105 countries pledge to cut methane emissions by 30% by 2030
The Global Methane Pledge announced at COP26, commits signatories, including the US, Japan and Canada, to reducing their overall emissions by 30% by 2030, compared with 2020 levels.
International cooperation
When nations work together, problems that seem intractable often yield. This archive covers treaties signed, coalitions formed, and shared commitments that show cross-border cooperation producing real results — on climate, health, trade, and more.
Turkey ratifies Paris Agreement, becoming the last G20 country to join
Turkey’s parliamentarians on Wednesday unanimously approved the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change, which aims to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels.
U.S. to return Gilgamesh tablet and 17,000 other looted artifacts to Iraq
The U.S. will return more than 17,000 ancient artifacts, including the Gilgamesh Dream Tablet, after authorities recently reached a repatriation agreement with Baghdad to return artifacts seized from dealers and museums.
130 countries agree to global minimum corporate tax rate
130 countries around the world — including, crucially, China and India — agreed on a 15% minimum corporate tax rate to combat tax dodging. Any profitable firm with revenues over $24 billion will be included from the start, with that number expected to decline to $12 billion in time.
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.
Biden administration to buy 500 million Pfizer coronavirus vaccine doses to donate to the world
The first 200 million doses will be distributed this year, with the subsequent 300 million shared in the first half of next year.
Groundbreaking treaty protects environmental activists in Latin America
In addition to improving public access to environmental information and encouraging public participation in environmental policymaking, the treaty also requires participating countries to protect environmental human rights defenders.
UN adopts landmark framework to integrate natural capital in economic reporting
“This is a historic step forward towards transforming how we view and value nature. We will no longer be heedlessly allowing environmental destruction and degradation to be considered economic progress” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
53 WTO members commit to ease restrictions on humanitarian food aid
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, several countries initially restricted food exports, raising concerns that poor consumers in net food-importing countries would face difficulties in accessing food.