Photo: Azzedine Rouichi/Unsplash (CC0)
In today’s edition: Colombia takes a large step towards banning the practice of female genital mutilation, China’s adoption of low-emission vehicles results in a big drop in premature deaths linked to pollution, and plant showcase sites are helping to create a ring of trees around London.
Colombia is the only Latin American country where FGM is currently recorded, mostly in Embera communities in the western departments of Choco and Risaralda. After a two-year-long campaign, a bill to ban the practice was passed unanimously, and now awaits approval from Colombia’s president, Gustavo Petro.
Source: Al Jazeera
China’s move to low-emission vehicles is delivering public health benefits as well as record-breaking sales. A new study estimates that cleaner air resulting from the adoption of “new energy” vehicles has helped prevent 262,000 premature deaths linked to vehicle pollution.
Source: Good News Network
Ghana is hosting a conference to advance the continent’s push for reparatory justice after the adoption of the landmark United Nations resolution declaring the trafficking of enslaved Africans as the gravest crime against humanity.
Source: The Guardian
In some farming communities, access to solar-powered refrigeration has boosted incomes by as much as 50%, letting growers preserve fresh produce for longer and sell it at better prices. The technology is helping farmers overcome unreliable electricity supplies, rising fuel costs and extreme weather, while getting more food from field to market.
Source: Euronews
On her 3.5-hectare farm, Diana Sitima grows a mix of fruits and vegetables alongside fish and livestock, improving soil health and reducing reliance on synthetic fertilisers. Her approach offers an alternative to the maize-dependent model common across the region.
Source: Mongabay
Scientists have identified nearly 166,000 square kilometres of coral reefs with the potential to survive and recover from climate change. The newly mapped areas are more than three times larger than previous estimates and could play a significant role in global conservation efforts.
Source: Reuters
A record 603 dams and other river barriers were removed across 21 countries in 2025 – the highest number ever recorded. Conservation groups say the removals are helping reconnect waterways, restore ecosystems and improve the health of rivers that have been fragmented for decades.
Source: CNN
Demain in Paris is tackling food waste by giving unsold pastries and bread a second chance. By sourcing and reselling day-old baked goods at lower prices, the shop is helping reduce waste while making quality food more affordable.
Source: Reasons To Be Cheerful
Roads cause millions of animal deaths each year and fragment essential habitats. However, around the world, conservationists and engineers are working to reconnect landscapes through wildlife crossings and other solutions that help animals move safely across human-made infrastructure.
Source: Mongabay
The London Tree Ring project started out in 2023 as an attempt from the countryside charity CPRE London to create an “M25 for nature”. Since starting work two years ago, it has worked with dozens of local groups as well as landowners, councils and volunteers, to plant showcase sites that improve the capital’s biodiversity.
Source: The Guardian
