Timeline (Endless Diversity)

Environment

 * The US military now factors climate change considerations in all major infrastructure spending decisions, since the effects of a changing climate are a national security issue with potential impacts to Department of Defense missions, operational plans, and installations.
 * India reaches a significant climate change milestone due to a strong alliance with France; 40% of India's power capacity now relies on non-fossil fuel sources.
 * Germany sets the price for carbon dioxide emissions from transport and heating buildings to 25 euros per tonne.
 * French President Emmanuel Macron closes all of France’s coal-fired power plants to meet environmental goals.
 * State-controlled French utility, EDF, shuts down its 580 megawatts (MW) Le Havre 4 coal-fired power plant.
 * As included in the French Finance Bill, the so-called bonus-malus scheme starts to gradually tax users of HFC-based, HVAC&R equipment and offers corporate tax discounts to companies investing in natural refrigerant-based equipment.
 * France cuts the use of toxic weedkiller, glyphosate, by 80 percent.
 * To build climate change resilience, Canada updates its building codes with new specifications to optimize pavement concrete mixes to mitigate flooding. It also adds new guidelines for increased resilience for existing stormwater systems.
 * Canada's 'Free Willy' ban goes into effect, making it illegal to hold dolphins and whales in captivity. Its ban on single-use plastics is also implemented.
 * Health Canada restricts the use of three neonicotinoid pesticides in the agricultural industry starting in 2021 and 2022 to reverse the decline of Canadian bee populations.
 * 3,400 petrol stations are now selling B20 biodiesel; this fuel option wasn't available in stations before 2020.
 * The Filipino government refusal to fund the Laguna Lake water treatment plant now leaves Manila with recurring water outages.
 * This year, the government imposes a carbon tax on industries that start at 30 euros ($34) per ton of carbon emissions.
 * Singapore implements a mandatory electrical and electronic waste management system this year that aims to recycle the country's e-waste.
 * Singapore achieves its 100% green waterworks aim this year by installing a 60 megawatt-peak (MWp) floating solar photovoltaic (PV) system. The installation generates sufficient green energy to meet the needs of the daily operations of the five water treatment plants in Singapore, as well as the Marina Barrage.
 * Singapore bans the domestic trade of elephant ivory from this year.
 * Ireland imposes a so-called 'latte levy' on disposable coffee cups this year in a bid to change consumer habits and cut the environmental impact from single-use plastics.
 * Ecogas, a sustainable energy-production company, starts processing food scraps, which was around half the weight of Auckland's average rubbish bin, collected from the city's households, and will turn it into biogas and liquid bio-fertilizer.
 * Brood X, the world's largest insect swarm, re-emerges.

Medicine

 * France stops reimbursing patients for homeopathic treatment as national health authorities found that this form of alternative medicine has no proven medical benefit.
 * Boys in the Netherlands are vaccinated against the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). Previously, only girls were vaccinated for the virus.
 * In-vitro fertilization (IVF) is available through the Irish public health system from this year onward.
 * COVID-19 still prevails in Ireland this year, but is much better controlled than during 2020.
 * Five-year survival rates for breast cancer are approaching 100%, with 10-year survival likely to meet this level in the mid-2030s.
 * Male birth control pills are entering the market.
 * The world's first artificial kidney is printed.

Ingestibles

 * Due to its growing economic wealth, more Chinese now have access to a high protein, high sugar diet, leading to China amassing the largest number of people living with Type-2 Diabetes (at over 120 million) than any other country. This number is set to increase during the 2020s before proper treatment and prevention programs kick in.
 * France has become the world’s leading consumer of organic wine, having doubled its consumption since 2013.
 * Malaysia enforces regulations to ensure that its palm oil meets new food safety standards under consideration by the European Union.
 * With construction completed this year, the Wawa Dam now provides 80 million liters of water per day to Manila residents.
 * The Dutch government, along with Nutri-Score's nutrition-labeling scheme, introduces a voluntary color-code system on nutritional quality. It will enable consumers to know at a glance, a food product's health rating on a scale running from A to E.
 * Singapore bans partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs), a vital source of artificial trans fat in all foods, from this year onwards.
 * The Irish government bans 'loyalty card' programs and retail promotions that encourage alcohol consumption from this year onward.
 * Southwestern parts of the USA – including Nevada, Arizona, and southern California – are now faced with crippling water shortages. Lake Mead, a key source of water for over 25 million people (about 8% of the US population), is running dry as a result of climate change. Increased population growth and associated demand for water resources have also played a part. Once the largest reservoir in the country, its capacity has declined substantially, due to the Colorado River’s net deficit of nearly 1 million acre-feet of water per year. As well as providing fresh water, Lake Mead has been a major source of hydroelectric power, via the Hoover Dam. Blackouts are now increasingly common. Authorities have been attempting to stabilize the situation by constructing solar power facilities, as well as laying groundwater pipelines from elsewhere in Nevada.

