As summer has come to an end, we have looked back on some of the good things that happened and collected the top five actions.

Over the summer, people have been making positive steps for effective climate and global actions. Here, you can read the top news story for oceans, the land, animals, action and legal change. We hope that this helps you feel inspired and reminds you that there are climate-positive actions taking place.

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1. Oceans: The oceans are protected in the High Seas Treaty

The conservation of the oceans has long been difficult as the laws of the land don’t apply in the same way. To protect and conserve the ocean, the High Seas Treaty sets a legal framework beyond national boundaries. The Treaty safeguards two thirds of the ocean and promotes the establishment of protected areas, the equitable sharing of benefits and the preservation of marine wildlife. Furthermore, this treaty presentes a mechanism to assess the impacts of the climate crisis and ocean acidification. The conclusions of these discussions mark historic progress for conserving the ocean for marine wildlife, people and the planet.

Read the UN article here.

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2. Land: Ecuador referendum halts oil extraction in protected areas, including the Amazon, protecting the ecosystem and the indigenous communities living there

Almost 60% of voters supported passing a referendum to prohibit oil extraction in Yasuni National Park, a protected area within the Amazon rainforest. In a move that is described as a ‘historic victory’ by environmentalists, this referendum protects the UNESCO designated biosphere reserve which sits on a large oil deposit. This helps safeguard the large variety of animals and indigenous communities that live in the national park. 

Read the Al Jazeera article here.

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3. Animals: Rewilding in the Cairngorms sees the release of Scottish Wildcats

The Saving Wildcats project has released 22 Scottish Wildcats into the Cairngorms over the past few weeks. The project aims to bring the Scottish Wildcats back from extinction, caused by interbreeding with feral cats, disease and habitat loss. However, the Cairngorms provide a perfect wilderness for the cats to come back. The captive-bred cats will be monitored using GPS to ensure their safety and monitor the progress of the project. Over the next three years, 60 Scottish Wildcats are planned to be released to give the species a fighting chance of survival. 

Read the BBC article here.

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4. Action: One million trees and counting, how OneTreePlanted is celebrating this landmark after just 9 years 

Over the summer, the nonprofit OneTreePlanted celebrates planting 100 million trees since its start in 2014. Together with its global partners, almost 80 countries have had trees planted in a plethora of projects. In the organisation’s first year, 50,000 trees were planted, and this number kept growing. Forests bring a huge amount of positive benefits for both nature and people. The founder, Matt Hill, created the organisation with the aim of keeping forests alive for future generations. One tree at a time grows into a big impact. 

Read their blog here, watch their video.

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5. Legal: People are beginning to demand their right to a clean environment: People of Switzerland

Swiss citizens have voted to bind Switzerland to climate neutrality by 2050. This means that all oil and gas will be replaced with clean energy, and the use of fossil fuels will be reduced. The Swiss government has pledged 2 billion francs towards this transition. The scientific community of Switzerland have hailed the Climate Protection Law as an important step for the climate and energy policy. This is seen as one of the last steps towards the goal of net zero emissions in Switzerland.

Other nations, states, or areas have also started a similar processes for people’s right to clean air, clean energy, and a bright future. 

Read more about it here.

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We know that the pressures our planet is under are overwhelming, but we wanted to take a moment to appreciate the good work that is being done by people, communities, and organisations across the globe. This may be a difficult time, but there are still good things and positive innovations happening and they need to be encouraged, nurtured, and celebrated in order to not only grow, but also inspire similar actions to take place.

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A note from our author, Aimee Seager:

This year, the news was filled with talk of missed climate deadlines and failed targets. Researching and writing this piece was a refreshing reminder that people are still tirelessly working for us, nature and a brighter future for our planet.