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Add to Preferred SourcesThe world population to reach 8 billion on 15 November 2022, air pollution in Europe and renewables remain cost-competitive amid the fossil fuel crisis. Here is what you missed from last week’s headlines in the international development sector.
World population to reach 8 billion on 15 November 2022
The global population is projected to reach 8 billion on 15 November 2022, and India is projected to surpass China as the world’s most populous country in 2023, according to World Population Prospects 2022.
The global population is growing at its slowest rate since 1950, having fallen under 1 percent in 2020. The latest projections by the United Nations suggest that the world’s population could grow to around 8.5 billion in 2030 and 9.7 billion in 2050. It is projected to reach a peak of around 10.4 billion people during the 2080s and to remain at that level until 2100.
World Population Prospects 2022 also states that fertility has fallen markedly in recent decades for many countries. Today, two-thirds of the global population lives in a country or area where lifetime fertility is below 2.1 births per woman, roughly the level required for zero growth in the long run for a population with low mortality.
Air pollution: Which European cities have the best air quality?
The cleanest cities in Europe in terms of air quality during 2020 and 2021 were Umeå in Sweden, and Faro and Funchal in Portugal according to the updated European city air quality data viewer published by the European Environment Agency (EEA). In addition to the viewer, the EEA also published two reports looking at emissions of air pollutants, targeted by different EU and UNECE requirements.
Over 340 cities are included in the European city air quality viewer. Cities are ranked from the cleanest to the most polluted based on average levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5). The data behind the ranking was collected from over 400 monitoring stations across EEA member countries over the past two calendar years.
From 2020 to 2021, air quality was good in only 11 cities, meaning that levels of PM2.5 were below the World Health Organization’s (WHO) health-based guideline for long-term exposure to PM2.5 of 5 micrograms per cubic meter of air (5 μg/m3). The guideline was exceeded in 97% of the 343 European cities included in the viewer.
Renewable power remains cost-competitive amid fossil fuel crisis
Costs for renewables continued to fall in 2021 as supply chain challenges and rising commodity prices have yet to show their full impact on project costs. The cost of electricity from onshore wind fell by 15%, offshore wind by 13%, and solar PV by 13% compared to 2020.
Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2021, published by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), shows that almost two-thirds of 163 gigawatts (GW) of newly installed renewable power in 2021 had lower costs than the world’s cheapest coal-fired option in the G20. IRENA estimates that, given the current high fossil fuel prices, the renewable power added in 2021 saves around USD 55 billion from global energy generation costs in 2022.
IRENA’s new report confirms the critical role that cost-competitive renewables play in addressing today’s energy and climate emergencies by accelerating the transition in line with the 1.5°C warming limit and the Paris Agreement goals. Solar and wind energy, with their relatively short project lead times, represent vital planks in countries’ efforts to swiftly reduce, and eventually phase out, fossil fuels and limit the macroeconomic damages they cause in pursuit of net zero.
DevelopmentAid Editorials
Extreme hot weather kills dozens, puts farming at risk in South Asia
Extreme weather conditions have dramatically affected agriculture in South Asia, putting countries at risk of food insecurity. This year, India has reported its highest temperature in 122 years, while Pakistan in March documented the highest global positive temperature anomaly. In addition to scorching temperatures, the two countries also experienced dry weather, as Pakistan and India both recorded 62% percent and 71% below-average rainfall, respectively.
Principles in Procurement Procedures: Best value for money?
After two years of fighting a pandemic by curtailing business activities and restricting the movement of people and cargo, the developed world is now struggling with soaring levels of inflation, disruptions to supply chains, and growing fuel prices. As such, many developed countries such as Great Britain have sought to reduce their humanitarian aid and international developmental assistance budgets, making it more important than ever to demonstrate value for money.
Unemployment triggers poverty, gender disparity
Poverty is often the result of a combination of circumstances most of which, such as poor education and lack of proper healthcare services, are preventable. Still, the main condition that triggers poverty is unemployment and underemployment. Of the 689 million people facing extreme poverty, for most having a job is the only recourse they have to facing fewer problems.
