Nyheder – Global

Fewer suicides worldwide: The global suicide rate has been slowly decreasing. In the year 2000, around 12.2 out of every 100.000 people committed suicide annually; it’s now down to 10.7.

More countries ban cluster bombs: Opposition against cluster bombs is growing. 102 countries now ban the weapons, but they are heavily used in Syria and Yemen. 98% of casualties are civilians.

Better protection of mountains: As of 2017, 49 percent of key biodiversity hotspots in mountainous areas are under protection. In 2000, it was only 39 percent.

More people can avoid tobacco: More than half of the world’s population is now better protected thanks to one or more laws against smoking, despite opposition from the tobacco industry.

Millions saved from hunger: In 2016, the World Food Programme helped 82 million people survive hunger. Despite progress in recent years, 795 million people still don’t have enough to eat.

Great green energy growth: The world is now adding more green power each year than new capacity from all fossil fuels combined, though fossil fuel subsidies are still four times bigger.

Workers send more money home: World migrant workers now send 51 percent more money home to their families than they did ten years ago. This helps millions of people escape poverty.

Sustainable fish boom: There is now twice as much sustainable fish on supermarket shelves than in 2010. In total, 12 percent of the world’s catch now carries the blue MSC label.

Lawyers for the poor: Over the last three years, UNDP has helped 3.2 million people in various countries gain access to legal aid services. More than half were women.

Progress against poverty: 38 million people escaped extreme poverty in 2016. In 2017, 28 million more people are expected to do the same.

More children can run and play: Three decades ago, 40 children were paralysed by polio every hour. But after years of vaccination work, only 37 children were infected during the whole of 2016.

HIV patients can live long lives: Thanks to advances in diagnostics and medicine, people infected with HIV now have the chance to live just as long as those who are not infected.

Selling off dirty assets: More than 700 big investors, among them organisations and governments, have now committed to selling off investments in fossil fuels such as oil and coal.

Big death penalty drop: The number of executions worldwide fell by 37 percent in 2016. The USA is now at the lowest level of executions since 1991.

Five years of cheaper food: For the fifth year in a row, world food prices continued to drop in 2016. Cheaper staple foods is good news for people in the world’s poorest places.

Fewer oil spills from tankers: In the 1970s, each year saw more than 24 spills from oil tankers on average. Today, the number has dropped to an average of 1.8 spills per year.

Aids-medicine doubles in five years: In just five years, the number of HIV infected people with access to medicine has doubled to 18.2 million. The global goal is to stop the disease before 2030.

No more acid rain: The acid pollution of the earth's atmosphere is now almost back to the level of before we really began to pollute. This is because filters on chimneys since the 1970s.

Sales of electric cars booming: In 2010, only 20,000 electric cars were sold worldwide, but in 2015 sales increased to approximately 525,000 electric cars.

Electric car boom: In 2010, about 20,000 electric cars were sold world-wide. In 2015, the number of sales had climbed to 525,000 electric vehicles.