In spite of everything, a culture of peace is emerging in all fields of human endeavour
monthly, year 25th, number 334 – 5th July 2025
Good News Agency carries positive and constructive news from all over the world relating to voluntary work, the work of the United Nations, non-governmental organizations and institutions engaged in improving the quality of life – news that doesn’t “burn out” in the space of a day. It is distributed free of charge through Internet to media and editorial journalists, NGOs, service associations and high schools and colleges around the world.
It is an all-volunteer service of Associazione Culturale dei Triangoli e della Buona Volontà Mondiale, an educational charity associated with the United Nations Department of Public Information It is a supporter of the Global Movement for the Culture of Peace. In the final report of the Decade for a Culture of Peace project (2001-2010) provided to the UN Secretary-General for presentation to the UN General Assembly, Good News Agency is included among the three NGOs that have been playing an active role in the field of Information through Internet.*
Government and politics – Education and teaching – Economy, finance and planning
Arts of living and relationships – Work, science and industry
Society and communication –Rules, regulations and environment
United Nations – General Assembly - Economic and Social Council – Agenda Item 2 – Regional contribution on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Latin America and the Caribbean - Note by the Secretariat
May 5, 2025
Summary
The eighth meeting of the Forum of the Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean on Sustainable Development was held in Santiago from 31 March to 4 April 2025. (…) The Executive Secretary of ECLAC presented the report entitled Latin America and the Caribbean in the Final Five Years of the 2030 Agenda: Steering Transformations to Accelerate Progress, which contains an analysis of the progress and status of the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals 3, 5, 8, 14 and 17, as well as projections for their achievement by 2030. Intergovernmentally agreed conclusions and recommendations of the eighth meeting of the Forum were adopted. (…)
https://docs.un.org/en/E/HLPF/2025/3/ADD.2
News related with SDGs number 17-Partnerships for the Goals
United Nations – General Assembly - Economic and Social Council – Eightieth session – Agenda Item 18 – Progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals: Report of the Secretary-General
April 29, 2025
Summary
In accordance with General Assembly resolution 70/1, the present report provides a global overview of the progress made since 2015 towards the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals, using inputs from more than 50 international and regional organizations. The data contained herein are derived from indicators in the global indicator framework developed by the Inter-Agency and Expert Group on Sustainable Development Goal Indicators, which was adopted by the Assembly on 6 July 2017 (see Assembly resolution 71/313). (…)
https://docs.un.org/en/A/80/81
News related with SDGs number 17-Partnerships for the Goals
United Nations – Economic and Social Council – Eighty-first session – Agenda Item 3 –Resolution adopted by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific on 25 April 2025: Regional cooperation for resilient and sustainable urban development in Asia and the Pacific
April 28, 2025 - The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (…)
1. Encourages all its members and associate members to strengthen regional and subregional cooperation to promote resilient and sustainable urban development and foster inclusive and sustainable economic growth (…)
3. Encourages members and associate members to utilize technologies that provide equitable access to urban services, including for vulnerable and marginalized populations, increase gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls, improve the efficiency and resilience of city operations and create opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship; (…)
https://docs.un.org/en/E/ESCAP/RES/81/2
News related with SDGs number 11-Sustainable Cities and Communities
United Nations – General Assembly Human Rights Council – Fifty-eighth session – Agenda Item 3 – Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council on 3 April 2025. Effects of foreign debt and other related international financial obligations of States on the full enjoyment of all human rights, particularly economic, social and cultural rights.
April 4, 2025 - The Human Rights Council (…)
3. Recognizes that developing countries require massive liquidity and financing support to deal with the fallout resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and its repercussions for the economy and for all human rights owing to the challenges faced in the areas of healthcare, education, employment and social protection systems, as well as to the heavy debt burden and deteriorating economic buffer; (…)
8. Urges States, international financial institutions and the private sector to take urgent measures to alleviate the debt problem and to address the debt sustainability of developing countries, so that more financial resources may be released and used for health, education, sanitation, public services, social protection and the realization of other economic and social rights in the countries affected; (…)
https://docs.un.org/en/A/HRC/RES/58/12
News related with SDGs number 17-Partnerships for the Goals
World Economic Forum - Global Gender Gap Report 2025
June 11, 2025 - The Global Gender Gap Index annually benchmarks the current state and evolution of gender parity across four key dimensions (subindexes): Economic Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, and Political Empowerment. Since launching in 2006, it is the longest-standing index tracking the progress of numerous countries’ efforts towards closing these gaps over time.
