Estonia’s parliament approves same-sex marriage
It’s the first central European country to do so. It is a rebuke to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has invoked the West’s “moral degeneracy” as one justification for his war against Ukraine.
Nations
This archive collects milestones and progress stories involving nations — countries and their governments — acting to improve lives, protect rights, or address shared challenges. From policy breakthroughs to international cooperation, these stories show what countries are doing right.
Spain to get majority of electricity from renewable energy in 2023 for first time ever
Spain will become the first of Europe’s five highest energy-consuming countries to pass this symbolic 50% marker.
Japan expands the definition of rape after years of protest
Japan’s parliament passed legislation to redefine rape as nonconsensual sexual intercourse – removing the provisions regarding use of force – and raise the age of consent from 13 to 16.
Fossil fuels now account for less than half of China’s power capacity
In 2021, China set a goal for renewable capacity — including wind, solar, hydro, and nuclear power — to exceed fossil fuel capacity by 2025, a target that it has hit two years ahead of schedule.
Iceland outlaws conversion therapy in unanimous vote
The Icelandic parliament has unanimously passed a comprehensive conversion therapy ban, prohibiting the practice on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.
Wind and solar generate more power than coal in the U.S. over five months for the first time ever
“From a coal perspective, it has been a disaster,” said Andy Blumenfeld, an analyst who tracks the industry at McCloskey by OPIS. “The decline is happening faster than anyone anticipated.”
Switzerland amends law to legally recognize that sex without consent is rape
The amendment follows similar rulings in Denmark and Spain, where the law was recently changed to define rape as sexual assault without explicit consent.
Japanese higher court rules in favor of marriage equality
The ruling adds pressure on the Japanese parliament to legalize same-sex marriages. Japan remains the only country in the G7 that has not legalized marriage equality.
New Zealand announces $140m project to transition its major steel plant from coal to renewable energy
New Zealand is putting $140 million toward swapping out the coal furnaces at its largest steel plant — a single project that will shrink the country’s total emissions by a full 1%. The Glenbrook plant currently burns coal to turn iron-rich sands into steel, but a new electric arc furnace will melt recycled scrap instead, drawing power from a grid already running on roughly 80% renewables. By 2027, the switch is expected to cut 800,000 tonnes of carbon a year — more than every other government-funded emissions project combined. Heavy industry has long been called the hardest sector to decarbonize, and this is exactly the kind of proof-of-concept the rest of the world needs.
India pauses plans to add new coal plants for at least five years
India just hit pause on new coal. The country’s Ministry of Power won’t consider new coal-fired power plant proposals for at least five years, opening the door for renewables to take on more of the load. India already ranks fourth globally for installed wind and solar capacity, and the updated plan aims to push non-fossil sources to 57% of the energy mix by 2027. To handle the swings of sun and wind, planners are pairing the buildout with 51.5GW of battery storage by 2030. For the world’s third-largest emitter, a pause like this is more than a planning tweak — it’s a signal that the future of electricity for 1.4 billion people is being written in renewables.