• The world has (probably) passed peak pollution. Sustainability by Numbers.
• In the early 1980s, there were around 400,000 estimated cases of polio annually. In the last few years, there have been around 4,000. That’s a hundred-fold decline. Our World in Data.
• New data suggests that China’s carbon dioxide emissions peaked in 2023 and will start declining from this year onwards. The Progress Playbook.
• On 77 of the 83 days to May 28, California saw periods where wind, solar and hydro output exceeded total electricity demand. The Progress Playbook.

For more good news, check out Fix the News and The Progress Network.

• Global maternal mortality drops by 50% over the past 35 years. Our World In Data.
• Queensland declared drought free for the first time in more than a decade. ABC.
• Overdose deaths in the US fell for the first time since the pandemic in 2023. Axios.
• Belize, Jamaica and St. Vincent and the Grenadines eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis. Unicef.
• The most dangerous form of heart attack has declined by nearly 50% during the past 15 years in the United States. UPI.
• Qatar improves access to education for 7 million children across Asia. The Peninsula.
• Around 20 years ago, there were fewer than 100 Iberian Lynx, compared to more than 2,000 in 2023. Olive Press.
• In a milestone, the US exceeds 5 million solar installations. Electrek.
• US companies have announced more than 100,000 jobs in clean energy manufacturing since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act. PV Tech.
• Wind power overtook gas as UK’s biggest source of energy last year. The Times.

For more good news, check out Fix the News and The Progress Network.

• An estimated 2.1 billion cases of malaria—and 11.7 million malaria deaths—have been averted globally between 2000 and 2022 as a result of scaling up malaria control interventions. WHO (PDF link).
• The number of people requiring intervention against neglected tropical diseases has fallen from 2.19 billion in 2010 to 1.62 billion in 2022, a decline of 26%. WHO.
• Fossil fuels generated just 23% of the EU’s electricity in April — a new low. The Progress Playbook.
• Brazil has the lowest number of murders in 14 years. Gov.br.
• Most crime in England and Wales has fallen by 90% in the last 30 years. The Conversation.
• Mass shootings in the United States down 29% from last year. Forbes.
• United Methodist Church lifts bans on LGBTQ clergy and same-sex weddings. NPR.
• An older adult today is likely more cognitively able than their grandparents were at the same age and age-related deficits in cognition are diminishing over time. ScienceDirect.
• Coal’s share of power in India falls below 50% for first time since the 1960s. Economic Times.
• A record-breaking 30% of the world’s electricity was produced by renewables last year. CNN.
• The poverty rate of Uzbekistan is estimated to have been slashed from 36 percent in 2015 to 17 percent in 2022. World Bank.

For more good news, check out Fix the News and The Progress Network.

• Portugal is averaging 91% renewable electricity in 2024, with Europe’s lowest power prices. The Progress Playbook.
• The world now gets more than 30% of its electricity from renewables. The Progress Playbook.
• The number of fish on US overfishing list reaches an all-time low. Mackerel and snapper recover. AP.
• The US maternal mortality rate fell from 32.9 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in 2021 to 22.3 per 100,000 in 2022. CNN.
• Average monthly rent dropped by 12.5 percent in Austin, Texas in December and rents dropped by 21 percent in Salt Lake City. The Real Deal.

For more good news, check out Fix the News and The Progress Network.

• In the 50 years since 1974, vaccines prevented 154 million deaths. Vox.
• Globally, Gen Z is financially better off, at the age they are now, than previous generations were at the same age. The Economist.
• EU Parliament approves ban of products made with forced labour. Reuters.
• China’s EV sales now over 50%. CarNewsChina.
• In the 1970s, less than half of Morocco’s primary-age children attended school. Today, nearly every child is in school. Our World in Data.
• 87% of all people above age 15 were able to read as of 2022, up from 67% as recently as 1979. GZero.
• Real hope for cancer cure as personal mRNA vaccine for melanoma trialed. The Guardian.

For more good news, check out Fix the News and The Progress Network.