Good news by numbers

$363 billion… worth of wind and solar power plants were installed around the world in 2014, adding a record 95GW of clean green generating capacity – that’s more than all the nuclear power plants in the US.

9.1%... of the world’s electricity is now generated from clean sources. The benefit to the climate of all those solar panels, wind turbines and hydro dams each year is the same as grounding the planet’s entire airline industry for two years.

$14,000… the amount of money the French government will pay motorists to switch from diesel vehicles (older than 13 years) to electric cars in an effort to combat its air pollution problem. "In France, we have long favoured the diesel engine,” said French Prime Minister Manuel Valls. “This was a mistake, and we will progressively undo that, intelligently and pragmatically."

8kg… the amount of waste each climber is required to collect and bring down from Mount Everest. New rules are trying address the growing waste problem on the mountain.

26… the US formally announced in April 2015 that it would cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 26-28 per cent by 2025.

$571… the amount of money the average Kiwi household would save each year by stopping avoidable food waste.

25… the number of years Apple has agreed to buy solar power from the giant California Flats project. Apple is spending NZ$1.1 billion to secure 130MW of clean green energy.

80%... the proportion of known coal reserves that must remain unmined if global temperatures are to remain within a safe 2°C, along with 50% of gas and 30% of oil.