2022 Recap: Wins to take into the New Year.
When we reflect on the past year, it can be difficult not to think of 2022 as a series of unprecedented geopolitical, economic, and environmental crises. However, as we step into the new foliage of 2023, it is important to remember that not all hope has been lost. Over the past year, more people than ever have been working together to mobilise important movements to drive much-needed change - they have been protesting and altering outdated policy, raising global awareness, and developing new technology and solutions to provide a safer and greener world for us all. Here are some of my favourite pieces of good news from across 2022 to remind you all about the hope there still is for the coming year.
British Sign Language made an official language: As of January 2022, the government announced it would be supporting a bill to make British Sign Language consistently available in public services. When the legislation comes into effect, people will have a legal right to a BSL interpreter when calling 999 and at doctors’ surgeries - a significant win for the deaf community!
Global reports signposting ways forward for treating mental health: The World Mental Health Report (published under the World Health Organisation) provided the largest review of world mental health in 20 years. Using the latest evidence available, examples of good practice, and voicing people’s lived experience, the report argues for a worldwide transformation in mental health services and lays out a roadmap for getting there.
We are living longer and healthier lives: 68.7% of the world population have now had at least one dose of a COVID vaccine; global life expectancy went up to 73 years in 2022. Today, 9.2% of the world population live in what is defined as extreme poverty, compared to 36% in 1990 - that is more than a billion people!
Protecting wildlife: This year’s World Wildlife Conference was held in Panama, where representatives from more than 160 governments reached a record number of 365 decisions. It was hugely successful - over 500 species of flora and fauna, including 150 species of trees, 160 species of amphibians and over 100 species of sharks and rays such as the scalloped hammerhead shark will be protected under the regulations set by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
UN progress with plastic waste: At the UN Environment Assembly held in Nairobi this March, more than 160 UN members-states endorsed a resolution to end plastic pollution, and to establish a legally binding agreement to address the full lifecycle of plastic waste by 2024.
India's first fully solar powered village: The village of Modhera in western India's Gujarat state has become the country's first to run entirely on solar energy, helping residents to save time and money. As the world's third-largest carbon dioxide emitter, India aims to meet half of its energy demands from renewable sources, such as solar and wind, by 2030.
Clean energy innovation: In December, it was announced that the UK’s first carbon-capture plant will be based in North Lincolnshire, and could remove up to 1.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide from the air every year!
Young people continue to lead the way: Youth climate leaders are being increasingly represented and included in global climate negotiations. The Sharm el-Sheikh Implementation Plan was recently adopted in Egypt at COP27, which promotes the ‘full, meaningful and equal participation of children and youth.’ The first ever youth-led Climate Forum was held in 2022, which oversaw discussions between young people, Ministers, Lead negotiators, and other policy makers.
In countries across the world, young people are using the legal justice system to fight for environmental change. Over the past year, young activists in at least seven countries brought governments to court for failing to protect them from the impacts of climate pollution.
This November, more than 600 young people, including three 7-year-olds and world-renowned activist Greta Thunberg, sued the Swedish government for its failure to take sufficient action to protect the public from the impacts of climate pollution.
Of course, late December held an unexpected twist for Greta Thunberg. Through a Twitter spat with controversial influencer Andrew Tate, she inadvertently provoked a video response from him that revealed his location to the Romanian police - authorities arrested him for a human trafficking and rape investigation. Not a bad end to the year, at all!
References:
https://www.bigissue.com/news/activism/the-biggest-wins-by-activists-in-2022-so-far/
https://www.who.int/news-room/spotlight/health-highlights-2022/
https://www.eco-business.com/news/9-biggest-sustainability-wins-of-2022/
https://www.edf.org/article/reasons-be-hopeful-six-stunning-environmental-wins-2022