For the first time in 25 years, extreme poverty and inequality are on the rise. Hardship and hunger are a daily reality for many people worldwide, including in the UK where over a fifth of the population are living in poverty. At current rates, it will take 230 years to end poverty, but we could have our first trillionaire in just a decade.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
A more equal, peaceful world is possible. One where the air is clean, because renewable energy is powering our communities the world over. One where lives are no longer routinely upended by violence, crop failures or hurricanes, because when disasters strike everyone has access to protection and a right to safety. One where international laws are not just words on statute books, but protect all people from oppression. And where no one is forced to choose between heating or eating, because everyone has a right to live without poverty.
To get there we urgently need to shift away from economies that are rooted in inequality and exploitation, to economies that centre the wellbeing of people and planet.
We call on the UK government to commit to four principles to get us on the much-needed path to a kinder, radically better world, where everyone has the power to thrive, not just survive.