Clear all

6 results found

reorder grid_view

A Safe and Just Space for Humanity: Can we live within the doughnut?

February 10, 2012

Humanity's challenge in the 21st century is to eradicate poverty and achieve prosperity for all within the means of the planet's limited natural resources. In the run-up to Rio+20, this discussion paper presents a visual framework - shaped like a doughnut - which brings planetary boundaries together with social boundaries, creating a safe and just space between the two, in which humanity can thrive. Moving into this space demands far greater equity - within and between countries - in the use of natural resources, and far greater efficiency in transforming those resources to meet human needs.

Left Behind by the G20? How inequality and environmental degradation threaten to exclude poor people from the benefits of economic growth

January 18, 2012

The G20 is committed to supporting equitable and sustainable growth. But new data shows that a lot needs to change if they are to live up to this pledge. The stakes are high: analysis in this paper suggests that without attention to growing inequality, strong growth is unlikely to be enough to prevent poverty increasing in some G20 countries over the next decade. Income inequality is growing in almost all G20 members, while it is falling in many low- and lower middle-income countries. Meanwhile, environmentally unsustainable economic expansion is driving dangerous climate change, and depleting the natural resources upon which poor people depend most for their livelihoods. Without action, inequality will render the benefits of growth inaccessible to the poor, even as they bear the costs of this expansion through the impacts of a changing climate and environmental degradation. It's time for the G20 to practice what it preaches.

The Great EU Sugar Scam: How Europe's sugar regime is devastating livelihoods in the developing world

November 3, 2010

European consumers and taxpayers are paying to destroy livelihoods in developing countries. Under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the EU has emerged as the world's largest exporter of white sugar. Subsidies and tariffs generate vast profits for big sugar processors and large farmers - and vast surpluses that are dumped on world markets. Smallholder farmers and agricultural labourers in poor countries suffer the consequences. Oxfam is calling for an immediate end to EU sugar exports and improved market access for the poorest countries.

Kicking Down the Door: How upcoming WTO talks threaten farmers in poor countries

November 3, 2010

Millions of poor farmers in developing countries cannot earn a living because of cheap, often dumped, food imports. The world's most important basic food, rice, shows the seriousness of the problem. Rich countries have long used the IMF and World Bank, and aggressive bilateral trade deals, to push open the door of poor countries' markets to a flood of cheap rice, including heavily subsidised rice from the US. Now rich countries plan to use the binding rules of the WTO to kick that door down altogether. But trade rules must promote development, not undermine it. Any new WTO deal must ensure that poor countries can regulate trade to promote food security and rural livelihoods.

Adapting to Climate Change: What's needed in poor countries, and who should pay

October 29, 2010

Climate change is forcing vulnerable communities in poor countries to adapt to unprecedented climate stress. Rich countries, primarily responsible for creating the problem, must stop harming, by fast cutting their greenhouse-gas emissions, and start helping, by providing finance for adaptation. In developing countries Oxfam estimates that adaptation will cost at least $50bn each year, and far more if global emissions are not cut rapidly. Urgent work is necessary to gain a more accurate picture of the costs to the poor. According to Oxfam's new Adaptation Financing Index, the USA, European Union, Japan, Canada, and Australia should contribute over 95 per cent of the finance needed. This finance must not be counted towards meeting the UN-agreed target of 0.7 per cent for aid. Rich countries are planning multi-billion dollar adaptation measures at home, but to date they have delivered just $48m to international funds for least-developed country adaptation, and have counted it as aid: an unacceptable inequity in global responses to climate change.

Climate Shame: Get back to the table: Initial analysis of the Copenhagen climate talks

October 29, 2010

Copenhagen was a unique opportunity to turn the world's course away from climate disaster, towards a safe future for all of us on this small planet. Massive global public mobilization demanded it. But leaders of the major powers negotiated for their national interests, instead of safeguarding our shared destiny.