Hi everyone, Amy here with an update on the malaria podcast. We originally planned to release the three part series this month, but the process of making an audio documentary about the rollout of this vaccine has encountered similar challenges to the ones that we’re documenting – missing emails, delays in communication, language barriers - the creative process is rarely smooth, but this one has felt like an immersive experience!
The good news is that about a month ago, we finally secured some key interviews with WHO, Gavi, PATH, and the Ministry of Health in Kenya. Every conversation has revealed a part of this story that we weren’t expecting, and we’ve been blown away by the commitment of everyone we’ve spoken to – from global offices in Geneva, to tiny health clinics deep in the bush – the people who have championed this work have pulled off nothing short of a miracle.
The interviews are all done and we're into production now, putting the puzzle pieces together. Our new target release date is late April. We'll keep you posted.
This week's top stories
Armenia and Azerbaijan agree peace terms after nearly four decades
The two countries have been at war since the late 1980s, when Nagorno-Karabakh, a mostly ethnic-Armenian region, broke away from Azerbaijan with support from Armenia. Officials from both countries have confirmed that the text for the draft “Agreement on Peace and the Establishment of Interstate Relations” has been finalised and indicated a willingness to begin consultations. Reuters
After being named "breakthrough of the year" by Science magazine in 2024, the HIV drug lenacapavir continues to improve. New Phase I trials show the drug maintains protection for a full year after a single dose. The previous twice-yearly formulation has already demonstrated unprecedented 100% effectiveness in preventing infections and its maker Gilead has arranged to make affordable versions accessible across 120 low-income countries. Oh, and The Global Fund says it will fund the rollout of lenacapavir with or without the help of the US government. MIT, Bhekisisa
How China re-greened the most eroded place on earth
The Grain to Green project was one of China’s most ambitious environmental endeavours – launched in 1999 to reverse the damage from grazing and farming across the Loess plateau. Offering cash and tax benefits to offset farming losses and widespread tree-planting employment programmes, by 2016 almost 30,000 km² of cropland had been restored to forest or grassland. The Guardian
America’s young people are feeling happier
In 2022, when more than 95,000 students at 373 universities were surveyed, a significant 44% displayed symptoms of depression. In 2023, this dropped to 41% and, in 2024, the figure fell again to 38%. Researchers say this is part of a broader nationwide trend, with teenagers and young adults saying they're doing better in seven recent surveys on mental health and wellbeing. Economist
Global cereal yields have tripled over the last 60 years
Maize and rice have seen the biggest yields - particularly in recent decades - while wheat and barley have also performed well. This growth has been crucial to feeding a growing population while sparing natural habitat from expanding agricultural land. Our World In Data
Landmark ruling for Uncontacted Indigenous Peoples in Ecuador
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights has ordered the Ecuadorian government stop oil operations inside Yasuni National Park to protect the rights of the uncontacted groups who live there. It’s the first time an international court has ruled on the rights of people living in voluntary isolation. Inside Climate
Global solar installations expected to increase again this year
Annual solar installations are set to reach 698 GW in 2025, a 17% increase from 2024 and almost triple 2022's capacity additions. China leads the charge, with the United States, India, and Germany following, despite emerging challenges including grid constraints and declining spot prices. Projections suggest continued growth through 2027, potentially reaching 780 GW annually. PV Magazine
Watch this. The raison d'être of this newsletter, distilled into six minutes of video.
New field of sociogenomics transforms nature-nurture debate
Rather than seeing genes and environment as separate forces, sociogenomics reveals they create each other in continuous feedback loops. Research shows our genetic profiles influence the environments we seek, while those environments determine how our genes express themselves. This paradigm shift helps explain everything from athletic success to depression patterns. NYT
Boston Metal has successfully produced over a ton of steel using electricity instead of coal, a pivotal milestone for decarbonizing one of the world's most polluting industries. Their molten oxide electrolysis technology emits only oxygen rather than CO2, potentially eliminating the 3 billion tons of carbon emissions from annual steel production. Full commercialization is targeted for 2027. MIT
Greece's Mediterranean monk seals are back from brink of extinction
The species has moved from 'critically endangered' to 'vulnerable' after decades of conservation efforts to protect marine ecosystems and rehabilitate orphaned and injured seals. On the other side of the globe, endangered Caribbean reef sharks are bouncing back in Belize thanks to the no-shark-fishing zones around three atolls established in 2021 and the efforts of local shark fishers who have cooperated with marine scientists and authorities to create safe havens for the shark. ABC Australia, Mongabay
Renos-Pantelis is one of dozens of Mediterranean monk seals that have been nursed back to health by a Greek rehabilitation centre. Credit: Thanassis Stavrakis/AP | A tagged Caribbean reef shark. Credit: MarAlliance.