News related with SDGs number 5-Gender Equality
TikTok will show teens guided meditation after 10PM
May 16, 2025 - TikTok will interrupt teens’ feeds with guided meditation after 10PM. The platform has been testing the feature with a “wind down” prompt, but now it’ll show the notification with guided meditation by default to all users under 18. TikTok’s wind-down prompt initially only played calming music to remind teens to take a break from the app at nighttime. It was also only shown to teens under 16. But now, the prompts will include meditation, too (…)
News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education
World Economic Forum - From classrooms to global impact: how Kerala built an inclusive startup ecosystem
June 9, 2025 –
Over the past decade, the state has quietly built one of the world’s most inclusive and impactful startup ecosystems. This was made possible through strong government support, student-led innovation, rural inclusion and a growing focus on sustainability. Today, Kerala is home to more than 6,500 registered startups, which are solving real problems in areas like health, education, agriculture, climate and digital services. (…)
https://www.weforum.org/stories/2025/06/kerala-startup-boom/
News related with SDGs number 13-Climate Action
World Economic Forum - How entrepreneurship can spur growth in a stagnant global economy
June 5, 2025 –
Beneath (…) stagnation, however, there is a more nuanced reality: economies like India and Bangladesh are expanding at impressive rates. Such “pockets of progress” have a crucial message: growth is still very much possible. How can we capitalize on growth potential to create even more growth and become future-ready in an uncertain world? For me, the answer lies in entrepreneurship. (…)
News related with SDGs number 8-Decent Work and Economic Growth
World Economic Forum -Growing Cyber Talent Through Public–Private Partnerships
May 14, 2025 - Public–private partnerships (PPPs) effectively support cybersecurity workforce development by combining public and private sector strengths to foster skills, career growth, and sustainable talent pipelines. The white paper highlights benefits like financial sustainability, market access, and educational infrastructure. It addresses challenges such as local awareness, cultural differences, and alignment of goals. Successful PPPs depend on three foundations: engaging stakeholders through transparency, delivering tangible outcomes like training centers, and ensuring strong project management with clear roles and performance metrics. (…)
News related with SDGs number 8-Decent Work and Economic Growth
Books and young people: how and why young people read more today than we think
June 14, 2025- Young people not only read, but they do it in new ways, often far from obligatory school paths, following stimuli that come from informal environments, social networks and new editorial forms. Today, talking about books and young people means recognizing this plurality of stimuli, formats and motivations. Literature has adapted to the times and is still able to speak to young people, while maintaining its deepest power intact: that of telling.
News related with SDGs number 3-Good Health and Well-Being
Smoking rates fall to lowest ever, led by our young people and a changing culture
June 4, 2025- Two national smoking surveys in the UK and the US which both concluded last October show that smoking rates are among the lowest ever observed. The national smoking rates in the US based on a survey of 1.77 million people and 54,000 households are falling across the board, with the largest declines seen in America’s youth.
News related with SDGs number 3-Good Health and Well-Being
Parents should sing more to their babies for the positive impact on infant’s mood–and their own
May 31, 2025- Many parents know that babies love to be sung to, but there’s been limited research into the longer-term effects of mothers and fathers singing to infants. The new research shows that parents should sing to their babies more often because it really does have a positive impact on a child’s mood—and it also can benefit the health and well-being of moms and dads too.
News related with SDGs number 3-Good Health and Well-Being
World Economic Forum - 8 technologies, '3Cs' and one new innovation paradigm: How converging tech is redefining value chains
June 3, 2025 –
News related with SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
World Economic Forum - 5 futures of infrastructure: What will we build by 2100?
May 26, 2025 – (…) To prepare for the future, five scenarios for global infrastructure by 2100 can offer insights into potential developments and help set context-specific priorities.
