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Washington, D.C., is on track to obtain 40% of the electricity used by its city government from wind and solar sources. Part of the electricity will come from a wind farm in Pennsylvania. The city signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with the project in August. Mayor Muriel Bowser says the city will also source electricity from solar panels, with a plan to install panels at 34 government-owned sites. 

Monsanto announced plans to achieve carbon neutrality across its operations by 2021. The company will focus its efforts on seed production, crop protection, sharing data, and increasing the adoption of best practices.

Mexico is expected to increase its installed wind capacity 30% this year, the Mexican Wind Energy Association says. The additional capacity is from six new wind farms with a combined capacity of 730 megawatts. Mexico currently has an installed capacity of about 2,500 MW, the group said

Increasing the recycling rate to 100 percent industry-wide could generate an estimated $10 billion in cost savings and natural capital benefits, according to Trucost. For example, creating better closed-loop processes for reusing gold would have a bottom-line benefit of almost $100 million compared with $14.6 million at current recovery levels, according to the Trucost data.

The European Parliament has voted in favor of a new renewable energy target requiring the European Union (EU) to source at least 32% renewable energy by 2030. The Parliament also voted in favor of increasing energy efficiency in the EU by 32.5% by 2030.

We are on the cusp of a new growth era, one where growth is driven by the interaction between rapid technological innovation, sustainable infrastructure investment and increased resource productivity. Ambitious climate action across key economic systems-energy, cities, food and land use, water and industry-can lead to higher productivity, more resilient economies and greater social inclusion. It is the growth story of the 21st century.

Risk in over-50s increases by 40% where highest nitrogen oxide levels exist, study shows

From Thailand to Bali, a huge increase in tourists, many from China and other rapidly developing economies, is straining sensitive ecosystems to the breaking point. Some countries are trying to control the boom, with a few closing popular destinations to allow damaged areas to heal.

Beer maker Carlsberg Group introduced its Together Towards ZERO campaign Tuesday, which aims to eliminate carbon emissions by 2030 and increase its focus on renewable electricity at its breweries. The company will also work to decrease brewery water usage and improve water management in high-risk areas.

Increased conservation advocacy by groups including the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation and the World Wildlife Fund encouraged the Mexican government to renew efforts to save the critically endangered vaquita porpoise from extinction. Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto has signed a memorandum of understanding that includes stricter enforcement of a permanent ban on fishing nets in Mexico's Upper Gulf of California, where about 30 vaquitas are estimated to be left.

Home goods producer SC Johnson announced a program to increase recycling of its plastic Ziploc storage bags. The company says it is disappointed with recovery rates at store drop-off locations, and is working on a process to allow the bags to be included in curbside recycling.

The fashion and textile industries continue to make strides towards circular models with the emergence of new resources and technologies that make a sustainable shift easier than ever before. The Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute's Fashion Positive Initiative has unveiled a set of online resources designed to rapidly increase environmental and social outcomes in the fashion industry, while the H&M Foundation and The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel have uncovered a new hydrothermal process that fully separates and recycles fabric blends that can then be reused directly without any quality loss.

Dubai will spend millions of dirhams on incentives to have 42,000 electric vehicles (EVs) on the emirate's streets by 2030. Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) and the Road Transport Authority (RTA) on Sunday announced four incentives to help increase the number of plug-in cars, from free public parking and charging to toll-fee exemption and discounts on the plug-in car's registration.

Dell continues to make headway on its plans to dramatically increase the amount of repurposed and reclaimed content in its supply chain, with a goal of 100 million pounds of reused materials in its products by 2020 (double its original goal of 50 million, which it achieved in 2017). Its model could provide the entire industry with methods, practices and - through collaboration - opportunities to reduce the growing global e-waste problem and shift towards a more circular economy in the electronics sector.

Over the last 12 months, challenges around addressing sustainability issues have featured consistently in global headlines. Despite mixed political messages about our transition to a low-carbon future, the private sector has continued to drive sustainability up the business agenda; from Science Based Targets (SBTs) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to increased investor scrutiny over Non-Financial Reporting. Here are eight key topics from around the world which will likely shape sustainability during 2018.

World Resources Institute launched the Better Buying Lab, a joint initiative with Google, Hilton Worldwide, and others to develop behavior change strategies that foster increased consumption of sustainable foods.

The EU's Plastics Strategy aims to cut out non-recyclable plastics by 2030, while cutting down on single-use plastics and restricting microplastics, all by establishing a new circular economy around the material. The strategy lays out a few key steps to achieve this. The first is to introduce new rules on packaging that improve their recyclability and increase the demand for recycled plastics, thereby making recycling profitable for businesses.

China has sent 60,000 soldiers to plant trees. China plans to grow 6.66 million hectares of new forest this year, having already created 33.8 million hectares (338,000 square kilometres) of forest in the past five years, says Zhang Jianlong, head of the State Forestry Administration, in a report from Reuters. The country wants to increase the area of land covered by woodlands from 21.7% in 2016 to 23% by 2020, according to China Daily.

Two of the world's most iconic food and beverage brands have launched ambitious initiatives aimed at significantly reducing waste and increasing the recycled and biobased content of their packaging. Together, they mark the acceleration of a yearslong war on waste.

Coca-Cola European Partners will increase the amount of recycled PET in its bottles from 25% to 50% over the next three years as part of a new initiative to boost sustainability. The strategy also includes an effort to encourage recycling by promoting reforms to Great Britain's recycling programs.