Space

 * UK sends a small, spider-like new rover to the Moon, equipped with HD video recording and jumping capabilities.
 * The next-generation space station called Lunar Gateway is sent into orbit around the Moon by the United States. Canada contributes with AI and robotics technology (and possibly astronauts) to the US moon mission starting this year. The space station's goal is to prepare for the Moon landing that would happen in 2024.
 * The ExoMars rover touches down on Mars. The rover's primary objective is to determine any signs of microbial life on Mars, past or present. It is equipped with a drill that bores down two meters below the surface to retrieve samples. These are transferred to a miniature laboratory inside the rover. This contains a sensor for biological molecules, and infrared and X-ray spectroscopes that catalog the mineralogical makeup of the sample, together with imaging devices.
 * The James Webb Space Telescope is launched. The JWST has four main scientific goals: to search for light from the first stars and galaxies that formed in the Universe after the Big Bang, to study the formation and evolution of galaxies, to understand the formation of stars and planetary systems, and to study planetary systems and the origins of life.
 * The first uncrewed maiden flight of NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) happens. The SLS is to become the primary launch vehicle of NASA's deep space exploration plans – including crewed lunar flights of the Artemis program and a subsequent follow-on human mission to Mars. It would also be used for constructing a new space station in orbit around the Moon.
 * The first flight of the New Glenn reusable rocket happens. It was developed by Blue Origin, the aerospace company founded by Amazon boss Jeff Bezos.
 * China sends its first probe to Mars. After that, a sample return mission is proposed for the 2030s.
 * The United Arab Emirates send their first probe to Mars, proving the Arab world was still capable of delivering scientific contributions to humanity, despite the many conflicts across the Middle East.
 * India becomes only the fourth nation – after Russia (formerly, the Soviet Union), the US, and China – to independently launch humans into space.

Computers

 * America’s first exascale supercomputer, called Aurora, is now operational and will be used to accelerate data analysis for a variety of scientific disciplines. This piece of technology cost $500 million to be built.
 * 5G-enabled devices are now affordable for the 400 million Indians still using feature phones—phones with a button-based input and small display yet capable of taking photos, acting as a portable media player, and accessing the internet.

Informatics

 * Over 80% of web traffic is now video.
 * Global mobile web traffic equals 36 exabytes.
 * Global Internet traffic grows to 222 exabytes.
 * Facial recognition identification for 100 percent of all international passengers, including American citizens, is now operational inside the top 20 US airports.
 * Indians use a mobile app to submit census data for the first time.
 * India begins rollout of infrastructure for 5G internet connectivity.
 * Deutsche Telekom accelerated the installation of new antenna sites with the number reaching 36,000.
 * In Malaysia, Election Commission now uses automatic voter sign-up.
 * Google builds a powerful new internet cable called Equiano from Portugal to South Africa, which significantly simplifies the allocation of cable capacity. The cable will have 20 times more network capacity than the latest undersea cable that links Europe with South Africa.
 * 5G spectrum auctions sold in this year accelerate the build-out of a national 5G network in Canada.

Robotics

 * The first robotic pharmacist arrives in the US. Robots already had a big presence in the manufacturing industry, but as they become more advanced, they are starting to enter new service-oriented jobs.

