Policy Making
Strong public policy leads to more cohesive, resilient, and sustainable societies. In this section, find out about the latest legislations from around the world aimed at making our world a better place.
California’s new energy codes push an all-electric housing future
As more cities embrace natural gas-free futures, the US’ most populous state is giving the concept of all-electric homes a big legislative push. California has approved new energy codes that will incentivize electric appliances and efficient heating and cooling systems. Approved by the Read More...
Community input stretches the impact of Covid relief dollars
As $350 billion in Covid-19 relief funds make their way to cities and states, many are pondering the most impactful way to spend that money. Some, like Nashville, are putting towards affordable housing while others look at infrastructure or making up for lost tax revenue during the pandemic. To Read More...
Minnesota law improves conditions for pregnant women in prison
Resources for pregnant mothers in US prisons are scarce, to say the least. Most offer limited prenatal care and in some states, newborns are only allowed to reside with their incarcerated mothers for 24 hours before they must be turned over to a relative. In a bid to make conditions for pregnant Read More...
Sierra Leone abolishes capital punishment
On Friday 23, 2021, Sierra Leone became the 23rd country in the continent of Africa to abolish capital punishment after MPs voted unanimously to end the death penalty (which is largely a remnant of colonial legal codes). Under the 1991 constitution, criminals could be sentenced to death in Read More...
This new metric assesses road safety before any accidents ever happen
The way urban planners currently assess the safety of a road involves counting the number of accidents on that particular road. Essentially, this means that there’s a "literal human cost" to measuring how safe a street is, says Megan Ryerson, a transportation engineer and urban planner at the Read More...
Cheaper and Cleaner: Europe’s renewable energy success story
Europe made history over the last six months when it generated more electricity from renewable sources than it did from fossil fuels. Over 40 percent of the electricity used by the EU’s 27 member states came from renewable sources, such as solar, wind, hydro, and bioenergy. In contrast, fossil Read More...
New York is the sixth state to ban child marriage
Just over a week ago, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation that officially raises the legal age of marriage consent to 18 and makes New York the sixth state to ban child marriage. “This administration fought hard to successfully end child marriage in New York and I’m proud to sign this Read More...
EU launches climate resiliency checklist for new infrastructure projects
In addition to reducing emissions in order to mitigate the effects of climate change, we must also ensure that we are protecting communities by building infrastructure that can withstand the results of climate change we are already experiencing. To address this issue, the EU has created guidelines Read More...
This Washington state county is the first in US to ban fossil fuel infrastructure
Whatcom county’s city council has approved a landmark environmental measure banning all new fossil fuel infrastructure including refineries and coal-fired power plants. The climate action policy was unanimously approved by the council and also requires existing fossil fuel companies to offset any Read More...
Argentina is first Latin American country to introduce non-binary national IDs
Argentina makes history as the first South American country to roll out identification cards for non-binary citizens by allowing them to use “x” on their official national identification document and passports in the field pertaining to gender. The International Civil Aviation Organization Read More...