Climate Good News
Around the world people are taking the initiative to mitigate climate change.
Here are some good news briefs compiled and summarized
by Jayne Freudenberger, climate committee chair,
League of Women Voters of Bellingham-Whatcom County.
At a time when the federal government is cutting all requirements for minority work preference, we can be proud of our state. — Jayne Freudenberger
Washington State Clean Water Funding
Washington state clean water funding totals $156.8 million in grants and loans supporting wastewater upgrades, stormwater treatment, and septic system repairs across communities statewide.
The Department of Ecology manages this annual program that supports wastewater facilities, stormwater systems, and nonpoint pollution reduction. Communities from small towns to major cities rely on these resources to protect rivers, lakes, and Puget Sound.
This year the 121 projects were selected to address critical infrastructure needs that protect rivers, lakes and Puget Sound. Some Examples: Deer Park, located 35 minutes north of Spokane, is eligible to receive $747,300 to update facility and sewer plans as the community prepares for anticipated growth.
Union Gap will receive approximately $4.7 million to remove copper, zinc, and other pollutants from untreated stormwater before it reaches Spring Creek and the Yakima River.
The clean water funding also includes newer programs designed to expand project partnerships. Community-based public-private partnerships enable local governments to collaborate with private entities on stormwater projects. Three projects totaling $1.5 million will test this approach in 2026.
Clark County Public Works is eligible for $680,062 to restore soil and replant vegetation at up to 60 bioretention facilities. The pilot project prioritizes community and economic benefits by hiring contractors from small, minority, and women-owned businesses. Maintenance work will support contractors living in overburdened communities.
Valley View Sewer District in King County may receive approximately $6.2 million to design and construct 3,500 feet of sewer main. This infrastructure will connect 65 homes currently on septic systems to the district’s treatment system. Seattle and King County Public Health data shows most onsite septic systems in this area have reached their life expectancy.
The project contributes to environmental justice by alleviating financial burdens for households in a predominantly low-income area. Septic system replacements cost homeowners thousands of dollars. Grant assistance significantly reduces conversion costs from septic to sewer service.
Two projects qualify for hardship assistance that helps ease increased sewer rate burdens for residents in small, financially challenged communities. An additional 14 projects appear on the Small Community Priority Project List. Ecology developed this simplified funding process to help small, financially disadvantaged communities meet wastewater infrastructure needs with reduced barriers.
Washington state clean water funding supports nutrient reduction in Puget Sound through 24 projects. This program helps municipalities plan wastewater treatment facility upgrades and implement operational changes that maximize nutrient removal, including nitrogen.
One third of Washington households rely on septic systems that treat more than 300 million gallons of wastewater annually. About 10 percent experience some level of failure each year. Even small issues can contaminate groundwater and threaten public health.
Loans Help Replace Septic Systems
Washington state clean water funding proposes $20 million for the Onsite Sewage Systems Regional Loan Program. This statewide partnership provides affordable loans and financial assistance to homeowners who need help replacing failing septic systems. The program supports an average of 250 projects yearly. Since launching in 2016, more than 2,200 homeowners have used this assistance.
SepticSmart Yakima is estimated to receive $273,473 to expand homeowner education on septic system care. The program prevents failures and protects groundwater in Yakima County. The effort develops bilingual materials, trains local organizations, and provides mini-grants for partner-led workshops. Strategies are expected to reach approximately 5,000 households.
The funding requires an Environmental Justice Assessment under Washington’s Healthy Environment for All Act. Ecology will complete the assessment to fairly distribute environmental benefits and address environmental and health inequalities through water funding programs.
The Department of Ecology held a public comment period on the draft list from January 30 through February 28, 2026. Community members can submit feedback through an online form. The agency will respond to all comments and publish a final funding list by July 1, 2026.
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Happy Eco News: “Washington State Clean Water Funding Reaches 121 Projects Across Every Region” by Cyrene Oraya Reyes, 28 Apr 2026: https://happyeconews.com/washington-state-clean-water-funding/
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The High Seas Treaty Enters Into Force
After nearly two decades of negotiations, a landmark international agreement to protect ocean life beyond national borders has officially come into force.
Known as the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, this legally binding treaty covers the high seas, which are vast areas beyond national waters that make up over two-thirds of the ocean’s surface and game-changing international ocean treaty comes into force more than 90 percent of Earth’s living space by volume.
For the first time, the global community now has a framework to establish marine protected areas and regulate human activity in these shared waters. It’s a major step toward ocean governance rooted in cooperation, which is a reminder that multilateralism can still deliver.
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Source: UN: “Game-changing international ocean treaty comes into force” by Connor Lennon; * Lennon: https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/01/1166762
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Learning to Live With Water in Coastal Virginia
Hampton, a flood-prone coastal city, is adopting a strategy inspired in part by the Netherlands. The model, known as Living With Water, emphasizes adaptation through restoring natural systems that absorb, buffer and cleanse water. “In practice, that means Hampton is trying to better handle large volumes of water, dotting flood-prone areas with plant-lined storage basins, inserting low weirs in rivers to slow the flow of excess water and raising some key streets that are likely to submerge regardless.”
They are also investing in rain gardens, plant-lined storage basins, restored marshes, raised roads, and even 3D-printed oyster reefs to slow water, absorb floods, and strengthen shorelines.
Adaptation and mitigation in action.
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Global Choices:“7 Inspiring Climate Wins in Early 2026” by Marlow Baines, 2/1/2026: https://globalchoices.org/author/marlow/
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Low-Carbon Urban Construction Could Help Cities Address Two Major Challenges at Once:
the growing demand for housing and
the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the built environment.
Low-carbon urban construction focuses on reducing emissions from building materials. By using lower-emission materials, building more multi-unit housing, and accounting for construction emissions, cities could expand housing while significantly reducing the climate footprint of urban growth.
A new study found that urban construction alone accounts for roughly 10-20 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Much of that impact comes not from the energy used in buildings themselves, but from the materials required to build them. Steel and cement are among the largest contributors. These materials are essential for modern infrastructure, yet their production releases large amounts of carbon dioxide. Cement manufacturing, for example, generates emissions from both the energy used in production and the chemical reactions involved in producing clinker, the key ingredient in concrete. As cities continue to grow and expand, construction-related emissions are expected to increase.
A promising approach is to replace some steel and concrete with engineered wood products. Materials such as cross-laminated timber can support large buildings while storing carbon inside the wood itself. Because trees absorb carbon dioxide as they grow, wood products can act as long-term carbon storage when incorporated into buildings. Modern engineered wood materials are also strong enough to support mid-rise and even high-rise structures. This makes timber-based building methods an increasingly attractive option for low-carbon urban construction. Architects and developers are already experimenting with large timber buildings in several cities.
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Happy Eco News: “Low-Carbon Urban Construction Could Help Cities Solve Housing and Climate Challenges” by Grant Brown, 4/23/2026: https://happyeconews.com/low-carbonurban-construction/
