Shift to a more sustainable world has begun

Ask anyone for their abiding memory of 2015 and they will most likely recall a negative one.

Some will recall the horrifying stories of death and destruction caused by conflicts around the world, most notably in Syria where more than 250,000 people have lost their lives and almost 11 million people have been displaced. Others will recall a sense of grief, fear and anger after violent extremists attacked, tortured, kidnapped and executed innocent civilians around the world. Still others might recall a simple but disturbing fact they heard in passing - that 2015 was the hottest year on record or that more than 15,000 children continue to die annually, mostly from preventable diseases.

Yet despite all of this, 2015 was also a year of progress and breakthroughs.