What went right this week: progress in uncertain times, plus more

Five “gamechanging” initiatives have won this year’s Earthshot prize, a competition that’s designed to scale up solutions to environmental problems. 

A pioneering conservation project that saved a critically endangered antelope from extinction was among this year’s winners, each of which was awarded £1m. 

The Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative saved Kazakhstan’s saiga antelope (pictured), helped to restore its steppe habitat and reintroduced Przewalski horses (main picture) to the ecosystem.

“The restoration of the saiga antelope population and the revival of the Central Asian steppe are not just triumphs for wildlife but for the local communities that depend on these ecosystems,” said Vera Voronova, the project’s executive director.

The other winners were: GAYO, an African project that seeks to improve waste management; the High Ambition Coalition, an alliance that’s working to protect 30% of Earth by 2030; Keep It Cool, an initiative that seeks to prevent food waste in Africa; and Advanced Thermovoltaic Systems, which converts waste heat into electricity. 

“These visionary innovators from Africa and beyond are not just solving the environmental challenges facing their communities – they are lighting the path for a sustainable future for us all,” said Prince William, president of the Earthshot prize. 

Image: Albert Salemgareyev

The US wasn’t the only country at the polls this week. On Monday, Moldova’s pro-democracy president Maia Sandu was elected for a second term despite alleged Russian interference in the vote.

Sandu triumphed over her Kremlin-backed rival Alexandr Stoianoglo. The Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights reported massive interference in the election from Russia in the form of vote-buying and disinformation. Russia denied meddling.

Marta Temido, head of the European Parliament delegation, said: “The determination of the Moldovan authorities and people to protect the integrity of the democratic process was noticeable.”

Image: Sasha Pleshco

Total net greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union fell by 8% last year, new figures reveal, meaning that greenhouse gas pollution in the 27-country bloc is now 37% below 1990 levels. It was despite GDP growing by 68% over the same period. 

Emissions linked to buildings, agriculture, domestic transport, small industry and waste all dropped in 2023, which experts say is a result of a significant decline in coal use and soaring use of renewable energy. 

The EU Climate Law sets ambitious targets for greenhouse gas emission reductions: a net 55% reduction below 1990 levels by 2030 and climate neutrality by 2050. Current policies are expected to reduce emissions by 43% by 2030 from their 1990 levels. Planned measures that have not yet been enacted would bring this up to 49% – say experts – still leaving a gap of six percentage points.  

Image: Berlin. Credit: Adam Vradenburg

The re-election of Donald Trump is a major setback for climate action, experts warned this week. But the US election did see some environmental wins at state level. 

In Washington (pictured), citizens voted against plans to roll back the state’s Climate Commitment Act, which provides millions of dollars for conservation, climate action and wildfire prevention. 

Californians, meanwhile, approved a $10bn (£7.6bn) climate bond to fund climate resilience, protect water and prevent wildfires. And Minnesota voters said ‘yes’ to renewing the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund for another 25 years. It will provide $2bn (£1.6bn) to protect water, land and wildlife across the state. 

“When the issue of conservation and climate is highlighted and elevated on the ballot, we find time and again that voters overwhelmingly support these initiatives,” said Adam Snyder, senior director of strategy at The Nature Conservancy.

Image: Josh Smith

A fresh pilot of a four-day week has launched in the UK, with 1,000 employees from multiple industries taking part. 

Participants will see their hours cut with no loss of pay; most will drop down to a four-day week, but some will work nine days every fortnight instead. Staff from the British Society for Immunology and employees at London’s Crate Brewery are among those taking part. The pilot’s findings will be presented to the UK government in summer 2025. 

Once seen widely as a utopian idea, the four-day week has become a reality for many workers in recent years. According to the 4 Day Week Campaign, around 200 British firms have so far switched to a shorter working week.

The results of the world’s largest four-day week trial – also in the UK – recorded a 65% reduction in sick days, and a 57% drop in the number of staff leaving. Participating firms reported revenue increases of 35% on average.

“These incredible results show that the four-day week with no loss of pay really works,” said Joe Ryle, director of the 4 Day Week Campaign. 

Image: Brooke Cagle

Australia has become the latest country to announce measures designed to protect children from social media. 

Amid studies that link social media use with poor mental health among children, countries are moving to clamp down on the platforms. The Australian government pledged this week to introduce a lower age limit, of 16, for social media access, with penalties for platforms that fail to comply. The government has not yet said how it will be enforced. 

Last month, the Norwegian government announced a strict minimum age limit for social media of 15. The French government, meanwhile, is trialling a ban on smartphones in school. Ireland is expected to do the same.

One school in the Netherlands has gone even further by barring parents from a marks-sharing app. Jordan MLU in Utrecht found that the app, which shares every mark with parents, increased stress among children.

Image: Shashank Verma

Scientists have identified “rogue” genetic material that helps aggressive forms of cancer survive – an important first step towards developing treatments to tackle it.

The genetic material – called extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA) – was found to increase tumour spread, boost the activity of cancer-driving genes, and block the immune system from fighting back, new research shows.

The next step is to determine which paths lead to the development of ecDNA and how this process can be targeted at the earliest stage, according to scientists from the UK’s Francis Crick Institute and University College London, which led the research. 

“Our understanding of ecDNA is a step forward in building a complete picture of the complex biology of cancer,” said Charles Swanton, a senior author on the research. 

Image: Sangharsh Lohakare

Exercising in the mornings and evenings could help to cut the risk of bowel cancer by 11%, research suggests.

A team from the University of Regensburg in Germany used data from the UK Biobank to assess 86,000 people aged between 42 and 79, who tracked their physical activity using a wearable device. During the five-year study, there were 529 cases of bowel cancer.

Researchers found that two daily peaks of activity at 8am and 6pm “was associated with reduced colorectal cancer risk, beyond the benefits of overall physical activity”.

Lead investigator Prof Michael Leitzmann, said: “Not only is physical activity important for reducing colorectal cancer risk, but the timing of peak activity throughout the day could play a crucial role. By identifying specific times – early morning and late day – when physical activity is most beneficial, our findings open new avenues for targeted prevention strategies.” 

Further research is needed.

Image: Bruno Nascimento

The UK’s highly ambitious target for decarbonising its electricity grid by 2030 is “immensely challenging” but “credible”, the country’s newly formed National Energy Systems Operator (Neso) said this week. 

Neso predicted that the UK could even become a net exporter of renewable energy by the end of the decade but that scaling up the country’s green energy ambitions required speeding up a sluggish planning system.  

In a report, Neso said that the UK would have to triple its offshore wind capacity, double its onshore wind capacity, and triple its solar power to meet the target. 

The report came as a planning application for the largest onshore windfarm in England was submitted – the first since the new government lifted the previous administration’s de facto ban on onshore wind.

Image: Gary Scott

Could wooden satellites make space exploration more eco-friendly? Researchers at Kyoto University, Japan, believe so and have just launched a timber satellite into space as a test. 

They believe timber could offer an alternative to the metal from which most satellites are made, but which burns up when it re-enters the atmosphere, leaving behind toxic particles.

The satellite was launched from Nasa’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, US, Kyoto University announced on Tuesday. 

Related: Smart solutions to space junk

Image: Massimiliano Morosinotto
Main image: Jan Mengr