On the brink?: UNA-UK lets facts and figures speak for themselves
Climate
- 20 companies are responsible for 35% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
- 70% of today’s emissions could be eliminated with readily available technological solutions.
- Nearly one million animal and plant species are at risk of extinction.
- The shift to a greener economy could create 24 million new jobs globally by 2030. However, 800 million people could lose their jobs to automation by 2030.
- One-third of Earth’s surface land and nearly three-quarters of our freshwater is used for crop and livestock production.
Demographics
- The world population will peak at 11 billion in 2100 due to the declining global fertility rate, which has halved since 1950.
- By 2050, there will be more older people than adolescents and youths (ages 15–24).
- Nearly half the world’s population use social media.
- International migrants make up 3% of the global population.
Conflict and Violence
- In 2016, more countries experienced violent conflict than at any point in almost 30 years.
- In 2017, crime killed 464,000 people. Armed conflicts killed 89,000. Terrorist attacks killed 19,000
Inequality
- The income share of the poorest 20% of humanity has barely shifted since 1990, despite global economic output more than tripling.
- The top 1% of income earners captured 27% of total income growth since 1990 while the bottom 50% of income earners captured 12%
Urbanisation
- Around 55% of the world’s population lives in towns and cities. It is projected to be nearly 70% by 2050.
Sources: UN’s 75th anniversary “issue briefs” (www.un.org/un75); Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services; No time to wait: securing the future from drug resistant infections, Interagency Coordination Group on Antimicrobial Resistance; Climate Accountability Institute.
