Context & Politics

In this category correspondents articulate their personal perspectives, offering evaluative insights on the broader implications of global society and political activities.

Military spending puts sustainable development choices under pressure

Rising defence budgets confront governments with competing demands for security, climate resilience and public services

Editorial Team SDG13

9 hours ago5 min read

Methane from rubbish: why landfills have become a climate target

Reducing landfill methane involves gas capture, food-waste prevention and reliable collection and treatment services

Editorial Team SDG13

3 days ago5 min read

Free Press Unlimited supports journalism under pressure

Safety assistance and newsroom support connect press freedom with the public’s access to independent information

Editorial Team SDG16

Sep 284 min read

Tactical Tech examines how personal data fuels digital influence

Through research and public education, Tactical Tech connects everyday digital habits with questions about political influence

Editorial Team SDG16

Sep 274 min read

AI safety boundaries put privacy and human control to the test

Rules on data, harmful uses and human oversight expose the choices behind safe artificial intelligence and innovation

Editorial

Sep 264 min read

Remittances exceed aid but costs limit their development impact

Migrant money supports education, healthcare and enterprise, while transfer costs and financial exclusion reduce its reach

Editorial Team SDG10

Sep 254 min read

Space governance beyond Earth raises questions of power and consent

Existing space law limits territorial claims but leaves the political organisation of future settlements unresolved

Editorial Team SDG16

Sep 245 min read

Green steel tests the economics of industrial transformation

Hydrogen and recycled scrap can cut steel emissions, but clean electricity, investment and buyers determine the pace of change

Editorial Team SDG9

Sep 225 min read

From learning about the ocean to participating in its future

Ocean literacy empowers youth to move from future promises to real participation in biodiversity decisions ahead of COP17

Gabriela Casuso

Sep 213 min read

HRDAG uses statistics to reveal gaps in human rights records

Human rights data analysis separates documented cases from estimates of violence missing from the record

Editorial Team SDG16

Sep 184 min read

The global race to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

Carbon removal is attracting investment, but costs, storage risks and limited capacity complicate its role alongside emissions cuts

Editorial Team SDG13

Sep 175 min read

Groundwater depletion drains the hidden reserve beneath cities and farms

Falling water tables threaten supplies and infrastructure, while local projects show how pumping and recharge can change

Editorial Team SDG6

Sep 164 min read

Who owns the scientific data needed to protect the planet?

Satellite records, climate observations and genetic databases expose tensions over access, profit and public funding

Editorial Team SDG13

Sep 155 min read

The Engine Room tests a community-led model for safer civil society technology

The non-profit combines digital security, responsible data and research as civic groups face expanding technological risks

Editorial Team SDG16

Sep 75 min read

How cities can protect people from extreme heat

Heat plans combine public warnings and emergency relief with long-term changes to streets, homes and workplaces

Editorial Team SDG11

Sep 15 min read

TRAFFIC tracks the systems behind illegal and unsustainable wildlife trade

The monitoring network turns trade data into policy and enforcement support, while confronting gaps in evidence and capacity

Editorial Team SDG15

Aug 284 min read

Rewilding benefits and conflicts in shared landscapes

Restoring ecological processes can revive habitats, but land, livelihoods and consent shape whether projects endure

Editorial Team SDG15

Aug 275 min read

ClientEarth tests the reach of environmental law in public accountability cases

The legal charity targets governments and companies, while court outcomes reveal the reach and limits of climate litigation

Editorial Team SDG16

Aug 245 min read

How abusive lawsuits can silence environmental criticism

Anti-SLAPP reforms seek to stop legal process being used as punishment while preserving valid reputation claims

Editorial Team SDG16

Aug 216 min read

MareCet maps marine mammal habitats

Long-term field research in Malaysia is turning sightings of dolphins, dugongs and whales into evidence for marine planning

Editorial Team SDG14

Aug 184 min read

The world changes when society chooses to change it - part two

Global progress continues, but many of humanity’s greatest challenges remain. Civil society, innovation and cooperation can help shape a more sustainable future

Editorial Team SDG17

Aug 185 min read

Environmental crime operates as a global organised economy

Illegal extraction and dumping converge through corruption, financial secrecy and international commodity chains

Editorial Team SDG16

Aug 145 min read

Debt-for-nature swaps face a test of lasting conservation

Debt relief can fund forests and oceans, but durable results depend on transparent finance and public consent

Editorial Team SDG14

Aug 105 min read

Environmental cooperation turns shared resources into channels for dialogue

Shared ecosystems can open contact across conflict lines, but cooperation depends on rights, power and durable local institutions

Editorial Team SDG6

Aug 85 min read

Debt repayments squeeze climate resilience investment in lower-income countries

Rising debt costs narrow budgets for flood protection, health systems, clean energy and disaster readiness

Editorial Team SDG17

Aug 74 min read

The world changes when society chooses to change it - part one

History shows that organised citizens have shaped many of the world’s greatest advances, proving that lasting change often begins far beyond the corridors of power

Editorial Team SDG17

Aug 65 min read

When coastlines can no longer be defended

Managed retreat tests whether governments can reduce coastal risk without dismantling communities

