies, are crucial to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance; (…)
https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/g24/190/59/pdf/g2419059.pdf
News related with SDGs number 10-Reduce Inequalities
Study reveals benefits ff Agrivoltaics In East Africa
(by Steve Hanley)
December 17, 2024 - Research led by the University of Sheffield reveals agrivoltaics — the practice of using the same land for farming and to produce solar electricity — leads to greater crop yields with less water than crops grown in open fields. The international team, led by Sheffield scientists in collaboration with the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry, Sustainable Agriculture Tanzania, Latia Agribusiness Solutions, and the University of Arizona, found certain crops — such as maize, Swiss chard, and beans — thrived under the partial shade provided by solar panels. The shade also helped to reduce water loss through evaporation, leading to more efficient water usage. Additionally, rainwater harvested from the panels could be used to supplement irrigation needs. (…)
https://cleantechnica.com/2024/12/16/study-reveals-benefits-of-agrivoltaics-in-east-africa/
News related with SDGs number 11-Sustainable Cities and Communities
Stretchable, flexible, recyclable. This plastic is fantastic
December 16, 2024 - Princeton engineers have developed an easily scalable 3D printing technique to manufacture soft plastics with programmed stretchiness and flexibility that are also recyclable and inexpensive - qualities not typically combined in commercially manufactured materials. (…)
News related with SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Generating power with a thin, flexible thermoelectric film
(by Jacek Krywko)
December 12, 2024 - The No. 1 nuisance with smartphones and smartwatches is that we need to charge them every day. As warm-blooded creatures, however, we generate heat all the time, and that heat can be converted into electricity for some of the electronic gadgetry we carry. Flexible thermoelectric devices, or F-TEDs, can convert thermal energy into electric power. The problem is that F-TEDs weren’t actually flexible enough to comfortably wear or efficient enough to power even a smartwatch. They were also very expensive to make. But now, a team of Australian researchers thinks they finally achieved a breakthrough that might take F-TEDs off the ground. (…)
News related with SDGs number 7-Affordable and Clean Energy
Mini smart city drives design of safer automated transportation
(by David Nutt)
November 22, 2024 - The city resembles any number of urban centers (…) Specifically, the scaled smart city seeks to improve the performance of emerging mobility systems, such as connected and automated vehicles, by enabling small motorized cars to interact with their environment as well as other vehicles, some of which are piloted remotely by humans. Because the city is a controlled environment, experiments can be repeated and results verified. And yet, unpredictability is encouraged. (…)
News related with SDGs number 11-Sustainable Cities and Communities
Henkel and LIKAT research new bio-based and ‘debondable’ adhesives.
(by Juan Pedro Tomas)
October 20, 2024 - In Germany, European Coatings reported that the Leibniz Institute for Catalysis (LIKAT) and Henkel produced new synthetic building blocks for innovative, bio-based adhesives that can be de-adhered on the basis of carbohydrates and vegetable oils. The report noted that such reversible bonds would greatly enhance the ease of repair and recyclability of electronic products or household appliances, for example. (…)
News related with SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
The bells of Notre Dame cathedral ring out for first time since 2019 fire
The bells of Notre Dame tolled on Friday for the first time since Paris's beloved cathedral was ravaged by flames in 2019. The famous monument is set to reopen its doors to the public on December 8. (…) On the evening of April 19, 2019, Parisians and the world watched in horror as flames ravaged the world heritage landmark and then toppled its spire. President Emmanuel Macron quickly set the ambitious goal to rebuild Notre Dame within five years and make it "even more beautiful" than before. Some 250 companies and hundreds of experts were mobilised for a restoration costing hundreds of millions of euros. (…)
News related with SDGs number 17-Partnerships for the Goals
Heritage in Focus of Winners and Finalists of the International Youth Festival The Planet of Art – 2024 Kazakhstan National Federation of Clubs for UNESCO Showcased at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris an Art Album and an Exhibition of Young Artists on Heritage.
November 12, 2024- Paris – UNESCO’s Headquarters hosted the presentation of an art album and exhibition featuring works by winners and finalists of the International Youth Festival THE PLANET OF ART – 2024, organized by the Kazakhstan National Federation of Clubs for UNESCO (KazFUCA) with support of Kazakhstan’s Permanent Delegation to UNESCO.