UNICEF has almost single-handedly prevented the collapse of Afghanistan's healthcare system, providing basic services to over half the population and hospital care to three-quarters. The program maintains 2,400 health facilities and employs 28,000 health professionals, including 11,200 women. A 32,000-strong volunteer force bridges geography barriers, helping achieve a 20% increase in institutional deliveries since 2019. UNICEF
Minks, beavers, otters and turtles return to the Chicago River
Before the Clean Water Act of 1972, the Chicago River was known as ‘bubbly creek’ due to the dumping of dumping of industrial waste and sewage. Today, the decades-long effort to clean up the river has resulted in dramatic improvements in water quality that support over 60 species of fish compared with just 10 species a few decades ago. WBEZ Chicago
Astronomers are predicting an “avalanche of discoveries” after the first release of observations of 380,000 galaxies from the Euclid space telescope - the mission will ultimately image 1.5 billion over six years, potentially revolutionizing our understanding of the 95% of the universe composed of dark matter and dark energy. The Guardian
Donald Trump versus market forces: a clean energy story in four parts.
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
"It’s not clear what Trump was referring to or how his social media decree would affect US policy. Trump already signed an executive order declaring a national energy emergency and directed the Environmental Protection Agency to boost fossil fuel production and distribution."
Chapter 3
Remember all of Donald Trump’s promises to put coal miners back to work? Turns out, his repeated attacks on the environment to try and bail out dirty fuels were all for naught. Over the four years Trump was in office, a total of 52.4 GW of coal-fired power was retired, compared to 48.9 GW in Obama’s second term. “Coal simply cannot compete with lower-cost alternatives, even with a presidential administration that did everything in its power to increase coal use and prolong the life of coal plants.”
Chapter 4
Utility-scale solar generation in the United States is up by 46% in the first 70 days of 2025.
Construction has started on the what will be world's longest underwater tunnel, connecting Denmark and Germany. The 18 km Fehmarnbelt will slash train journeys between Copenhagen and Hamburg from five hours to just 2.5 hours when completed in 2029. Each colossal concrete section weighs 73,000 tons—equivalent to 10 Eiffel Towers. CNN
First-ever gene therapy restores mutated DNA in landmark study
Scientists have successfully corrected a disease-causing gene mutation with a single infusion. The treatment involved fixing a 'spelling error' involving the four base sequences — G, A, C and T — in DNA. The effect was to change an incorrect DNA letter to the right one; the result was a normal gene that functioned as it should, potentially halting liver and lung damage for patients with a rare disorder. "This is the beginning of a new era of medicine." NYT 🎁
And finally: every August for the past 20 years, Johannes Fritz has taught endangered Northern Bald Ibises the safest way to migrate across Europe, using a microlight aircraft. New Yorker
The commitment, ingenuity, and sacrifice required to try to save just this one species demonstrate how dire the situation has become, and yet the undertaking also reflects a stubborn hope that’s every bit as human as the tendency to destroy.
We interviewed Johannes on our podcast last year.
Progress
Happy 20th anniversary to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control — the first public health treaty negotiated by WHO. Since its adoption, global tobacco use has dropped by one-third, 138 countries have implemented health warnings, more than 66 countries have implemented bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, and millions of lives have been saved. PAHO
In the past 25 years, 68 million child marriages have been averted through a mixture of legal reforms, policy changes and targeted support for health and education. South Asia continues to drive global reductions, with programmes such as Advika (I Am Unique) - a collaboration between UNICEF and the Government of Odisha in India - reaching millions of adolescents and helping to drive change. UNICEF
Guinea vaccinated every child against polio last year: Health workers successfully immunised 3.2 million children during two meticulously planned four-day vaccination rounds in 2024. Zimbabwe is celebrating hard-won health gains that include steady drops in maternal and under-five mortality rates since 2010, declines in malaria incidence and surpassing UNAID’s 95-95-95 targets. Expanded access to crucial medicines mean maternal mortality rates in Sierra Leone have fallen by nearly 75% since 2000, while the HPV Vaccine Acceleration Program Partners Initiative (that’s HAPPI - yep, we know) has delivered HPV vaccines to more than 12 million Nigerian teenage girls. UNICEF, OWD, The Herald, Gavi
The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights has ruled that Tanzania is liable for failing to protect people with albinism from human rights violations. The court has ordered significant reforms on behalf of people with albinism, including stronger legal protections against violence and discrimination, a compensation fund for victims of attacks, a national action plan to protect persons with albinism, and awareness campaigns to combat harmful myths about albinism. Daily Maverick
Iraq recorded a 15% decline in overall crime rates in 2024
The latest crime indicators for 2023 and 2024 show a drop in homicides (22%), serious assaults (18%), home burglaries (10%), car thefts (14%), drug trafficking cases (18%) and financial fraud (20%). Shafaq
Over the past two years, school meal coverage in Africa has increased by 30% - from 66 million children in 2022 to 87 million in 2024. The World Food Programme - the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020 - is on the frontlines where crises hit hardest. WFP
And speaking of school meals, what do a teacher from El Salvador, a young student from the Dominican Republic and a family farmer from Guatemala have in common? With support from the Sustainable School Feeding Network, these individuals are championing the links between education, family and healthy eating, and contributing to the rise of school feeding programs in Latin America - currently benefiting around 80.3 million students. FAO
In Australia, new contraceptives, IVF and endometriosis treatments will be added to federal subsidy schemes, saving women thousands of dollars per year. The drug Slinda will become the first new contraceptive pill to be subsidised in 30 years, and a new endometriosis treatment – Ryeko – will be available from May, benefitting thousands of women who would otherwise pay more than $2,700 annually for treatment. Guardian
London's Ultra Low Emission Zone has reduced exposure to illegal pollution by 82% in the city's most deprived communities, with the reduction in climate emissions equivalent to nearly 3 million one-way passenger trips between Heathrow and New York saved.
