Hong Kong’s first blog for SDG education news and announcements
The global effort to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 1—ending poverty everywhere by 2030—faces some pretty major challenges. Recent reports increasingly show significant budget cuts to international development agencies and other poverty relief programs. While global tensions and economic changes certainly add to development problems, less funding for important anti-poverty work could undo decades of progress and leave millions perpetually trapped in poverty. The recent and almost total eradication of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), historically a cornerstone of global anti-poverty efforts, has dealt by far the biggest blow. Groups like Oxfam America have shown how big drops in USAID funding directly harm programs that provide essential services and opportunities in low-income nations. These include vital health initiatives, food aid, and economic development projects. For example, Oxfam America notes that such cuts could result in tens of milli . . .
What are international dollars? (Our World in Data) Where in the world are babies at the lowest risk of dying? (Our World in Data) Why are solar panels and batteries from China so cheap? (Hannah Ritchie) What's the carbon footprint of using ChatGPT? (Hannah Ritchie) Real cost of disasters is 10 times higher than previously thought, says UN (UN News) The Environmental Impact of Bioplastics: A Growing Solution to Plastic Pollution (Happy Eco news) How New Coral Reef Restoration Technology is Giving Corals a Fighting Chance (Happy Eco news) Revealed: Saudi Arabia’s secretive rehabilitation ‘prisons’ for disobedient women (The Guardian) Pakistan sends ‘important signal’ of hope in a gloomy world of pushbacks on women’s rights (The Guardian) ‘I don’t want to be here. But we can’t go home’: what life is like for people forced to flee floods and fighting (The Guardian) . . .
The intersection of climate change and gender-based violence is becoming increasingly alarming, as highlighted by a recent UN report. Climate crisis impacts, such as extreme weather events, displacement, and food insecurity, are exacerbating existing inequalities and fueling violence against women and girls. The report warns that without urgent action, intimate partner violence could rise significantly, with projections suggesting that millions more women and girls could be affected by the end of the century. The findings reveal that every degree of global temperature increase correlates with a notable rise in intimate partner violence. Vulnerable communities, particularly those already facing social and economic challenges, are experiencing the brunt of this crisis. Indigenous women, those living in poverty, and marginalized groups are at heightened risk, facing not only violence but also threats to their environmental rights. Despite the urgency, a mere fraction of climate-related . . .
Image by Sergio Serjão from Pixabay How effective and safe are measles vaccines? (Our World in Data) Do imports of cheap solar panel and other technologies help or hurt domestic jobs in clean energy? (Hannah Ritchie) Many second-hand electric cars are cheaper up-front than their petrol equivalents (Hannah Ritchie) Climate crisis driving surge in gender-based violence, UN report finds (UN News) UN chief hails Pope Francis as ‘a transcendent voice for peace’ (UN News) Earth Day 2025: Our Power, Our Planet (Happy Eco news) Nature-Based Tree Growth Acceleration to Help Fight Climate Change (Happy Eco news) ‘Spiral of silence’: climate action is very popular, so why don’t people realise it? (The Guardian) On thin ice: the brutal cold of Canada’s Arctic was once a defence, but a warming climate has changed that (The Guardian) Grassroots activists who took on corruption and corporate power share 2025 Goldman prize (The Guardian) . . .
How much foreign aid is spent domestically rather than overseas? (Our World in Data) Could whales be a solution to climate change? Probably only a very small one. (Hannah Ritchie) Tariffs: Job protectors or trade killers? (UN News) Fast fashion fuelling global waste crisis, UN chief warns (UN News) Amazon Rainforest Conservation Blockchain Initiative Launched by CAF and O.N.E. Amazon (Happy Eco news) Global Youth Climate Summit 2025: Empowering Young Leaders for Climate Action (Happy Eco news) How Karachi’s women got into power: the female electricians lighting up homes in Pakistan (The Guardian) Aid cuts predicted to cause 2.9 million more HIV-related deaths by 2030 – study (The Guardian) Expert says climate change behind South Korea's worst wildfires on record (The Guardian) . . .
I recently read an article about the "Single Banana Experiment" that got me thinking about food waste and consumer behavior. Conducted by researchers at the University of Bath, the experiment focused on the lonely single bananas often left behind in grocery stores. These bananas, usually sold in bunches, often end up in the trash simply because shoppers only want part of a bunch. What struck me was the innovative approach the researchers took to address this issue. They placed emotional signage next to the single bananas, using images of sad and happy bananas to evoke feelings in shoppers. The results were remarkable: the sad banana signage was particularly effective in encouraging customers to rescue these overlooked fruits. This simple yet clever tactic highlights the power of emotional connection in shaping our choices. This experiment serves as a powerful reminder that reducing food waste is a shared responsibility between retailers and consumers. It also shows that creativity ca . . .
For many of us, it doesn’t cost much to improve someone’s life, and we can do much more of it (Our World in Data) Some key insights from the UK Climate Change Committee’s Seventh Carbon Budget (Hannah Ritchie) ‘Anxiety, paranoia, fear’: The consequences of digital violence against women (UN News) Humanitarian system at breaking point as funding cuts force life-or-death choices (UN News) African Carbon Capture Project Paves Way for Low-Cost, Sustainable Climate Solutions (Happy Eco news) The Single Banana Experiment (Happy Eco news) Biased laws and poverty driving huge rise in female prisoners – report (The Guardian) USAid cuts could create untreatable TB bug ‘resistant to everything we have’ (The Guardian) ‘If you don’t get early years right, children are unlikely to catch up’: why South Africa is trying to reboot its school system (The Guardian) . . .
I recently read an intriguing article on Happy Eco News about "sportswashing" and its implications for sustainability. The piece explores how fossil fuel companies are investing billions in sports sponsorships to enhance their public image amid increasing climate scrutiny. According to a study by the New Weather Institute, over $5.6 billion has flowed from the oil and gas sector into various sports, including football, motorsports, and golf. This practice aims to divert attention from the environmental damage these industries cause, including air pollution responsible for millions of deaths annually. The article highlights the strategic partnerships between major sports organizations and companies like Saudi Aramco and Ineos, which seek to align their brands with the positive aspects of sports. However, as awareness of climate issues grows, there’s a rising call for sports entities to reconsider these relationships. Some leagues and teams are already distancing themselves from f . . .