This year, the Festival’s art series focused on World Heritage properties, as well as expressions of Intangible Cultural Heritage, in alignment with Kazakhstan's chairmanship of the World Federation of Associations and Clubs for UNESCO (WFUCA). A selection of the finalists’ artwork, representing 35 countries, is now on display at UNESCO’s Paris Headquarters. Also, a beautifully curated art album featuring 500 finalist works was also unveiled at the ceremony. (…)
News related with SDGs number 3-Good Health and Well-Being
Indian, Chinese troops exchange sweets at several border points on Diwali
November 2024- Troops of India and China exchange sweets at border points, signalling thaw in Sino-Indian ties post-disengagement in an ad-hoc ceremony reminiscent of the famous Christmas Truce of the First World War, Chinese and Indian troops along a disputed border region exchanged sweets on Diwali. The two nations have contested a region called Ladakh for decades, but following a recent agreement to draw back from strategic chokepoints, relations are on the up and up such that the soldiers, who now have mutually exclusive patrolling schedules to prevent accidental conflict, met to exchange presents of sweets on Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. A traditional practice on the holiday, the gifts were exchanged at five designated Border Personnel Meeting Points [...]
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/indian-chinese-troops-sweets-lac-diwali-9647281/
News related with SDGs number 16-Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
UN Women Leaders Network to convene a diverse group of women leaders worldwide to advance women’s rights and leadership
November 2024 - It is UN Women’s first permanent network of its kind, composed of intergenerational and intersectional women leaders, and its members represent the change needed in the traditional image of leadership today. The network includes both emerging and more established leaders across ages, regions, and professions. The network will work together to promote the increase and advancement of women in leadership and decision-making spaces worldwide, and functions as a platform to a diverse group of women leaders to discuss and exchange ideas, solutions and experiences as leaders, community-builders and decision-makers. (…)
https://cpnn-world.org/new/?p=35961
News related with SDGs number 5-Gender Equality
Building Peace through Cinema: the XVI Edition of the Human Rights Film Festival in Naples
November 2024- Building peace in a global context marked by tensions such as the Russian-Ukrainian one and especially the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: an urgency that requires the commitment and sensitivity of everyone, but also the professionalism of many. From November 11 to 22, 2024, Naples will host the XVI edition of the Naples Human Rights Film Festival “Building a Culture of Peace”, dedicated to building peace precisely in days when the risk of escalation is most felt. Now a consolidated event on the national and international scene, the Festival, through cinema, aims to raise awareness and inform the public about major social issues and the state of Human Rights, and proposes itself, especially in this historical moment, as an important moment of reflection for the affirmation of rights in every part of the world, starting from the South, through the power of cinematic images and the testimony of the protagonists. This year, the goal of the event, realized with the contribution of the Campania Region and the Campania Region Film Commission and with the support of the Municipality of Naples, is twofold: dedicated to the memory of the pacifist, anti-fascist, and non-violent Danilo Dolci, born exactly 100 years ago in Sesana in Friuli (now Slovenia), the XVI edition aims to orient young people towards the Professions of Peace, a competence too often ignored by schools and universities in European countries, and will do so by emphasizing, with a series of specific events, the role of Peace experts in the international context and announcing the birth, in collaboration with the Eastern University and the UN UPeace of Costa Rica, of a Summer School dedicated to the memory of Mario Paciolla, the Neapolitan cooperator who died in Colombia while serving the local UN Mission.(…)
https://cpnn-world.org/new/?p=36003
News related with SDGs number 16-Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Methane Emissions continue to decline across U.S. Oil & Gas Basins
December 11, 2024 - Methane emissions from the country’s top oil and gas-producing basins have fallen 44 percent since 2011, according to data from the Environmental Protection Agency. This plunge in emissions comes even as the country has managed to shatter energy production records – the United States produced more crude oil than any nation at any time for the past six years in a row. These newest figures on methane emissions come following the release of 2023 data from the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program. The data, which can be broken out by basin, reveals that the massive reduction in methane emissions holds true across the board: each of America’s top seven oil and gas producing basins saw a decrease in their total methane emissions over recent years. (…)
https://energycentral.com/c/og/methane-emissions-continue-decline-across-us-oil-gas-basins
News related with SDGs number 12-Responsible Consumption and Production
Qatar starts world’s largest blue ammonia plant
(by Jim Kendrick)
