Europe passed a monumental law to restore nature while Finland almost completely eradicated homelessness. Additionally, a Scottish land deal empowered communities and the UK’s green economy defied early sceptics.
The European parliament passed a law aimed at reversing biodiversity loss which has plagued the EU. This law will require EU countries to safeguard and restore wildlife on a fifth of their land and sea by 2030. This milestone law must be approved by member states before being finalised. Despite scientific research revealing the catastrophic decline in nature within the EU with 81% of habitats classified as being in poor shape, the bill has been controversial with farmers protesting against it. The farmers claim that this law will impede their profits and increase bureaucracy.
The UK has now released new figures – further evidence that going green is the way forward. While the UK economy grew by a mere 0.1% in 2023, its burgeoning ‘net-zero economy’ grew by 9% last year. The report has discovered that the low-carbon business sector comprising renewables, green finance, and battery storage added £74bn to the UK economy and created better-paid green jobs. However, there are still questions surrounding political parties about the leadership, stability, and investment needed to create further growth.
When much of the world has experienced an increase in homelessness, Finland is an anomaly. In recent years, their homeless population has decreased dramatically with German newspaper Der Spiegel reporting only 3,600 homeless people in Finland currently, down from 20,000 in the 1980s. Their method for this decrease has been simple: investing in the construction and maintenance of welfare housing. Dubbed “Housing First”, this model has found homes for 60% of the homeless population in Finland. Unfortunately, the government’s programme of austerity could jeopardize this remarkable achievement.
Seoul recently announced their plans to build more homes for the populace living alone. The move comes following an increase in the number of these individuals living in the capital of South Korea. The move followed the success of Finland’s Housing First model.
Overall, these achievements provide us with some sense of hope, demonstrating progress and the impact that individuals can have when they take action
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