All Points of Progress

Europe and Asia lead push to replace traditional cars with electric and hybrid ones amid climate and pollution concerns.

Some bond investors aim to earn a return by putting money toward achieving a social good, such as lower recidivism rates. In the process they're upping the ante for governments to better measure progress – not just how many people a program serves.

Many of Mexico's small businesses don't pay taxes – or worker benefits, but more workers are stepping into formal jobs with steady paychecks indicating growth in the economy overall.

A poster campaign in Boston bus shelters aims to teach the art of de-escalation in the face of anti-Muslim confrontations.

How communities from Portland, Ore., to Paris are cleaning and playing in their waterways.

New York becomes the most recent of 11 states to enact a ban in efforts to dissuade the popularity of vaping among American youth.

As more consumers turn away from animal fur for luxurious feeling synthetic materials, high-end fashion houses are making a commitment to the prevention of animal cruelty in fashion.

Oxford leads world cities with its plans to ban gas and diesel cars.

Worldwide, actors across the food chain are working at the problem.

As public awareness of the plight of zoo elephants grows, policies are shifting, although not always as fast as advocates would like.

Black women are increasingly able to influence the cosmetics market through their purchases. And it’s sending a deeper cultural message than just creating a fresh face.

Roughly 100 million fewer children are having to work or are trapped in slavery or sexual trafficking, according to a progress report. But serious concerns remain about a slowdown in the rate at which children are being extracted from dangerous work conditions. 

The national poverty rate declined to 12.7 percent in 2016. Increases of minimum wages at the state and local levels have had a direct effect on poverty rates across the United States.

After half a century of conservation efforts, scientists are seeing long-term growth in some populations of the globe’s seven species of sea turtles.

Using a phenomenon known as radiative sky cooling, a team of Stanford researchers has developed rooftop panels that could be used to passively cool buildings.

Two decades after a landmark treaty, and despite an overall increase due largely to Syria’s civil war, the majority of affected countries recorded fewer deaths linked to land mines and cluster munitions.

As a result of bipartisan, "teams effort" across a number of US cities the numbers of homeless veterans declined 50 percent over the past decade, the sharpest fall among homeless populations. 

Analysis of 2016 employment data indicates the largest income bump is for workers earning roughly $30,000 in a majority of states.

Secretary-General António Guterres, the former prime minister of Portugal, says the world has made progress – on hunger, poverty, education – but he's impatient for more. His approach: We can do better.

Public health advocates are encouraged by the recent figures, but say there is more work to be done.