Weekly Earth Wins 11/24
Your weekly dose of news on systemic solutions to our systemic climate crisis.
đ Free Solar Power in Australia
Australia announced that it would be offering households at least three hours of free solar power daily starting in 2026 under the Solar Sharer program, which first launches in New South Wales, South Australia, and southeast Queensland before expanding nationwide. The initiative allows all residents (including renters and those without solar panels) to access free electricity during peak solar generation in the middle of the day, addressing the issue of negative electricity prices during sunny afternoons while reducing strain on the grid during peak demand hours.
The Hope:
This innovative program democratizes access to clean energy benefits regardless of whether people own their homes or can afford solar panels. By incentivizing households to shift electricity use to solar-abundant midday hours, Australia could accelerate its transition toward its 82% renewable electricity target by 2030 while lowering energy costs for all users.
đ´ Direct Payments for Forest Protection
Brazilâs Tropical Forest Forever Facility, President Lulaâs flagship initiative to pay tropical forest nations for conservation, reached $6.6 billion in pledges as COP30 concluded, with Norway contributing $3 billion and Germany joining Brazil and Indonesia with $1 billion commitments. However, the fund falls significantly short of its $25 billion government investment target needed to unlock an additional $100 billion in private financing, with only five nations contributing and major economies like China, Saudi Arabia, the UK, and the US notably absent.
The Hope:
Despite missing its initial fundraising goal, this innovative fund represents a historic shift toward rewarding forest conservation with direct payments rather than traditional grants, with Global South nations leading the effort. As the worldâs largest tropical forest financing mechanism, even partial success could establish a powerful precedent for paying countries to protect ecosystems, potentially attracting more investors as the model proves its effectiveness.
đ Climate Education
The University of California San Diego, Arizona State University, and San Fransisco State University have added a course requirement in climate studies.
At UCSD, the requirement can be completed by taking any one of the more than 50 classes that intersect with 23 different University disciplines.
The hope: Weâve written about the expansion in climate/environment related majors before, but the integration of the environment into liberal arts requirements represents a fundamental shift in how universities view climate literacy â not just as a specialized field, but as essential knowledge for every graduate.
đ Growth and Degrowth
Chinaâs power-sector CO2 emissions remained flat in the third quarter of 2025 despite electricity demand surging 6.1%, as solar generation grew 46% and wind by 11% year-on-year, with the country on track to install a record 240 gigawatts of solar and 61 gigawatts of wind capacity for the year.
The Hope:
The nationâs ability to meet explosive electricity demand growth without increasing power-sector emissions demonstrates that renewable energy can scale fast enough to decouple economic growth from carbon pollution. If the worldâs largest emitter achieves an emissions decline in 2025, potentially years ahead of expectations, it would signal that the global peak in CO2 emissions may be closer than anticipated.