#itshappening

Britain smashed its wind power record in 2014, generating enough for 6.7m households! Scotland led the way, producing enough clean electricity to cover 98% of homes north of the border.

The two biggest carbon polluters in the world finally broke their long standing deadlock to agree new, tougher carbon cutting targets for the US, and for the first time, a date for China's emissions to peak and start falling. The new targets still aren't enough to get us out of trouble, but they're a huge step in the right direction.

The ambitious project just secured £100m of funding, and should be up and running by 2018.

10:10's Solar Schools project has helped 50 UK schools raise money for solar panels, inspiring kids (and grown ups) to see clean energy in a whole new light.

Wind power met 20.9% of electricity demand in Spain over the whole of 2013 (just ahead of nuclear on 20.8%), supplying the equivalent of 15.5m households, and lighting up some of Spain's best sites.

The new joined-up system saw passenger numbers soar by 80%. As well as expanding and improving the network, the French city introduced smart travelcards and works with businesses to help employees use public transport.

North America's biggest city is putting pedestrians and cyclists first with a new mobility law that prioritises alternatives to cars. Think expanding the metro, bike hire, a new bus system and more pedestrianised walkways.

China already has over a quarter of the world's wind power capacity, and they are pushing for more - the plan is to double capacity to a massive 200GW by 2020.

For business and for pleasure, drivers ditched their cars this year at record levels. Business and private mileage fell 13% and 14% respectively compared to 2012.

The new electric trikes will replace their polluting gas-powered counterparts by 2016. The move could save as much as 260,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.

Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise teamed up with Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology to install a water source heat pump, reducing the power needed for air conditioning by 20%.

Patients in rural Nepalese hospitals like this one often have their treatment interrupted by power cuts. A new funding model lets hospitals pay for their rig over eight years, bringing solar power within their reach for the first time.

Britain now has 600,000 homes with solar panels installed. That's 120 times more than in 2008, and works out at around two solar homes per street.

Elan Hair Design in Inverurie uses nearly 90% less energy than last year after an ambitious green refit. They're even sending hair trimmings off to be composted and spread on local fields.

Kilbarrack fire station has been transformed thanks to fire fighter Neil McCabe's impressive green plan - from LED lights and rainwater harvesting to energy efficient windows.

The cutting edge system installed at their Atsugi City office moves power both ways: charging employees’ electric cars during the day, and taking energy back out of the batteries to power the building at peak times when grid electricity is more expensive.

Scientists at the CSIRO solar facility in Australia have managed to create the special 'supercritical' steam needed to drive the most advanced power generation turbines, previously only achievable with fossil fuels.

It now takes a third less electricity to light a UK home, and we've cut peak power demand by 4GW since 2007.

A new hybrid hydro-wind plant opened in July 2014. This means that the island is well on its way to being energy independent.

Americans are driving fewer miles in more efficient cars, a shift that's saved nearly double the amount of oil imports displaced by fracking.

In 1878, National Trust house Cragside was the first place in the world to be lit with hydroelectricity. 140 years later, the new Archimedes screw powers the house's 350 LEDs.

In Balcombe, a group of volunteers are working with 10:10 to install 12,000 community-owned solar panels - enough to match the power needs of every home in the village.

Britain's lifeboat charity has been installing wind and solar power at their lifeboat stations up and down the country. In Cornwall they've even developed their own heat pump technology that captures warmth from seawater!

Fourteen percent of cars sold every month in Norway are electric. But it's not just a Scandinavian thing. Across Europe electric car sales are up 77%.