• 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.

• Nepal had a large decline in poverty from 25% to just 3.6% between 2011 and 2023. World Bank.
• Rwanda has significantly increased its electricity access from 6% in 2009 to 75% as of March 2024. World Bank.
• Morocco has slashed its under-five mortality rate by a remarkable 4.8 percent, dropping from 81 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1990 to 17 in 2022. Morocco World News.
• Clean energy accounted for 10% of global GDP growth in 2023. PV Tech.
• California has hit a new renewables record after exceeding 100 per cent of grid demand with clean energy sources for 30 of the past 38 days. Independent.
• More than one in five cars sold worldwide this year will be electric. The Progress Playbook.
• The world installed 117 gigawatts of new wind power capacity in 2023, a 50% increase from the year before, making it the best year for new wind projects on record. AP.
• Second-generation mosquito nets prevented 13 million malaria cases in large pilot programs. STAT.

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

• Albania, Bhutan, Nepal, Paraguay, Iceland, Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo produce more than 99.7 per cent of their electricity from renewable energy. Independent.
• Between 1950 and 2021, global life expectancy increased from 49 years to 71 years. The Lancet.
• US to close gun show loophole and require more background checks. Reuters.
• Buffalo saw an unheard of drop in gun violence last year. What’s behind the success? The Trace.
• Oil spills from tankers have fallen by more than 90% since the 1970s. Our World in Data.

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

• Thousands of deaths avoided in 7.4 magnitude Taiwan earthquake due to strengthened building codes and infrastructure. CNN.
• Slovakia has stopped production at its last coal-fired power plant 6 years ahead of schedule. Euronews.
• 12 US states now get most of their electricity from renewables. The Progress Playbook.
• Solar topped coal in Texas for the first time ever in March. electrek.
• Massachusetts pardons all misdemeanor marijuana possession convictions affecting potentially hundreds of thousands of people. Axios.
• Gender pay gap in Great Britain smallest since reporting first enforced. The Guardian.
• In the US, employers added 303,000 jobs in March, the strongest in 10 months. Axios.

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

• Cancer mortality has declined in many countries. Our World in Data.
• Child poverty in Uzbekistan decreases by 7.8% in two years. DARYO.
• Populations of numbats and bilbies are recovering. Australian Wildlife Conservancy.
• China adds 14% of world’s total solar capacity in 2023 alone. S&P Global.
• A record 60% of Europe’s electricity was powered by clean energy sources in the opening two months of 2024. Reuters.
• 3D-printed skin closes wounds and contains hair follicle precursors. PennState.

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