Vietnam sees a 100-fold increase in solar capacity over the last two years
In 2020, the only countries that installed more solar than Vietnam were the U.S. and China.
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.
Biden suspends oil leases in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
The suspension includes 10-year leases that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) issued on Jan. 6, 2021, which span more than 430,000 acres of the refuge.
Chile becomes first country in the world to have a constitution drafted by an equal number of women and men
“This is a global milestone, and it’s the result of a struggle that shows that the feminist coalition is a successful example of political mobilisation,” comments Constanza Núñez Donald, a human rights lawyer based in capital city Santiago.
Samoa elects Fiame Naomi Mata’afa, its first woman prime minister
“She was already very much a role model for women in Samoa, but now she’s broken through yet another glass ceiling,” said Kerryn Baker, Pacific affairs expert at the Australian National University.
New Australian marine parks protect area twice Great Barrier Reef’s size
The two parks will be established around Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands in the Indian Ocean to the northwest of continental Australia. The new parks cover 740,000 square kilometers (286,000 square miles) of ocean.
The U.S.’s annual coal consumption in 2020 was lowest since 1965
In the US, coal power plants experienced the country’s lowest annual coal consumption since 1965, and the fossil fuel is expected to reach levels last seen in the 19th century in coming years, reports Bloomberg.
U.K. recognizes animals as sentient beings
Some of the issues addressed include banning e-collars (which deliver electric shocks), restricting glue traps, banning people from importing most hunting trophies, banning live animal exports for fattening or slaughtering and keeping primates as pets.
Queen Elizabeth II announces U.K. government will ban conversion therapy
While the practice has been discredited by every major medical association, the religious right continues to promote the technique despite the increased risk of suicide and depression by participants.
U.S. Justice Department indicts four on federal charges for George Floyd’s death
Such federal charges are rare, notes npr.org, because it is difficult to meet the high legal bar they require.
Uganda, Ghana, and Rwanda begin using drones to deliver medical supplies to millions
The three nations are using medical supply drones to reach far off communities, and together the technology promises a faster and more reliable way to deliver life-saving drugs and supplies to more than 22 million Africans.