Here’s what else has happened
IREA: As to supply chains, IRENA’s data suggests that not all materials cost increases have been passed through into equipment prices and project costs yet. If material costs remain elevated, the price pressures in 2022 will be more pronounced. Increases might however be dwarfed by the overall gains of cost-competitive renewables in comparison to higher fossil fuel prices.
EEA: Along with the EEA briefing on the NEC Directive, the EEA also published the annual EU emission inventory report 1990-2020, which looks at air pollutant emissions reported by the EU under the UNECE Air Convention. The report showed a continued, albeit recently slowing, downward trend in emissions from 1990-2020 of six key air pollutants: carbon monoxide, ammonia, nitrogen oxides, non-methane volatile organic compounds, sulfur oxides, and particulate matter. Ammonia emissions have shown the least decline since 1990.
Council of Europe: The Council aims to formally adopt its position on the draft general budget for 2023 via a written procedure ending on 6 September 2022. This will then serve as a mandate for the Czech presidency to negotiate the 2023 EU budget with the European Parliament.
Reports
UNHCR survey finds refugees from Ukraine hope to go home
The majority of refugees from Ukraine hope to return home as soon as possible but around two-thirds expect to stay in their current host countries until hostilities subside and the security situation improves, according to new findings published by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.
The report, ‘Lives on Hold: Profiles and Intentions of Refugees from Ukraine,’ shows refugees consistently expressing concerns about their futures due to the ongoing war, which is preventing them from making secure, long-term plans.
For the survey, UNHCR and partners interviewed some 4,900 refugees from Ukraine in the Czech Republic, Hungary, the Republic of Moldova, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia between mid-May and mid-June 2022 to better understand their profiles and future intentions.
African Development Bank: New flagship publication looks at ten years of investments in regional operations
The African Development Bank Group has released a new report providing a snapshot of the results of regional operations financed by its concessional lending window, the African Development Fund (ADF), over the last decade.
The report, “Crossing Borders, Connecting Communities, Changing Lives,” reviews and documents the impacts of the regional operations envelope since ADF-13 (the 13th replenishment of the ADF). Contributing to more than 80 active regional projects and programs, the ADF’s regional operations envelope provides vital support to Africa’s 37 low-income countries, 16 of which are landlocked. By supplementing these countries’ resources, the envelope makes it possible for the countries to build regional infrastructure that stimulates their development.
IFC report: Boosting women’s online education expands job opportunities, can add up to $14 billion to market value
Greater access to online learning for women can boost economic opportunities for them, such as jobs and new skills, while potentially adding up to $14 billion in value to the adult post-secondary online education market in emerging markets by 2026, according to a report from IFC.
The study, Women and Online Learning in Emerging Markets, developed in partnership with Coursera and the European Commission, reports that since the onset of the pandemic, about one-third of the women learners surveyed in Egypt, India, Mexico, and Nigeria said they found a new job, set up a business, or improved their job or business performance after taking online courses. The analysis finds that one job is created for every 30 people trained online in these countries.
Events
UNESCO Creative Cities Network XIV Annual Conference
📅 18-22 July 2022 🕑 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Santos, Brazil
The XIV Annual Conference of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) will be held in Santos, Brazil, from 18 to 22 July 2022. The Conference will bring together representatives of the cultural and creative sectors and mayors of UCCN member cities, in order to promote sustainable development through culture and creativity.
Time to Act Together: Coordinating Policy Responses to the Global Food Crisis
📅 18 July 2022 🕑 15:00 – 18:00 EDT (New York) / 21:00 – 24:00 CEST (Rome)
New York, USA
The global food and agriculture system, tied closely to global financial and energy markets, is presently in turmoil from an onslaught of challenges, the most recent being the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and its dramatic impact. With global hunger and malnutrition numbers already trending upward, the conflict in Ukraine has given rise to additional perturbations to the planting, harvesting, transport, and export of major agricultural commodities from the Black Sea region, as well as to prices of and access to essential inputs like fuels and fertilizers.
Latin America and the Caribbean Climate Week 2022
📅 18-22 July 2022
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
LACCW 2022 will be held from 18-22 July in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The Week will engage and empower stakeholders to drive climate action across countries, communities, and economies. Working together opens opportunities to advance climate action, address social inequalities and invest in development that is good for humanity and nature.