World leaders promise to end deforestation by 2030
The countries who signed the pledge – including Canada, Brazil, Russia, China, Indonesia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the U.S. and the U.K. – cover around 85% of the world’s forests.
International community
‘Landmark decision’ gives legal teeth to protect environmental defenders throughout Europe
It is the first ever internationally-agreed tool to safeguard environmental defenders and marks an important step in upholding the universal right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.
Ozone layer on track to be restored to 1980 state by 2050
With consumer boycotts, political action, a major international treaty, and huge investment in new technologies, CFC production was effectively brought to a halt over the 1990s and early 2000s.
Access to a healthy environment, declared a human right by UN rights council
According to World Health Organization, 24% of all global deaths, roughly 13.7 million deaths a year, are linked to the environment, due to risks such as air pollution and chemical exposure.
World leaders pledge $400 billion to boost clean energy and renewables
More than 35 countries — from small developing island states to major emerging and developed economies — have made significant new energy commitments in the form of energy pacts, the UN said.
91 countries now offer COVID-19 vaccinations to refugees
To date, refugees and asylum-seekers have begun receiving vaccinations in 91 of the 162 countries that UN High Commissioner for Refugees has been monitoring.
Landmark G7 agreement pledges 870 million COVID-19 vaccine doses
The Group of Seven (G7) leading industrialized nations’ commitment to immediately share at least 870 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, supporting global access and helping to end the acute phase of the pandemic.
Drones deliver blood to prevent maternal death in Botswana
In 2019, the country recorded a maternal mortality rate of 166 deaths per 100,000 births, more than double the average for upper-middle-income countries.
Liberia, Mexico, Niger, Senegal, and Sierra Leone to support deployment of women in peace operations through UN Elsie Initiative Fund
The five receiving countries are in the process of conducting an in-depth barrier assessment to identify the obstacles to women’s selection and deployment to international peace operations and to start implementing their national plans.
New renewable energy added in 2020 smashes records
IRENA’s annual Renewable Capacity Statistics 2021 shows that global renewable energy capacity grew by more than 260 GW last year, beating the previous record set in 2019 by nearly 50%.