Meanwhile, in New York, honking complaints have fallen by a whopping 69% since a congestion pricing zone was introduced in January. “Before…there was honking of horns without reason. Now, it’s better for everybody.”
Oh, and more Americans are riding bikes than ever before.
Environment & Conservation
In 2024 China planted 76,700 km² of forest
More than 6,200 pocket parks were created around urban areas, 50,000 km of highways were greened and over 50,000 km² hectares of land underwent ecological restoration. The country also made significant progress in combating desertification, rehabilitating around 38,000 km² of sandy and stony land as part of the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program. Global Times
South Georgia is a conservation success story
The subantarctic island made headlines earlier this year after the world's largest iceberg ran aground off its coast, however what’s less known is that it’s home to the largest number of marine birds and mammals on the planet. After decades of efforts the island has transformed from a barren whaling station into a thriving ecosystem with elephant seals, king penguins, albatross and the South Georgia pipit, the world's most southerly songbird that was once driven to the brink of extinction. Sky News
South Africa establishes no-fishing zones to save endangered penguins
Conservationists and fishing industry groups have reached a landmark agreement establishing no-fishing zones around six major African penguin breeding colonies. Fishing will be prohibited within 12 miles of colonies on Robben Island and Bird Island for the next decade. The protection comes as penguin populations have plummeted from one million a century ago to fewer than 10,000 breeding pairs today. Guardian
Singapore is on track to become a City in Nature by 2030
Six decades of greening efforts are paying off for the city that continues to integrate ecosystems into its design and function. With a thriving network of green spaces, the city is focused on strengthening connectivity between parks and gardens and raising animal health and welfare standards. Green Plan
By the end of 2023, there were 6,421 black rhinos across Africa – a huge leap from 2,400 in the mid-1990s. The success has been achieved through innovative biological management like re-introducing rhinos into their previous ranges, tracking technology and harsher penalties for poachers. Save The Rhino
Colombia has expanded the Gran Vaupés Indigenous Reserve by 589 km², an area roughly five times the size of Paris. The expansion will protect dense Amazonian primary forests and strengthen the self-governance of 32 Indigenous communities to mitigate environmental threats from occupation by outsiders. Andes Amazon Fund
Canada and Quebec commit $100 million for conservation by 2027
The Canada-Quebec agreement will support the expansion of protected areas, the restoration of critical habitats, and Indigenous-led initiatives including caribou conservation throughout the province. Innovation News Network
And, in places like Mauritania, rising temperatures are fuelling desertification, which leads to food insecurity and poverty. However, the African Union’s Great Green Wall initiative is helping farmers like Teslim restore fertile areas and recover their livelihoods by creating a barrier of reforested land.
Energy & Climate
Renewables in China surge in the first two months of the year
Power generation from coal and fossil gas fell by 6% in January and February and oil imports fell by 5%, while hydro grew 4%, nuclear by 7%, wind by 10%, and solar soared by 27% compared to the same two months in 2024. That puts China on track for an even better chance at an emissions reduction than last year. CREA
Global electric vehicle sales up 30% so far this year
Electric vehicle sales grew by 30% in the first two months of 2025. China led with 1.4 million vehicles (+35%), while Europe's battery-electric segment jumped 29%, and North American sales rose steadily (+20%), with the U.S. specifically seeing 28% growth in pure electric vehicles. Rho Motion
Goodbye to charging anxiety - BYD, the largest EV maker in the world, has unveiled groundbreaking battery technology enabling 400km (249 miles) of range from just five minutes of charging—matching gas pump re-fueling speeds. Every second of charging adds about two kilometres in range. The first models sporting the new technology can already be pre-ordered in China. Electrive
Germany's new government has crafted its own version of the Inflation Reduction Act, with a historic deal that sets aside €500 billion for the nation’s existing climate and transformation fund, and another €400 billion for roads, schools, housing or grids. As part of the deal, Germany's 2045 climate neutrality goal will be anchored in the constitution. DW
Britain is undergoing a solar revolution (complete with grid upgrade). In the last year, solar installations in the UK have tripled on new homes to 42%, and nearly 3,500 utility scale solar farms are now in planning. Meanwhile, the National Grid is spending £59 billion on an overhaul including 17 major projects to handle renewable electricity, and costs are still dropping—fossil gas is now almost three times more expensive than solar—positioning Britain to triple solar capacity by 2030.