Transportation

 * Baidu commences mass production of self-driving cars in China. The greatest benefit the technology would bring about would be improved safety and increased ride-sharing.
 * World sales of electric vehicles reach 7,226,667.
 * Tata Motors unveils four new electric vehicle models compared to 2 models in 2019.
 * German government opens the German market to car-pooling services offered by Uber and other companies.
 * A small fleet of autonomous driving taxis begins trials on London streets this year.
 * Electronic logging devices are now mandatory on all commercial trucks and buses in Canada to place a daily limit on how long drivers can stay on the road, replacing paper-based logbooks. This helps drivers and employers comply with hours of service regulations and can reduce the potential for driver fatigue
 * Malaysia's southern double-tracking railway project is completed this year.
 * Hardt Global Mobility, in partnership with TU Delft, sets up the first-ever Hyperloop system in the Netherlands, joining Amsterdam and Paris.
 * The collaboration of MSC Cruises and the KwaZulu Cruise Terminal Consortium builds a new cruise terminal in Durban.
 * In Singapore, all motorized personal mobility devices (PMDs), like e-bikes and scooters, must meet fire safety standards from this year onwards to ensure public safety.
 * The world’s first air taxi service is launched in Singapore this year, to eventually make it a fully autonomous and affordable means of transport for the masses.
 * Singapore rolls out an Intelligent Driving Circuit this year; it allows people to take driving tests without having an examiner in the car with them. This new circuit — the first in Southeast Asia — is trialed at the Singapore Safety Driving Centre.
 * Singapore's Tuas Terminal mega port begins its first phase of operations this year with two berths for ships. It will become fully operational by 2027.
 * In Singapore, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) replaces 66 of Singapore's oldest MRT trains with a new fleet.
 * Air New Zealand starts flying its Boeing 777 fleet from April of this year.
 * The cross-harbor cycle and walkway, previously known as Skypath, begins construction this year in Auckland with a budget of $360 million.
 * Crossrail opens in London.
 * The Terrafugia TF-X flying car is launched.

Energy

 * As wireless power becomes common in households, cables are gradually becoming obsolete.
 * The cost of solar panels, per watt, equals 1.1 US dollars.
 * China has installed 40 percent of all worldwide wind energy and 36 percent of all solar energy by this year.
 * China activates the world's largest, ultrahigh-voltage, AC-DC supergrid that transfers solar and wind energy from China's western provinces across 2,300 kilometers to the megacities lining its energy-hungry and densely populated eastern coast. This line joins 22 other such powerlines that span the nation to create the supergrid.
 * China now operates over 25,000 kilometers of dedicated high-speed railway (HSR) lines, more than the combined HSR lines operating in the rest of the world.
 * Americans now use renewable energy produced by solar, wind, and hydroelectric power more than energy from coal.
 * Indian Railways, India's highest electricity consumer and the third-largest high-speed diesel user, build a 500 solar megawatt rooftop solar plants.
 * India adds 10,000 megawatts (MW) of wind energy capacity this year. The Indian wind energy market is now second to China.
 * Germany stops changing daylight savings time and establishes its clock in the summertime permanently, since it is unnecessary, given the current technology.
 * Updated government regulations in the UK allow for a 200% growth in storage for wind and solar energies, potentially reducing costs for consumers.
 * According to the wind industry advocacy body, WindEurope, 350MW of floating capacity is switched on in Europe this year, led by a raft of projects off the UK, France, Portugal, and Norway.
 * As the gas heating boiler is banned in the Netherlands this year, homeowners begin replacing their central heating boilers with more sustainable and efficient solutions, such as a heating pump or a hybrid heating pump.

