Humankind

This archive collects milestones and solutions-focused stories where humanity as a collective is the actor — moments when people across nations, cultures, and communities have made measurable progress on shared challenges. From public health to environmental repair, these stories highlight what human cooperation and ingenuity can accomplish.

A row of electric vehicles charging at an outdoor station for an article about global EV sales

Global EV sales top 20 million units as market momentum outpaces politics

By / / Good News For Humankind

Global electric vehicle sales surpassed 20 million units in 2025, a 27% year-over-year increase that marks a fundamental turning point in transportation history. For the first time, consumer economics rather than government policy is driving adoption, with buyers in price-sensitive emerging markets across Southeast Asia and Latin America choosing EVs without heavy subsidies. Declining battery costs are pushing electric vehicles toward mass-market affordability across dozens of countries simultaneously. This geographic and economic diversification makes the transition significantly more resilient than one dependent on any single government’s policy commitments.

A child attending a rural school classroom for an article about extreme child poverty

Global extreme child poverty drops 18% as South Asia leads the way

By / / Good News For Humankind

Extreme child poverty has fallen by nearly 100 million children over the past decade, according to new World Bank research showing approximately 412 million children living on under a day in 2024, down from 507 million in 2014. South Asia led the way, with extreme child poverty more than halving thanks to sustained investment in education, nutrition, and health care. The progress is policy-driven, not accidental, demonstrating that coordinated public investment produces real results. Sub-Saharan Africa remains a serious challenge, accounting for over three-quarters of children in extreme poverty despite representing just 23% of the global child population.

Rows of solar panels stretching across a large installation at sunset for an article about solar power installations

World installs record 597 gigawatts of solar power in a single year

By / / Good News For Humankind

Solar power shattered records in 2024, with the world installing 597 gigawatts of new capacity in a single year — a 33% increase over 2023 and the largest annual addition of any electricity source in history. Confirmed by SolarPower Europe, this marks the first time solar has claimed the top spot for new electricity generation worldwide. Driven by a 90% drop in panel costs over the past decade, solar is now the cheapest energy option in most major markets. The milestone represents real infrastructure, not promises — and signals a fundamental shift in how the world powers itself.

Alpine plants growing on a high-altitude mountain slope for an article about mercury emissions

Global mercury emissions have fallen 70% since the 1980s

By / / Good News For Humankind

Mercury pollution has dropped 70% since 1982, marking one of the most significant environmental reversals in recorded history. Researchers confirmed the decline by analyzing mercury levels trapped in alpine plant leaves collected from the Tibetan Plateau near Mount Everest, revealing a clear link to global policy action and the worldwide shift away from coal. The UN’s Minamata Convention, adopted in 2013, and stricter emissions standards — including US regulations that cut American power plant emissions by roughly 90% — drove much of the progress. The achievement demonstrates that sustained international cooperation can reverse even deeply entrenched industrial pollution.

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Tuberculosis deaths have fallen by 14% in five years, saving 60 million in the last two decades

By / / Good news links

In the World Health Organization’s annual global tuberculosis report, the UN agency responsible for international public health forecasts hundreds of thousands of people recovering from, or avoiding the disease of TB altogether. Since 2000, TB treatment has averted the deaths of 60 million people, the disease itself being treatable with the right medicine.