Creating a Better Future

The latest IPCC report is clear, without change we are facing the destruction of the ecosystems that our lives depend on. Here in the UK, Oxfam paints a stark picture, “The UK significantly outstrips proposed boundaries in nearly all of the environmental domains identified – [...] by 55% in terms of biodiversity loss; by 410% in terms of climate change (measured by emissions of MtCo2/year).” 

In 2019, the UK Government committed to net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, however it is not currently on track to meet the carbon budget targets set for 2025 and 2030. 

The Climate Change Committee warns there is a “growing gap” between the risks that Britons face from the climate crisis and the action being taken by the government to adapt to them.

We need to adapt to this new reality.

By building our collective resilience and supporting our communities we have the power to create a better, fairer, living world. There is hope, and this is our chance to grasp it.

Our throwaway culture is based on obsolescence: the obsolescence of function. Of quality. And of desirability. This keeps demand high. As a consequence, the UK produces more electronic waste per person than anywhere in the world apart from Norway at 23.9kg a year per person, with only 59% being recycled. Most often, we bin our old devices when we believe they are broken beyond repair. 

The UK is also the fourth largest textile waste producer in Europe, averaging 206.4 tonnes a year. We quickly — and dangerously — fall out of love with our clothing, with 1 in 3 women considering an item ‘old’ after only three wears. 

In London, the city incinerates the largest amount of waste (59.3%) compared to all other regions, and recycles the least (30.2%). In 2016 alone, 560,000 tonnes of CO2e emissions were produced from incinerating London’s waste.

We need to change our appetite for newness, and instead look to renew and care for what we have. A circular economy will encourage us to preserve and repair. We need to move to a mindset where our belongings have life-cycles, not shelf lives.

The Oxfam report paints a stark picture of the UK in 2014, “Inequalities in the distribution of the UK’s wealth are causing deprivation across many indicators, as people find themselves out of work, unable to afford to heat their homes and forced to visit food banks or simply go without enough food.” Recent data published by the ONS explains that “the gap between the richest in society and the rest of the population has widened over the 10-year period”.

The recent report from the Food Foundation showed the impact of the pandemic on food security, putting even more pressure on the current crisis. “When it comes to food, more people are food insecure now than before the pandemic. [...] Covid-19 has dramatically widened inequalities in food security and nutrition. BAME communities have consistently encountered disproportionately higher levels of food insecurity compared with white ethnic groups.”

This shocking situation has a dramatic impact on mental health. The number of people living with mental health problems has risen every year since 1993. Naturally, the Covid-19 pandemic has also had an impact, with four in ten adults sharing that the pandemic has had a negative effect on their mental health.

In London, net income inequality has risen gradually in London over the last 20 years. In contrast, it has been relatively stable in England overall.

We need to create a society where everyone feels supported and seen. We need to work on providing a social foundation so people in need can receive adequate help.