Global poverty is on the rise. With the toxic mixture of the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, the ensuing economic instability, and the mushrooming cost of living crises, for people and communities around the world it is difficult to imagine how life could be any harder or how it could improve. The World Bank estimates that in 2020 the number of people living in extreme poverty rose by 70 million to more than 700 million. The bumpy road to post-pandemic recovery has brought little improvement as the present overall number is only expected to have dropped to around 685 million people. If this global turbulence were to continue then we can expect to still see 574 million people living in extreme poverty i.e. living on less than $2.15 a day, in 2030 (The World Bank, 2022)…

The gendered aspects of climate change are often discussed by international organizations, policy makers and researchers and yet there is a clear chasm between recognizing the disproportionate effect climate change has on women and girls versus implementing and seeing through policies or actions which would help to close this gap.

As we rapidly head towards Christmas, communities around the world are putting up decorations, wrapping presents, purchasing huge quantities of food and drink, and traveling varying distances to spend the holiday season with family and friends. Though it's important that we all enjoy this opportunity to take a break from the stresses and anxieties that loom over everyday life and to treat ourselves to a minced pie or box of chocolates it is important that we continue to be mindful of the lifestyle choices we make and how they impact upon the planet.

This edition hopes to provide you with some useful food for thought ranging from rethinking misinterpretations of the IPCC report, to contemplating the nuclear energy turnaround in South Korea. These stories shine a light on some of the most concerning and questionable behaviours of governments and businesses around the world. Food and water is the prevailing theme of this edition in recognition of the cost of living crisis and the difficulties faced by many in being able to afford to put food on the table for their families. In our sustainability spotlight we have included a successful new app which aims to reduce food waste and which we hope our readers will try out the next time you have a surplus of food. This newsletter, as usual, will provide a short summary of some of the most notable, informative and quirky recent climate stories in the hope that it provides inspiration and insight into climate news from around the world. Finally, we want to hear from you, our readers, about any topics that interest you, which we can either produce research papers on or include stories in future newsletters.

Women have been the strength and stay of many African Nations throughout history as warriors, mothers, matriarchs, freedom fighters and now politicians, NGO workers and climate activists. The disenfranchised, poor, and repressed image of African women and girls often portrayed in global media could not be further from the truth for many amazing women who are taking their place in what was and to some extent remains a patriarchal society in almost every nation across the continent. The strength of these women to defy traditional gender roles and seek a career and voice outside of the home evidences at least in part the importance of their role in politics and in particular their steering of the climate policies to come. In a region which is already experiencing the grave impacts of climate change in the form of drought, desertification, forced migration, etc. the inevitable loss of life, livelihoods and futures are often felt most deeply by women due to the systemic gender inequalities which are so deeply rooted in African society. This does not mean however that these women are either powerless or vulnerable as many have weathered far greater storms and when given the opportunity will exhibit far greater resilience to disasters and crises than their male counterparts.