Each week, we scour the worlds of innovation, tech for good and social impact to bring you seven of our top stories…

1. Researchers have found a potential new treatment for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. By combining two existing treatments – ramucirumab and pembrolizumab – scientists found an increased survival rate of 31% amongst patients. It’s speculated that this could reduce or even replace chemotherapy treatment in the future.
2. McDonald’s UK & Ireland is the latest corporate to join the Zero Carbon Forum initiative which first launched in December 2020 to collectively develop a roadmap to net-zero for the UK’s hospitality sector. The move is supposedly part of McDonald’s net zero strategy. As part of this, they also confirmed that a new restaurant, opening in Shropshire next month, will be delivered to a net-zero standard.
3. Brewery and pub chain BrewDog has revealed that it is looking into the possibility of building wind turbines on its Lost Forest estate in the Scottish Highlands. BrewDog is also aiming to plant more than 1.1 million trees in the Kinrara Estate, which borders Rothiemurcus and CraigEllachie. The project is part of a long-term 100-year plan to offset the company’s carbon emissions.
4. The European Space Agency (ESA) has released a trove of data on almost two billion stars in the Milky Way. This is part of a wider mission to create the most detailed and complete multi-dimensional map of our galaxy, which will allow astronomers to investigate the Milky Way’s structure and evolution, as well as help them to better understand the life cycle of stars.
5. Lightyear, an automotive Dutch company, is starting deliveries of the world’s first commercial solar car this year. Available to pre-order for £216,000, Lightyear 0 will allow short drives to be purely solar-powered during the sunniest months of the year. It’s expected this move could potentially ramp up competition in the auto industry’s race to net zero.
6. Unilever has announced a new £99 million biotech venture that could help save rainforests by creating a substitute for palm oil. The company hopes to slash its carbon footprint from palm-derived ingredients by up to 50%. Using fermented sugar, the new product also reduces global reliance on palm oil, which is often unsustainable to source, destroying habitats.
7. The new government of Australia is providing benefits to households that install renewable energy systems including solar panels and solar water heaters through small-scale technology certificates with a redeemable value. The move comes as power shortages threaten the east coast of Australia as energy prices soar and demand is high due to an extended winter cold snap.