Happy Friday!

Here’s today’s good climate and environment news.

⚖️ We may soon see more fossil fuel companies in court

In a soon-to-be-decided case, Peruvian farmer Saúl Luciano Lliuya is suing German energy company RWE on the basis that its contributions to global emissions have exacerbated the flooding of his hometown. Friederike Otto, IPCC lead author, argues that this case paves the way for litigation against fossil fuel companies that has material consequences – even if this particular case doesn’t make it any further. The reams of studies linking extreme weather to climate change, and climate change to human activity, make it unmistakably clear who is culpable.

🏡 Solar panels on new UK homes

By 2027, 99% of new homes in the UK will be fitted with solar panels, according to new government plans. It’s estimated this will save the average household over £440 on energy bills. Currently, only 2 in 5 newly built houses have solar panels attached.

🔋 Cleaning up nickel production

Nickel – used in stainless steel and lithium iron batteries – has the carbon footprint of a small country, but this could be dramatically reduced if a new experimental method can be scaled up. Extracting nickel from laterites, a type of ore, produces 40 tons of carbon dioxide per ton of nickel. This new technique, which has just undergone a proof of concept, uses hydrogen plasma instead of carbon-rich coke, cutting emissions by up to 84%.