NYC congestion pricing cuts pollution and traffic 

Congestion pricing, a small fee charged to drivers when they enter the most traffic-clogged part of Manhattan, is working — and better than anyone expected. 

Over the first six months of the program, soot pollution — made up of tiny particles that can burrow deep into people’s lungs — fell by 22% inside the zone. That number shocked the environmental scientists who studied the program’s impacts on air quality, who were not expecting such a large decrease. 

And the wins keep coming. Money raised from congestion pricing is being invested in improving New York’s public transit, making it more accessible and reliable. With less traffic in the congestion zone, travel times are shorter. And because foot traffic is up in the zone, businesses inside it are also reporting an increase in revenue.  

All of that makes congestion pricing a rare “win-win-win-win" scenario. 

Trump administration attacks on clean energy keep losing in court

In response to a lawsuit filed by Environmental Defense Fund and others, a court ruled in January that the Trump administration violated the law when it canceled $7.5 billion in Department of Energy grants only in states that did not vote for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election.  

“The court recognized that the Trump Department of Energy vindictively canceled projects for clean affordable energy that just happened to be in states disfavored by the Trump administration, in violation of the bedrock Constitutional guarantee that all people in all states have equal protection under the law,” said EDF’s General Counsel Vickie Patton.   

The administration's losing streak includes all five Trump administration attempts to stop work on offshore wind projects already under construction. Collectively, the projects will provide enough power for roughly 2.5 million homes and businesses on the East Coast.  

2026 trends: Coal — out, wind and solar — in 

Since 1973, coal-fired power has increased every year in China and India, until now. In 2025, power generated by burning coal fell 1.6% in China and 3% in India, marking a significant moment that could cause global planet-warming emissions to decline.

Meanwhile, in Europe, solar and wind power generated more electricity than fossil fuels for the first time last year. Solar provided 13% of power in the European Union, a new high.

Amazonian bees gain legal rights 

Stingless bees, which are native to the Amazon rainforest, now have the right to exist and flourish in Peru — making them the first insect to be formally granted legal rights.

These bees are critical pollinators of the Amazon rainforest that have been cultivated for centuries by Indigenous people.