UN backs voluntary shift to Equal Earth map projection

The United Nations General Assembly has reportedly backed a non-binding resolution encouraging governments and institutions to adopt the Equal Earth map projection, which gives a more proportionate representation of continental land areas.

According to Al Jazeera, the resolution received 164 votes in favour. The United States voted against it, while Serbia, Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova and Ukraine abstained. Togo spearheaded the initiative.

Equal Earth is intended to address the area distortions of the Mercator projection, introduced in 1569 for maritime navigation. Mercator preserves shapes and angles useful for navigation but makes northern regions appear larger and compresses areas closer to the equator.

Africa covers about 30.3 million square kilometres and is roughly 14 times larger than Greenland, despite the two appearing similar in size on Mercator maps. Equal Earth was launched in 2018 by cartographers Bojan Savric, Tom Patterson and Bernhard Jenny.

France, which co-sponsored the resolution, said it would abandon the Mercator projection. The United States criticised the vote as evidence that the institution was losing credibility, according to Al Jazeera.

The resolution does not ban Mercator or impose a replacement. It encourages voluntary adoption of Equal Earth, meaning the vote supports a change in cartographic practice rather than altering any formal map standard.