Switzerland votes in favour of LGBT protection bill
The result – 63.1% in favour to 36.9% against – is a huge boost for Switzerland’s LGBT community. A bill to legalise same-sex marriage is currently on its way through parliament.
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.
Finland to offer new fathers as much paid leave as mothers
Finland’s woman-led center-left government plans to give new fathers the same amount of paid time off work as new mothers, nearly doubling paternity leave, it announced on Wednesday.
In 2019, more than 99% of Costa Rica’s electricity came from renewables
With a population of less than 5 million, Costa Rica is committed to becoming 100% carbon neutral this year.
Landmark French law will stop unsold goods being thrown away
France is to ban designer clothes and luxury goods companies from destroying unsold or returned items under a wide-ranging anti-waste law passed by parliament.
Germany is turning 62 military bases into wildlife sanctuaries
The German government has announced plans to convert 62 disused military bases just west of the Iron Curtain into nature reserves for eagles, woodpeckers, bats, and beetles.
India’s gigantic Bhadla Solar Park sets new world record
The 2.2GW park is almost 50% more than all the solar installations that the US’ largest residential solar installer has completed. It’s also about 50% larger than the world’s previous largest solar farm. It is just one small part of India’s ambitious plan to install 100GW of solar by 2022.
British carbon tax leads to 93% drop in coal-fired electricity
A tax on carbon dioxide emissions in Great Britain, introduced in 2013, has led to the proportion of electricity generated from coal falling from 40% to 3% over six years, according to research led by UCL.
Legalising gay marriage caused dramatic fall in suicides in Denmark and Sweden, study finds
A 46 per cent fall in suicides among people in same-sex marriages was recorded by comparing two time periods in Denmark and Sweden – from 1989 to 2002, and 2003 to 2016.
Scotland on track for 100% renewable electricity in 2020
If Scotland achieves its target of being 100 percent powered by renewable electricity next year, it would join a small group of countries who have already accomplished the same goal: Albania, the Congo, Iceland, and Paraguay.
China becomes world’s largest nation to plan phase out of single-use plastics
In 2019, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) stated that by the end of 2020 single-use plastic bags would be banned in all of China’s major cities. By the end of 2022, the plastic bag ban was to be extended to all cities and towns. As the world’s most populous nation and second-largest economy, this became the most significant plastic bag ban in history.