1. Circular and climate-robust ‘technosphere’ (…)
2. Shared continent-wide mega-infrastructure (…)
3. Virtual and weaponized infrastructure (…)
4. Stranded, carbon locked-in infrastructure (…)
5. Decentralized micro-infrastructure (…)
News related with SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Carbon Crystals Built Like Atomic LEGO Promise New Era in Material Science
(by Simon Mansfield)
May 13, 2025 - Scientists are pushing beyond traditional graphite and diamond to engineer innovative three-dimensional (3D) carbon structures with unique properties, using atomic assembly techniques reminiscent of LEGO. While graphite and diamond differ primarily in atomic arrangement and hybridization, this approach allows for the creation of entirely new carbon allotropes, each with tailored physical characteristics. These include superhard, lightweight materials, highly conductive structures, and porous networks suitable for hydrogen storage. (…)
News related with SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Impact of AI on freedom of expression and elections
13 June 2025-Deciphering the increasingly complex dynamic between elections, AI and freedom of expression is challenging and requires both multi-disciplinary and multi-party approaches. It is therefore essential to ensure that an AI-enabled digital ecosystem is designed with a human rights-centred approach in order to be safe, secure and trustworthy, conducive to respect for freedom of expression and human rights more generally.
News related with SDGs number 3-Good Health and Well-Being
Composes music from moth flight data to highlight insect decline
June 9, 2025- Violinist Ellie Wilson used moth flight data gleaned from a biodiversity monitoring station to compose Moth x Human, which was commissioned by producer and charity Oxford Contemporary Music, with support from the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) and premiered on 7 June at the Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture New Music Biennial.
News related with SDGs number 15-Life on Land
Unesco works to better understand, explain and protect the ocean
June 2, 2025- The ocean is not only a vast and powerful ecosystem: it is also one of humanity's greatest masters. At the Paris Aquarium, preparations are in full swing for World Oceans Day, celebrated on June 8. With more than 13,000 fish and the largest collection of jellyfish in the world after Japan, the establishment is committed to raising awareness of the challenges of the marine environment while highlighting its many wonders.
News related with SDGs number 14- Life below Water
In Turin, dubbing becomes the voice of inclusion
May 20, 2025- In the heart of Turin, in a classroom full of microphones, scripts, and smiles, the barriers of autism are broken down and inclusion opens up. Dubbing, usually reserved for the world of cinema and television, is transformed into an educational and relational tool for a group of kids on the autism spectrum. This is the project launched by Teatro8, an artistic training school in Turin, which has chosen to use the voice as a key to opening up new expressive and social possibilities.
News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education
Rules, regulations and environment
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From coal dominance to renewables: how Poland changed its energy story
(by Michael Barnard)
May 20, 2025 - Poland’s energy story is both a cautionary tale and an inspiring narrative about how a nation heavily dependent on coal has managed to diversify its energy mix significantly within just a few decades. Back in 1990, Poland was essentially synonymous with coal energy (…) Meanwhile, Poland’s coal generation has dropped rapidly from over 90% of generation to 63% since 1990, all due to renewables. (…)
News related with SDGs number 13-Climate Action
China smashes rooftop solar installation record, as emissions fall despite demand growth
(by Joshua S Hill)
May 19, 2025 - A new analysis has revealed that China installed an astonishing 36 gigawatts of rooftop solar PV in the first quarter of 2025 – a record – as the country raced to meet new policy deadlines. An analysis by Rystad Energy says the 36 GW of rooftop PV is the highest for any quarter ever in China, and could be trumped in the second quarter by a further 94 GW of new installations on homes and businesses. Including large scale solar, China installed 60 GW of new PV capacity in the first quarter of 2025 – a record for the first quarter – but it is the anticipated 130 GW of new distributed PV capacity anticipated for the first half of the year that is the main talking point. (…)
News related with SDGs number 7-Affordable and Clean Energy
UAE-Morocco consortium signs $14 billion worth of energy, water deals