Editorial Team SDG11

Aug 16 min read

When climate risk makes insurance unaffordable

Repeated disasters are pushing insurance, mortgages and public budgets into a growing protection gap

Editorial Team SDG13

Jul 296 min read

The Advocates for Human Rights links legal aid to systemic reform

How documentation, pro bono representation and international advocacy turn individual cases into wider human rights action

Editorial Team SDG16

Jul 286 min read

ARTICLE 19 turns free expression principles into practical protection

How a global rights organisation uses law, policy and local partnerships to defend speech and the public’s right to know

Editorial Team SDG16

Jul 255 min read

The politics of clean air: health, power and environmental justice

Air pollution exposes how transport, energy and urban policy determine who breathes safely and who carries the greatest health burden

Editorial Team SDG3

Jul 186 min read

The science and politics of vaccine hesitancy

Declining vaccination rates in some countries are creating new public health risks, driven by distrust, misinformation and political polarisation

Editorial Team SDG3

Jul 176 min read

Libraries as democratic infrastructure for education and public life

Libraries protect equal access to knowledge, digital services and lifelong learning amid widening social and information divides

Editorial Team SDG4

Jul 167 min read

Digital Defenders Partnership strengthens digital security for civil society under threat

The programme funds emergency responses and long-term protection for activists, journalists and human rights organisations

Editorial Team SDG16

Jul 126 min read

When tourism becomes a local burden

Tourism can support cities, but unmanaged growth can displace residents, strain resources and turn communities into visitor economies

Editorial Team SDG11

Jul 127 min read

The forgotten right to sanitation

Safe toilets and wastewater systems protect health, education, equality and dignity, yet remain neglected in public policy

Editorial Team SDG6

Jul 107 min read

Locked out of finance, trapped in poverty

Banking exclusion leaves low-income workers, migrants and rural communities paying more and facing greater risks

Editorial Team SDG1

Jul 107 min read

ARTICLE 19 defends freedom of expression in an increasingly restrictive information environment

The organisation combines legal expertise, advocacy and training to protect the rights to speak, know and participate

Editorial Team SDG16

Jul 96 min read

Library For All and the case for culturally relevant children's books

Library For All works to expand early literacy by creating books that reflect the languages and lives of underserved children

Editorial Team SDG4

Jul 87 min read

The ethics of climate adaptation and the question of who is protected first

As climate risks intensify, adaptation choices are becoming tests of fairness, power and public responsibility

Editorial Team SDG13

Jul 75 min read

International Rivers challenges the dam-first model reshaping vulnerable waterways

Large dams, water stress and climate risks are forcing a rethink of river governance and community rights

Editorial Team SDG6

Jul 65 min read

Climate communication becomes a test of public trust

Climate Outreach highlights why public engagement now matters as much as policy design in climate action

Editorial Team SDG13

Jul 45 min read

Lake Sevan clean-up pledge draws attention to a wider water crisis

A foundation linked to Cape Town’s WeCare Foundation says it will fund shoreline waste removal in Armenia while urging stronger action on sewage, runoff and water withdrawals.

Editorial Team SDG6

Jul 34 min read

EarthRights International and the struggle to hold extractive industries accountable

EarthRights International puts corporate abuse in extractive industries under scrutiny

Communities facing mining, oil and gas harms are pushing for stronger human rights and environmental accountability

Editorial Team SDG16

Jul 25 min read

Civic technology only matters when it gives people usable power

Digital tools can support participation and accountability, but only when they solve real civic problems

Editorial Team SDG16

Jul 16 min read

After the tremor, the question we can no longer postpone

Venezuela must turn its natural resources into reconstruction, dignity and a shared future

Editorial

Jun 276 min read

Civic technology only matters when it gives people usable power

Digital tools can support participation and accountability, but only when they solve real civic problems

Editorial Team SDG16

Jun 256 min read

The ageing planet is testing how societies share care, work and security

Longer lives are reshaping pensions, housing, health systems and intergenerational fairness across ageing societies

Editorial Team SDG3

Jun 246 min read

Cities that exclude the poor show how inequality is built into urban life

Housing, transport, green space and services determine who can fully belong in a city

Editorial Team SDG11

Jun 236 min read

Grassroots peacebuilding shows why peace is community work

Local organisations are reducing violence, rebuilding trust and making SDG 16 visible in daily life

Editorial Team SDG16

Jun 226 min read

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Context & Politics

This section focuses on how political decisions, societal structures, and collaborative efforts shape the projects and initiatives aimed at creating a sustainable and healthy planet.

Through incisive commentary and opinion pieces, our correspondents dissect the political frameworks and global institutions that influence environmental and social policies. They critically assess how these policies support or hinder the development of a sustainable global society across various regions and communities. The category aims to enlighten readers about the interconnectedness of politics and sustainable practices, highlighting the importance of governance in fostering or frustrating efforts to improve global health and environmental preservation.

It connects the dots between diverse topics discussed across other categories and provides a deeper understanding of how cultural dynamics, economic interests, and innovative technologies are all influenced by political agendas and, in turn, impact the global commitment to sustainability.