Disha Ravi: Climate activism and peasant protests in India

In the autumn of 2020, Indian farmers began to protest against agricultural reforms. Photo: Wikimedia Commons CC BY 2.0

Of: Josefine Hörkeby

The founder of Fridays for Future India, Disha Ravi, who was previously arrested on suspicion of conspiracy against the Government of India, has now been released on bail. The 22-year-old activist is one of many Indian environmental activists who are threatened or criminalized.

March 27, 2021, News

Week 11: Poverty increases and fossil fuels must be banned

Of: Nagaad Kadir Abdimaxmud

Last week, the development aid debate flared up once again as a result of a bill passed in the European Parliament. At the same time, global poverty is increasing, not least in Yemen, where the war is still going on. It has also been discussed whether a ban on fossil fuels could have faster effects in combating climate change.

March 22, 2021, Current debate

Become aware of what affects the ecological footprint the most

Of: Elin Petersson

Living without a car, avoiding air travel, switching to a plant-based diet and having fewer children are some changes that have major environmental benefits and should therefore be prioritized. Despite this, many consumers associate environmental friendliness with less effective changes such as choosing locally produced products, organic food or introducing a vegetarian day a week. If the public lacks the ability to distinguish effective changes from ineffective ones, the chances are low that Sweden will achieve consumption-related environmental goals, says Elin Petersson, a student at Linnaeus University.

February 26, 2021, Debate

Researcher: Climate compensation is not enough

To fly or not to fly, that is the question. Source: Piqsels

Of: Anna Wildeke

That countries and companies compensate for climate change is positive for the environment. But the approach also meets with criticism, some believe that the compensation will be a kind of indulgence letter that justifies an already too high consumption. According to Eva Lövbrand, assistant professor at Linköping University, climate compensation is not enough to achieve the goals within the Paris Agreement - drastic reductions in emissions are also required.

February 18, 2021, Report

More difficult but not impossible - covid-19 and the global goals

Of: Alan Atkisson

Covid-19 has turned difficult progress into setbacks. The latest figures from the World Bank give a gloomy picture in areas such as global poverty, hunger, health and education. But in the midst of a pandemic, we are also experiencing a dramatic acceleration of digitalisation, greater opportunities for equal inclusion and the development of new investment instruments to lift people out of poverty. We must look at the big picture, think long-term and continue to look for more effective levers for change, says Alan AtKisson, department manager at Sida.

February 15, 2021, Debate

Indian civil society organizations face digital challenges during the pandemic

Kunal Anerao stands in a circle of students from Parsharam Wadi School, a school outside the town of Devrukh in the Indian countryside. Photo: Frida Viklund Rundgren

Of: Frida Viklund Rundgren

Covid-19 poses new challenges for the Indian environmental organization Srushtidnyan, whose school project has been allowed to continue online. Environmental work with farmers has stopped, but the organization hopes for an increased interest in organic farming methods when migrant workers return to their home villages to invest in agriculture. Positive changes can also be seen when the government has opened up for increased cooperation with civil society organizations in vulnerable areas.

February 11, 2021, Interview

That is why it is important to spread knowledge about the world

Johanna Wolf, non-profit active in FUF Stockholm

Of: Johanna Wolff and Max Ericson

The world is getting smaller with digitalisation. At the same time, we also see how complex the world is and that the challenges can be difficult to solve when we are not working together or towards the same goal. But why is it important that we have knowledge of the world and all the challenges we face? Read more about what our two non-profit active members from FUF think about this. They talk about the importance of finding their glow and getting a platform to express themselves.

February 8, 2021, Chronicle

High time for a new type of global development

Photo: UNDP

Of: Josefin Pasanen

The new year comes with promises of large-scale Covid vaccination and a glimmer of hope that things can soon return to "normal" again. But there are many indications that it is precisely our "normal" way of life that has triggered the pandemic and the global socio-economic crisis that has come in its wake. The latest UN report on human development (HDR 2020) shows that the Covid-19 pandemic risks becoming a warning of what is to come, if humanity does not change course and work to restore balance on the planet.

January 29, 2021, Debate

Is it possible to trust the climate investments in China's new five-year plan?

Despite new promises of investments in renewable fuels, China is still expanding its coal industry. Photo by Picrazy2

Despite new promises of investments in renewable fuels, China is still expanding its coal industry. Photo by Picrazy2

Of: Aaron Malmborg

China's new five-year plan aims at ambitious targets for renewable energy, a less export-dependent economy and technological development. The intention is to increase the prosperity of several hundred million people and counteract climate change. But can we trust what the Communist Party promises, and will they be able to hold on to power?

January 25, 2021, Analysis

Feminist perspectives on the climate crisis are needed for a fair future 

Civil society is important for driving changes in attitudes and influencing public opinion, but cannot take full responsibility. Photo: 2014 Peoples' Climate March NYC 85 by Stephen D. Melkisethian under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 

Of: Frida Viklund Rundgren

Women - especially in low-income countries - are hardest hit by climate change. A report from CONCORD shows the need for a rights-based strategy to strengthen the link between gender equality and sustainable development. Progress has been made through Sweden's feminist foreign policy, but increased cooperation is needed at all levels of society. 

January 18, 2021, Report