At the turn of the millennium France emitted about 80 grams of CO2 per kilowatt-hour of electricity, roughly six times less than the UK and Germany, which each emitted well over 500 grams. The difference came mainly from nuclear power. After the oil shocks of the 1970s, France launched a programme that built a large fleet of reactors in the 1980s and 1990s, and nuclear plants have supplied most of its electricity since. Because nuclear plants produce almost no carbon dioxide while running, the grid stayed low-carbon for decades.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.