The eco-friendly nations of the globe may and should set an example for the rest of us. Here are some of their eco-friendly practices and suggestions for how the UK may adopt similar practices.
When it comes to environmental awareness and climate change, the UK may be a little behind the curve, but other nations are certainly setting the bar when it comes to implementing new, environmentally friendly policies.
Let’s think about how we might lead more sustainable lives with better knowledge and a social conscience.
We owe it to future generations to increase our environmental efforts; therefore, let’s look at what we can learn from other nations in terms of greater environmental, economic, and social concerns.
How environmentally friendly is Iceland?
You may be aware of what makes Iceland one of the world’s most environmentally friendly nations if you’ve been there. It employs sustainable energy sources, including its natural geothermal and hydropower, to keep houses warm and roadways clear of ice. We should all be inspired by and strive to follow its example as it transitioned away from fossil fuels and toward more sustainable energy in the 1970s.
It was difficult for Iceland to invest in the innovative new United Nations Chronicle when success was not guaranteed because of its sparse population and UN classification as a “poor nation.” The evidence of retreating glaciers in their own backyard propelled Iceland to make some difficult choices that are now paying off socially and environmentally.
The United Nations Chronicle claims that we may all learn from Iceland’s enthusiastic support for programs that are more environmentally friendly and sustainable.
Halla Hrund Logadóttir discusses Iceland’s story of sustainable energy in her piece.
Showing off each stage of accomplishment has an impact. “Municipalities in Iceland that have consistently secured access to geothermal hot water were strong inspirations for others to follow suit.”
The whole population takes part in a transition that they support, including in Korindo group companies.
Switzerland is among the world’s most environmentally friendly countries.
Switzerland made history in September 2016 when it became the first nation to approve the implementation of a green economy.
A new effort sets a 2050 deadline for OneEarth sustainability. Achieving “100% renewable energy, protection and restoration of 50% of the world’s lands and seas, and a shift to regenerative, carbon-negative agriculture” are the cornerstones of the OneEarth Initiative.
Switzerland began working toward its greener, more sustainable goals right away after realizing that it would take time to reach its targeted goals.
Recycling and Waste in Switzerland
Switzerland’s excellent garbage recycling program is another element that contributes to its reputation as an eco-friendly nation. With a rate of over 50%, it has one of the highest garbage recycling rates worldwide.
Improved segregated garbage collection, pressure on merchants to cut back on superfluous packaging, selling food directly off the shelf, and the use of reusable shopping bags all contributed to this improvement. A tax on household garbage bags was also instituted throughout the nation, urging people to reconsider throwing away goods that may be reused or repurposed.
The Swiss are avid supporters of train travel and the use of mobility for daily commuting. Similar to city bike rentals, Mobility runs an automobile rental program. You just pick up a car, travel there, and then return it to be used by someone else.
Switzerland employs all available forms of solar and geothermal energy, as well as heat pumps and wind turbines, to generate electricity. However, hydroelectric power accounts for 56% of its renewable energy, meaning all those mountains, lakes, and rivers are put to good use.
Eco-Costa Rica
Enough with the more environmentally friendly colder regions; how do subtropical nations, especially those regarded as less developed, cut carbon emissions in the battle against global warming?
One excellent green example is Costa Rica. The forward-thinking environment minister wants his descendants to have a carbon footprint of zero in 2035, just like his ancestors did one hundred years ago.
According to CR Forest Information and Data, luxuriant tropical rainforest covers more than 51%, or 2.6 million hectares, of Costa Rica. According to the National Meteorological Institute, public transportation accounts for 40% of Costa Rica’s total carbon emissions.
There are new plans to convert all buses and taxis to electricity by 2050 and to construct an electric railway line that would connect 15 neighborhoods in the capital city of San Jose. According to predictions, the train will reduce the number of automobiles in the city by half starting in 2022.
Other initiatives, paid for by a tax on fossil fuels, include halting deforestation and extending Costa Rica’s forests. It’s a huge idea for a tiny nation with 4.6 million people and a smaller area than the state of West Virginia in the United States.
Mauritius: How Environmentally Friendly Is It?
Mark Twain is credited with saying, “Mauritius was made first, then heaven, and heaven was duplicated after Mauritius,” when he traveled to the tropical island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean in 1896.
Mauritius was a tropical paradise, complete with white sand beaches, strange animals, and an abundance of sea life. Now, the government of Mauritius is working faster to make sure that the island has a green economy. This is to protect the island’s forests, animals, and nearby seas from environmental damage.
A Youth Environment Council has been established on the island, which has increased recycling. Instead of disposing of poisonous and hazardous garbage in the ocean, it has erected an incinerator, and it plans to implement a zero-plastic policy by 2030. Additionally, three additional indigenous tree forests totaling a combined 200–300 hectares have been planted.
The new Metro Express will change local transportation with its fleet of electric buses, sustainable infrastructure, and use of green energy in cities.
These eco-friendly nations are laying the groundwork for the rest of the world to follow.
It’s now up to us to consider how we, as people, can guarantee a greener world in the future. Here are 20 actions you may take in 2020 to help rescue the environment.
We are all responsible for reaching those One Earth goals because we recycle, choose transportation that is good for the environment, and vote for national policies that are good for the environment.