Three-quarters of those without access to electricity now live in Africa, a share that has risen over recent years. The economic effects of Covid-19 have only increased the number of people unable to access electricity and who were forced into energy poverty. In this context, Friends of the Earth Africa has launched a report that analyses this situation and outlines…
The UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has released the first draft of its global action plan that aims to halt biodiversity loss by the end of the decade. The Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework draft 1 was presented on 12 July 2021 and will undergo further refinement during online negotiations in the coming months. Thereafter, it will be submitted for…
The market race for COVID-19 vaccines is widening the vaccine access gap. Some countries in the global North are buying more vaccines than they need for their entire population, while most countries in the global South are faced with shortages, resulting in slow vaccination programs. As long as vaccination efforts are driven by economic capacity, competition, and property, there will…
“The US's recent decision to back the waiver of intellectual property rights of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) shows that people power works,” said Sam Cossar, Co-coordinator of the Economic Justice and Resisting Neoliberalism program of Friends of the Earth International (FOEI). “The pressure is really now on the European Union (EU) and Australia not to continue blocking it. It…
“Today high income countries are vaccinating 25 times faster than the lowest income countries,” warned the Coordinator of the Development and Intellectual Property Programme at Third World Network (TWN), Sangeeta Shashikant, on Thursday. “Intellectual property waivers are a must in the context of a pandemic,” she added in an interview with Real World Radio. This Friday, the World Trade Organisation…
The African Peoples Tribunal, organised in Lagos and online by Friends of the Earth Africa, saw testimonies on cases from 10 African countries. The 24-28 November event ended with a call on governments to urgently ensure that human rights are respected and protected. It also denounced the collusion between governments and transnational corporations as objectionable and unacceptable. “This was probably…
“The world is currently facing a series of existential and interlocking crises… But as we know from the long history of inequality that exists in the world, people won’t suffer these crises equally, some are already bearing the brunt much more than others, and it is predominantly those in the Global South who are the ones at the forefront of…
This first article, of a series of three, analyzes the current sociopolitical situation. We will share our vision of what kind of environmental management is proposed by the current government. In a second article, we will analyze some of the proposals and policies that the government has followed or put into practice. Finally, the third article will talk about real…
Farming in Palestine, an essential activity for the national economy, was already suffering from military attacks and the Israeli blockade. The sector now faces further damages due to the COVID-19 pandemic and government response measures, including lockdown. “Palestinian farmers are unable to access the necessary agricultural inputs, lands and markets due to the lockdown,” said Samar Khuzundar, an activist from…
On 22 September, the Continental Day for Democracy and against Neoliberalism (La Jornada Continental), will hold an online discussion entitled “Popular dialogues: unity, democracy and life for our peoples”. Taking place at 4pm in Central America (12am midnight CET), the discussion will be broadcasted live on their Facebook page in Spanish, English and Portuguese. “It will be a moment to…