November 28, 2024 - In Qatar, QatarEnergy has begun constructing the world’s largest blue ammonia plant in Mesaieed Industrial City, with an investment of QAR 4.4 billion. The facility will produce 1.2 million tons of low-carbon ammonia annually and is expected to begin operations in the second quarter of 2026. The plant will include a CO2 capture and storage unit capable of handling 1.5 million tons per year and will use 35 megawatts of electricity generated from a solar power plant currently under construction in Mesaieed. (…)
https://www.inoreader.com/article/3a9c6e77ac5dcd1f-qatar-starts-worlds-largest-blue-ammonia-plant
News related with SDGs number 15-Life on Land
Dakota Spirit boosts oil recovery thanks to Alfa Laval tech
(by Meghan Sapp)
November 28, 2024 - In South Dakota, Dakota Spirit, a Harvestone Low Carbon Partners company (HLCP), announced the successful installation and operation of Alfa Laval’s Prodec Oil Plus centrifuge technology, designed to optimize oil recovery at the plant. After two months of operation, the results have met expectations, achieving an approximate 25% increase in oil recovery yield. (…)
News related with SDGs number 12-Responsible Consumption and Production
L’Oréal achieves 100% renewable energy across Asia and MENA including bioenergy
(by Meghan Sapp)
November 28, 2024 - In Singapore, L’Oréal has reached 100% renewable energy across its operated sites in the South Asia Pacific, Middle East & North Africa (SAPMENA) Zone as at end-2023. This spans all factories, distribution centers, administrative offices and a research & innovation center within the Zone. With 23 operating sites spanning a vast geography, L’Oréal SAPMENA requires diverse renewable energy solutions ranging from solar deployments to existing hydro dams, to choosing electric boilers over fossil fuel powered ones. (…)
News related with SDGs number 7-Affordable and Clean Energy
Greece pushes green transition on its fragile islands
(by Yannick Pasquet)
November 22, 2024 - Greece this week signed a clean energy deal with the EU in a bid to fast-track the green transition on its fragile islands threatened by overtourism and climate change. Hundreds of Greek islands are facing major challenges including water scarcity, said Dimitris Lianos, the mayor of Naxos, the largest island in the Cyclades archipelago, where the deal was signed Thursday with the European Union and the European Investment Bank to finance decarbonisation projects. The symbolism of signing it there was hard to ignore. (…)
https://www.terradaily.com/reports/Greece_pushes_green_transition_on_its_fragile_islands_999.html
News related with SDGs number 15-Life on Land
Bye bye microplastics new plastic is ocean degradable and recyclable
November 22, 2024 - Researchers at the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS), led by Takuzo Aida, have introduced a novel plastic that offers durability and biodegradability while addressing a pressing global concern - microplastic pollution in oceans. Unlike conventional materials, this innovative plastic dissolves in seawater, providing a sustainable solution for reducing microplastics in marine ecosystem. (…)
News related with SDGs number 14- Life below Water
A socio-emotional journey in the areas of Cuba affected by hurricanes and earthquakes
December 2024- For two weeks, a team of teachers and artists from UNESCO and the Ministry of Education visited 24 schools in the East (Guantánamo and Granma), the West (Artemisa) and the capital of the country (Havana), developing cultural and educational activities focused on socio-emotional learning to support communities affected by recent socio-natural disasters.
News related with SDGs number 3-Good Health and Well-Being
Challenging artificial intelligence bias and gender inequalities
December 2024- On the occasion of Human Rights Day, 10 December 2024, the UNESCO Caribbean Office hosted a dynamic and interactive workshop to conclude the “16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence” campaign. UNESCO, together with some 60 experts, researchers and advocates, came together virtually to address pressing issues at the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and gender inequality in the Caribbean.
News related with SDGs number 5-Gender Equality
An inspirational artist transforms gray hospital rooms, one view at a time, for cancer patients
December 2024- An inspiring artist offers patients a “window with a view” through murals designed to inspire an escape from the sterile environment of chemotherapy, taking them on an imaginary journey to a sunny place. Colleen Wall’s journey into the arts and healthcare began in 1995, when she was diagnosed with cancer while four months pregnant. This life-changing experience fueled her passion for using art to uplift others facing similar battles.
News related with SDGs number 3-Good Health and Well-Being
UNESCO leads discussions on ethical artificial intelligence at AI GLOBAL SOUTH SUMMIT 2024
November 2024- With the theme “AI and Emerging Technologies: Preserving and Monetizing Creole Cultural Heritage,” the summit highlighted the importance of equity, ethical governance and sustainable development as key considerations for addressing urgent challenges in the digital age. The summit further explored the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies in the Global South.
https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/unesco-leads-ethical-ai-discussions-ai-global-south-summit-2024
News related with SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Safeguarding the memory of humanity: UNESCO hosts the Conference on the Global Memory of the World
November 2024- Given the universal nature of threats to the preservation of and access to documentary heritage, the conference recognized that the remedies, responses and roadmap for the future must be a shared effort and require a cross-border coalition with a cohesive, standardized framework and international.