Half of new EU city buses are now zero-emissions, on track for complete transition by 2027. Battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cell buses captured 49% of all new EU city bus sales in 2024, exceeding growth projections and signaling one of the European Green Deal's clear success stories. The Netherlands, Finland, and Iceland lead with 100% electric bus adoption, while former laggard Estonia transformed its fleet in a single year. Clean Technica
In a bipartisan bill, Utah just made it legal to install small balcony solar systems without permits or utility agreements - all that's needed is a safety shutoff switch, proper electrical wiring, and certified equipment. This makes going solar much easier for residents—just install your panels and start generating clean electricity without bureaucratic hassle. PV Magazine
Denmark has cut nearly half its greenhouse gas emissions compared to 1990 levels, positioning it to achieve its world-leading 70% reduction target by 2030. The Danish Climate Council calls this "a success story in a world of gloomy climate news," highlighting systemic policy implementation including the world's first livestock carbon tax. Success hinges on continued action particularly in agriculture and industry sectors. Reuters
California is leading the charge against aviation emissions
California air regulators are developing technology-forcing rules to cut airport pollution by 2027, focusing on ground operations such as electric support equipment, zero-emission taxiing systems, and mandatory use of gate power. Quitting Carbon
Science & Technology
You've never seen a robot like this before – not in real life, anyway. While robots in movies often display human-like dexterity, real world robots have always lagged far behind their fictional counterparts, stuck with stiff, incredibly limited pre-programmed motion – until now. Now, according to Google DeepMind, a robot trained using its new models was able to fold an origami fox, organise a desk according to verbal instructions, wrap headphone wires and slam dunk a miniature basketball through a hoop. By leveraging large language models' reasoning capabilities, the technology allows robots to adapt to complex environments without manual coding. Financial Times
COVID vaccines lead to breakthrough in personalised cancer treatment
Scientists have transformed cancer vaccine research into hundreds of promising clinical trials using mRNA technology proven during the pandemic. Each vaccine is custom-designed from the patient's own cancer biopsy, training the immune system to specifically target their unique cancer cells. Early trials have concluded ahead of schedule, with results expected by early 2026. Wired
Scientists are using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope to search for alien life, by mapping the boundary between planets that retain atmospheres and those that lose them. This spring, a massive survey of dozens of rocky exoplanets will help determine which worlds could potentially harbour life, potentially transforming our understanding of habitable zones among the galaxy's most common stars. Quanta
Australian man becomes first person to live for 100 days with artificial heart. A man with heart failure became the first person worldwide to leave hospital with a total artificial heart, surviving over 100 days before receiving a donor transplant. The device uses magnetic levitation technology to replicate natural blood flow. The implant is designed as a bridge to keep patients alive until a donor heart transplant becomes available. The Guardian
Dutch firm's next-gen machines set to supercharge future AI chips
ASML is developing advanced lithography machines that could dramatically shrink computer chip components within the next decade. The breakthrough technology uses more powerful mirrors to focus extreme ultraviolet light with unprecedented precision. Researchers are simultaneously exploring even shorter light wavelengths that could revolutionise how tomorrow's artificial intelligence systems are built. The Economist
Mathematicians bridge gap between particle physics and fluid dynamics
A team from the University of Michigan has solved a 125-year-old mathematical challenge by connecting the laws governing individual particles to those describing entire fluid systems. The breakthrough unifies three different frameworks: Newton's laws for single particles, Boltzmann's statistical approach to particle groups, and equations describing large-scale fluid movement. “This is a major result...I thought it was completely beyond reach." New Scientist 🔒
And finally: We're building the world a digital nervous system
Subsea fiber optic cables already crisscross the globe, responsible for 95% of the world's internet traffic. Now those cables are being deployed with sensing technology that detects vibrations from divers, drones, or anchors. These systems can identify even slight disturbances—from footsteps to vessel size—by measuring changes in light reflections. BBC
That's it for this edition, thanks for reading. We'll see you next week.
With love,
🩵 The FTN team