Economy

 * Ethereum's Casper and Sharding protocols are fully implemented, improving the growth and stability of the network. Sharding eases the burden of transaction validations by splitting them into groups, or shards, which can communicate with other groups. These sidechains can then re-integrate with the mainchain. The Casper protocol shifts Ethereum to a Proof-of-Stake system that makes sharding more secure and easier to implement.
 * The Communist Party of China (CCP) launches a diverse array of media and state program initiatives to bolster public nationalism, all to maintain social harmony amid the economic downturn caused by COVID and due to additional economic pressures forecasted by the late 2020s.
 * India's travel spends to grow to $136 billion, a 13% rise from 2018.
 * Indian Railways hire 400,000 people from economically weak areas after the Parliament passes an amendment mandating that 10% of hiring should come from these areas.
 * India's sanitation economy almost doubles from $32 million in 2017 to $62 million.
 * The gig economy workforce of India reaches 6 million workers, 4 million more than in 2015.
 * India's e-commerce market grows to $84 billion, up from $24 billion in 2017 as the number of internet users reaches 536 million, up from 451 million in 2019.
 * 90% of German taxpayers will no longer have to pay a “solidarity tax” introduced after the reunification of the country, which used to add 5.5% to income taxes.
 * Major UK banks now required to publish “living wills” to disclose resolvability assessments, ensuring taxpayers are not responsible for bank bailouts during a future recession.
 * Banks worldwide retire LIBOR (London Interbank Offering Rate), the interest rate used as a benchmark for trillions of pounds worth of loans globally, and replacing it with a better benchmark that more closely corresponds to the lending markets.
 * The French government creates its first national strategy for research — a plan designed to energize French science that will come with a meatier funding boost.
 * In Canada, housing prices rise by 3%.
 * NAFTA 2.0 goes into full effect, redefining the trading relationship between Canada and its partners in the US and Mexico.
 * The province of British Columbia's new minimum wage is now set to $15 per hour.
 * Australian government implements a new disciplinary system, with a watchdog body to enforce it, for the financial sector in hopes of rebuilding trust with customers and strengthening the economy.
 * To increase trust in financial advisors, the Australian government has banned grandfathered commissions.
 * In an agreement with the World Bank, the Punjab government withdraws its annual practice of wheat procurement from this year, reducing the strategic grain reserves to just 1 million metric tons in the next four years.
 * Pakistan starts the repayment of Chinese loans this year, including loans borrowed for the development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.
 * Malaysians are assigned Tax Identification Numbers.
 * The Malaysian government starts using accrual accounting & replaces the previous cash basis accounting.
 * 27 new malls open in greater Kuala Lumpur alone this year, on top of the 170 malls that opened in 2018, signaling a rapidly growing middle class.
 * In the Philippines, the national poverty rate falls to 18% one year before President Duterte's term ends.
 * Philippines' GDP grows 6.5% this year, surpassing growth in China, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
 * The Philippines's current account deficit grows to 2.6% this year, up from 2.4% in 2019.
 * Inflation in the Philippines remains below 4% for the third year in a row.
 * Philippine Health Insurance Corporation launches fully automated transaction services this year.
 * The Dutch government bans retailers of all sizes from displaying cigarettes in public view.
 * The Labour Force Survey conducted by Statistics Netherlands (CBS) undergoes a redesign. This year's surveys are more in line with developments in the labor market, such as the growing number of flex workers and self-employed professionals.
 * The debt of the Netherlands reaches 73.6% of GDP after the economic fallout of COVID-19.
 * The Dutch government lowers the corporate tax rate to 20.5%, down from the 25% rate in 2018.
 * Delayed since last year, the commercial fishing rights allocation is set to renew this year, but after a more thorough review of regulatory adherence by 12 fishing sectors.
 * Implats, the world's second-biggest platinum mining company, starts work on the Waterberg Project to build the Palladium Mine in South Africa, with hopes to start production by 2024.
 * In Singapore, overtime hours for private security officers is capped at 72 hours a month this year, down from 95 hours a month in 2017.
 * Singapore establishes a new gambling regulator this year to oversee the city's entire gambling landscape. It was previously overseen by various government agencies; this move is a consolidation designed to improve governing efficiency.
 * The Singaporean government awards operating licenses so that five new Digital Banks can start operating this year, further driving competition within Singapore's financial services sector.
 * This year, the Irish budget deficit is equivalent to a deficit of 4.1% of GDP, compared to a deficit of 7.4% of GDP in 2020.
 * Irish government debt rises to 68.4% of GDP this year, up from 58.8% in 2019.
 * Due to the COVID outbreak of 2020, the Irish economy suffers a massive contraction in output and endures 220,000 job losses before a recovery starts later this year.
 * Dublin rents rise by 17% this year compared to 2019 levels, due to the low supply of houses.
 * Irish pubs begin reopening this year, but full normalization of business isn't expected until 2024.
 * By July 1 of this year, private landlords must comply with the government's "healthy home" standards to improve the state of their rental properties.
 * The minimum wage in New Zealand goes up to to $20 this year, up from $16.50 in 2018.
 * Stronger Customer Authentication implements new frameworks for identity confirmation for customers making payments or purchases online.

Education

 * In China, textbooks and curriculums teaching high school students the basics of artificial intelligence, big data, coding, and quantum computing has been expanded nationwide this year.
 * New skills-based visa and immigration legislation encourages UK migration of the "best and brightest" students, workers, and specialists from India.
 * International students graduating from British universities are now given a two-year work visa in the UK automatically.
 * Pakistan develops and implements a unified curriculum for Class 1 to 5 this year. Teachings of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), guidelines of father of the nation Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, and philosophy of Allama Muhammad Iqbal become part of it. It caters to the needs of the modern times. The aims behind the enforcement of a unified educational curriculum are to equip the young generation with the skills needed to cope with the challenges of the technological age and to instill in them social values that highlight the Pakistani distinct national character. The influence of mafias is eliminated during the publication of unified curriculum textbooks.
 * In Malaysia, the Education Ministry formulates and rolls out nationally a new curriculum for pre-school up to secondary level students. That would ensure that the subjects to be taught in school would not burden the students and teachers. Aside from prepping students for the working world, they would also be exposed to high-level thinking skills which comply with international standards.