News related with SDGs number 17-Partnerships for the Goals
Rules, regulations and environment
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Council conclusions signal strong support for Geothermal Energy
December 16, 2024 - The European Geothermal Energy Council (EGEC) has praised the Hungarian Presidency for initiating the proposal for faster deployment of geothermal energy, and to all Member States for adopting the Council conclusions. These conclusions include clear actions to accelerate the deployment of geothermal energy in Europe. This recognition underscores the pivotal role of geothermal energy in driving Europe’s transition to a local, sustainable, resilient, and cost-effective energy system. This marks an important step forward, following calls from the European Parliament (EP), the Committee of the Regions (CoR), and the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) for the European Commission to prepare a dedicated European Geothermal Action Plan with concrete actions to deploy geothermal energy all over Europe. (…)
News related with SDGs number 7-Affordable and Clean Energy
Italy: 1.5 Gigawatts for Agrivoltaics
(by Zachary Shahan)
December 11, 2024 - Agrivoltaics have been all the rage this year, and perhaps they’re raging nowhere more than in Italy. Italy just recently held its first ever tender for agrivoltaics, and it was a big one! Bel Paese awarded contracts for 1.5 gigawatts of agrivoltaics solar projects within its borders. That’s spread across 540 different projects. And the tender was oversubscribed. (…)
https://cleantechnica.com/2024/12/10/italy-1-5-gigawatts-for-agrivoltaics/
News related with SDGs number 7-Affordable and Clean Energy
ARE and the Commonwealth Secretariat partner to boost renewable electrification in 56 countries
December 11, 2024 – Over 685 million people do not have access to electricity, which impacts their quality of life, impacts economic growth and stifles sustainable development. For most, the development of decentralized renewable energy (DRE) solutions would help alleviate this problem. To advance this mission a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Alliance for Rural Electrification and the Commonwealth Secretariat at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. Both organizations have mutually agreed to promote renewable energy solutions to expand energy access, particularly in rural regions. They aim to support government initiatives in reaching renewable energy goals, while also championing gender equality within the energy transition. Additionally, they will provide tailored business development assistance and market intelligence support to DRE companies. (…)
News related with SDGs number 17-Partnerships for the Goals
SUEZ and Vauban Infrastructure partners invest in local energy production from waste
November 26, 2024 - UEZ, Vauban Infrastructure Partners (via the BTP Impact Local fund), the Normandy region and ADEME have inaugurated the BIOSYNERGY plant, which produces energy from biomass and SRF. (…) The facility is an innovative piece of infrastructure that is an essential step as part of the region’s energy transition and the development of the circular economy. (…) BIOSYNERGY is a pioneering energy recovery facility that addresses two of the Normandy region’s key aims: sending less waste to landfill and increasing production of renewable energy, in accordance with the targets of France’s Energy Transition for Green Growth Act (LTECV). (…)
News related with SDGs number 17-Partnerships for the Goals
Italy-Equinix and Neoen sign their first power purchase agreement in Italy
November 26, 2024 - Digital infrastructure company Equinix has signed a 10-year virtual power purchase agreement (PPA) for 53 MW across seven new-build solar projects in Northern Italy, close to Equinix data centres in Milan and Genoa. The PPA will support Equinix’s ability to maintain 100 percent renewable coverage for its International Business Exchange (IBX) data centres in Italy, while increasing its backing of renewable power projects. (…) The solar projects will contribute to Italy’s Integrated National Plan for Energy and Climate Change targets by 2030. (…)
News related with SDGs number 17-Partnerships for the Goals
Sarawak’s Rembus green hydrogen plant on track to meet 2025 completion target
(by Juan Pedro Tomas)
November 14, 2024 - In Malaysia, The Sun reported that the development of Sarawak’s Rembus green hydrogen plant in Samarahan is on track to meet the 2025 completion target, following a tripartite agreement signed in February with Sarawak Metro Sdn Bhd and ICE Petroleum Group. Once it becomes operational next year, the plant will supply green hydrogen for the autonomous rapid transit (ART) and hydrogen-powered feeder buses, the integral components of the Kuching Urban Transport System (KUTS) (…)
News related with SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Swiss experiment will place solar panels between train tracks
(by Steve Hanley)
November 13, 2024 – (…) The Swiss are known for being clever engineers. One of them, Baptiste Danichert, is the co-founder of Sun-Ways, a startup that proposes to put the space between railroad tracks to good use by installing solar panels between the rails. The panels will be removable so railroads can do repairs to the tracks as needed. “There are over a million kilometers of railway lines in the world,” Danichert said last year. “We believe that 50 percent of the world’s railways could be equipped with our system.” (…)
https://cleantechnica.com/2024/11/12/swiss-experiment-will-place-solar-panels-between-train-tracks/
News related with SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
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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.”