May 19, 2025 - Morocco on Monday signed deals with an Emirati-Moroccan consortium for energy and water infrastructure projects, which according to one of the companies involved were worth more than $14 billion. (…) These projects aim to "strengthen both water security and energy independence" in Morocco, the signatories said in a joint statement. (…) The signed agreements include the construction of a 1,400 kilometre (850 mile) high-voltage line transporting green electricity from the disputed territory of Western Sahara to Casablanca, as well as seawater desalination plants. (…)
News related with SDGs number 6-Clean Water and Sanitation
Yanmar America installs 914 solar panels on the roof of its Adairsville headquarters
May 14, 2025 - Yanmar America has installed 914 high-efficiency solar panels at its headquarters in Adairsville, Georgia, aiming to reduce the facility’s reliance on non-renewable power sources and lower the company’s carbon footprint in line with its Yanmar Green Challenge 2050 goals. (…)
News related with SDGs number 7-Affordable and Clean Energy
South Australia, the world’s most advanced renewable grid, adds seventh big battery
(by Giles Parkinson)
May 14, 2025 - South Australia – widely regarded as the world’s most advanced renewable grid with wind and solar accounting for 72 per cent of local demand over the last year – has added a seventh big battery, with another seven to join soon as they complete construction. The 100 MW, 200 MWh Mannum battery, owned by Epic Energy, entered the Australian Energy Market Operator’s grid management system this week, according to GPE NEMLog’s Geoff Eldridge, which means it can now work its way through the commissioning process. (…)
News related with SDGs number 7-Affordable and Clean Energy
Dutch students launch hydrogen boat to 'inspire shipping industry'
May 14, 2025 - Dutch scientists on Wednesday unveiled a boat powered by liquid hydrogen that they hope will offer lessons to the shipping industry as it eyes new fuel sources to reduce its significant greenhouse gas emissions. (…) They say their creation "Mira" is the first hydrogen-powered foiling boat to compete in the race, which aims to showcase innovative energy technology for shipping. (…)
News related with SDGs number 14- Life below Water
World Economic Forum - How real-time emissions tracking can help decarbonize the maritime industry
May 2, 2025 – (…) Shipping is responsible for nearly 3% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, a figure that continues to attract global scrutiny as climate targets intensify. In response, the sector is chartering a course to decarbonize, not just through long-term commitments, but through verifiable, measurable action. In support of the decarbonization efforts, there is a growing need for real-time emissions tracking. More than just a reporting mechanism, it's becoming a strategic tool for emissions reduction, regulatory compliance and supply chain transparency. As regulations such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), the IMO Data Collection System (DCS) and the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) evolve, shipping companies, freight forwarders and port authorities must adopt new practices to meet heightened accountability standards. (…)
https://www.weforum.org/stories/2025/05/decarbonize-maritime-industry-real-time-emissions-tracking/
News related with SDGs number 12-Responsible Consumption and Production
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Good News Agency is published monthly (except August) in English, Italian and Portuguese. Past issues are available at www.goodnewsagency.org . Rome Law-court registration no. 265 dated 20 June 2000. Managing Editor: Fabio Gatti. Editorial research by Fabio Gatti, Isabella Strippoli, Elisa Minelli, Salvatore Caruso Motta, Chiara Damilano, Francesco Viglienghi, Carlo Toraldo, Andrea Landriscina, Nazzarena Franco. Webmaster, media and NGO coverage: Simone Frassanito (simone.frassanito@goodnewsagency.org)
Good News Agency is distributed free of charge through Internet to media and editorial journalists of the daily newspapers and periodical magazines and of the radio and television stations, NGOs, service associations, high schools and colleges as well as over 26,000 Rotarians around the world.
It is an all-volunteer service of Associazione Culturale dei Triangoli e della Buona Volontà Mondiale, a registered, not-for-profit educational charity chartered in Italy in 1979 The Association operates for the development of consciousness and promotes a culture of peace in the ‘global village’ perspective based on unity in diversity and on sharing. It is based in Piazzale degli Eroi 8, 00136 Rome, Italy. The Association is a member of the World Association of Non Governmental Organizations.
* http://decade-culture-of-peace.org/2010_civil_society_report.pdf - In section A - International Organizations, page 12, the Report says: ”Diffusion and exchange of culture of peace information via the Internet has become the major instrument for several international organizations, notably the Culture of Peace News Network, the Good News Agency and the Education for Peace Globalnet.”