Philosophy

 * China launches its plan to rank all its citizens on their "social credit" system by the end of this year. It aims to reinforce the idea that keeping trust is glorious and breaking trust is disgraceful. Chinese citizens with low scores suffer penalties, such as banning you from flying or getting the train, throttling the person's internet speeds, compromising the education of children (in case their parents do not have much social credit), stopping the individual from getting a good job or attending to the best hotels, getting the person's dog away, being publicly named a bad citizen, etc.

Politics

 * Merkel leaves her post as German Chancellor, not standing for re-election. Norbert Röttgen replaces her.
 * Political representatives from Scotland push for a new referendum, similar to that in 2014, to decide on Scottish separation from the UK. However, even with the general Scottish discontent regarding the Brexit, the majority of voters are against this decision.
 * Amendments to the Malaysian law now allow 18-year-olds to vote.
 * The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) places legislation so that South Africans know who funds political parties.
 * This year, the New Zealand government achieves its aim to have 50 percent female representation on state sector boards and committees.

Recreational drugs

 * Cannabis use in the US is decriminalized.
 * Singapore raises the legal age for smoking to 21 this year, up from 18 in 2018.
 * New Zealand implements roadside, police-administered drug testing this year. Police are given the power to run random roadside saliva testing.

Art and entertainment

 * France lends Greece a metope from the Parthenon which was displayed at the Louvre, to coincide with the 2021 celebrations of the bicentennial of the start of the country's War of Independence.
 * France returns artworks that were taken from the West African country Benin during the colonial conquest of the region.
 * Tokyo hosts the Olympic Games.

Religion

 * "Mother of All Asia" statue officially unveiled in Batangas City to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the arrival of Christianity in the Philippines. Pope Francis travels to Manila to commemorate this event.
 * Catholics outnumber Protestants in Northern Ireland by this year.

Warfare

 * China deploys a new fleet of artificial intelligence-enabled robotic submarines, these models being larger, more economical, and more autonomous than previous submarines.
 * The US military continues to struggle to recruit enough young men and women into military service as interest in serving reaches decade lows. To attract a sufficient number of those who can serve, the Pentagon spends billions of US dollars on recruiting, offering recruits financial bonuses, as well as incentives that include student loan repayments.
 * The US military field tests its next-generation cruise missile, a technology previously banned under the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty that was canceled during Trump’s first term.
 * The Indian Navy finally builds IAC Vikrant, its first aircraft carrier, made in India, joining its other aircraft carrier built in Russia.
 * To match the US contribution, Germany increases its NATO budget from 14.8% in 2019 to 16.35%, while the share covered by the US decreases from 22.1% to 16.35%.
 * British Royal Navy allows allies to deploy onboard Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier as a new way to strengthen partnerships and coalitions with other countries.
 * France joins the hypersonic weapons club with its Project V-MaX (Experimental Maneuvering Vehicle), which created a hypersonic glider with a speed of more than 3,700 miles per hour, or Mach 5.
 * Canada ends its maritime security mission in the Middle East, withdrawing the deployment of a frigate, patrol aircraft, and up to 375 Canadian Forces personnel.

Population

 * World population reaches 7,837,028,000.
 * Since 2019, Canada has welcomed one million new immigrants to stem its falling birth rates.
 * To gather more data from citizens for the national census, the Australian Bureau of Statistics has removed questions about household internet access and added questions about cultural and gender identity.
 * The Malaysian government introduces new laws this year to protect the elderly from abuse and neglect.
 * This year, the Singaporean government will run ElderShield (the private insurers currently administering the insurance scheme for people with severe disabilities) after reaching an agreement with private insurers Aviva, Great Eastern, and NTUC Income.
 * The Irish government performs the census this year, along with other EU nations.

Language

 * Translation earbuds allow instantaneous translation, making foreign travel much easier.
 * Over 500 million people access the internet using Indian languages, a growth rate of 18% since 2017. The number of English speakers has grown by just 3%.
 * Canada's Official Languages Act to be fully modernized this year. Now, regulations are more clear and consistent, obliging federal institutions to offer services both in English and French in a more efficient way.