Hey there! As a U.S.-based company, the good news we share tends to skew in that direction. And recently (for reasons you can probably guess), even our international subscribers have requested more updates about the good happening here.

But people all over the world are doing inspiring things every day — and they deserve to be known and celebrated, too.

While we always include mentions throughout the Goodnewsletter, today’s is special: it’s dedicated exclusively to looking beyond the U.S. for good news happening all over the world. Enjoy!

— The Good Good Good team

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Governments doing good

Mayors in England are implementing an “unprecedented plan” to help children walk, bike, or scoot to school safely

Twelve regional mayors in England signed a joint pledge to “work together to improve our streets for everyone, for the benefit of the health, wellbeing and connectedness of our communities” by creating a “national active travel network.”

The first phase of the plan focuses on helping children walk, bike, or scoot to school through the creation of a combined 3,500 miles of routes linking schools to homes, town and city centers, and transport hubs.

It’s also part of larger efforts with Active Travel England, and is backed by the country’s chief medical officer, who said it could “significantly improve” public health for an estimated 20 million people total.

Why is this good news? Not only does car-alternative transportation help people stay more active, it leads to cleaner, healthier air overall. But first, the infrastructure to get around without a car needs to exist and be accessible — England is working towards that.

→ Read more​

More Good News

​Family and friends reunited at the border between Ethiopia and Eritrea for the first time in five years. Separated by the closed border since the outbreak of the 2020 conflict and political tensions, the move to reopen a section of the border was organized by local activists and community figures without the official backing of the authorities on either side.

​Women are leading a construction boom in Somalia, as its capital city rebuilds after decades of war. Two young women engineers, for example, are overseeing the construction of a 10-floor apartment complex, issuing instructions to their team of workers, who are all men.

​In a “breakthrough” for the technology, Norway launched a flagship large-scale carbon capture and storage project. The technology has struggled to find a viable economic model, but is still seen as crucial to curbing climate change. This project will prevent 400,000 tonnes of CO2 from escaping into the atmosphere each year and be a model for other projects.

​Spain announced sweeping ocean protections that aim to balance marine conservation with sustainable development. The announcement includes two new large-scale Special Protection Areas for Birds and proposals for important Community Sites of Interest, protecting 3,180,882.91 hectares, with 2,965,913.24 of them previously lacking any environmental protection whatsoever.

​After years of delay, South Korea ratified an international treaty meant to safeguard international adoptions. The significant policy shift comes decades after sending tens of thousands of children to the West through an aggressive and poorly regulated adoption system.

​Portugal’s capital city launched a citywide reusable cup scheme to reduce plastic waste. With the potential to remove 25,000 discarded cups every night, Lisbon is the first European capital to implement an initiative that aims to combat plastic waste, reduce emissions, and introduce a smart reuse model in the city’s restaurant sector and bustling nightlife.

🇯🇵 good progress

Japan’s foreign aid budget has more than doubled in just five years

In the last few months, countries like the United States and the United Kingdom have announced large cuts to foreign aid. One country is doing the exact opposite.

Since 2018, the amount of foreign aid Japan has given has more than doubled, from $8.6 billion to $19.3 billion in 2023. That increase brought Japan’s aid budget to 0.44% of its gross national income — for comparison, the United States gave 0.24%.

​Foreign aid saves and improves millions of lives all over the world through health programs, food aid, humanitarian assistance, and more ​​— and a little bit goes a really long way in improving human well-being, making it an incredible investment.

→ Read more​

More Good bits

🇺🇬 Mangos are fighting food waste in Uganda.​

🇪🇺 The EU’s waterways are open (and safe) for summer.​

🇨🇴 A city in Colombia was named “best in the world” for green space and nature.​

🇵🇦 An Indigenous-led project in Panama writes new rules for reforestation.​

🇦🇺 In Australia, your morning cup of coffee could build a house.​

What’s good?

In a typical daily Goodnewsletter... Do you prefer seeing more U.S.-based good news? Or from all around the world?

I’d love to hear your feedback! Reply and tell me!

— Megan

P.S. If you liked today’s newsletter, you’ll love the Goodnewspaper issue dedicated to global good news!