Our Scans · (LF.1) No Poverty · Weekly Summary

In September 2015, 193 world leaders agreed to 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development. If these Goals are completed, it would mean an end to extreme poverty, inequality and climate change by 2030.
Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere.

• [New] Climate shocks set to deepen crisis: The global La Nina weather cycle will increase the risk of widespread flooding in early 2026, which would destroy food stocks and farmlands and push families deeper into poverty. The IRC
• [New] The threat of renewed conflict between Israel and the Lebanese nonstate armed group Hezbollah is growing, even as approximately 80% of Lebanon's population lives in poverty. The IRC
• [New] By 2050 AMR-related deaths in Africa could soar to 4.1 million each year, pushing millions into extreme poverty and reversing decades of progress in infectious disease control. Africa CDC
• [New] The most recent tariffs will increase the number of Americans living in poverty, between 650,000 and 875,000. Bread for the World
• [New] The extension of free school meals in England is expected to lift about 100,000 more children out of poverty. The Guardian
• [New] More than seven in 10 Chinese respondents said they expected AI to play a role in solving a range of societal issues, including climate change, mental illness, poverty and polarization. Al Jazeera
• Nigeria's poverty rate would reach 62% in 2026. Penkelemesi
• We can see even more clearly the long-term shifts needed in Scotland if we are to drive poverty and related trauma risks decisively downwards. Third SectorMainNet
• The initiative, backed by the DeFi Education Fund and several influential crypto policy groups, argues that decentralized financial tools could save people $30 billion a year in fees, money that is currently lost to what researchers describe as the poverty premium. Yahoo Finance
• Tesla's humanoid robot Optimus will eliminate poverty, be more productive than humans and boost the global economy. Los Angeles Times
• Poverty and urban residence intersect to intensify health vulnerability among older adults, including as related to urban heat islands, where urban areas experience hotter temperatures than global averages. PubMed Central (PMC)
• Funded by tackling welfare fraud and long-overdue reforms to the Motability scheme, it will result in the biggest reduction in child poverty at any Budget this century. GOV.UK
• Tesla's Optimus robot could go on to become the biggest product of all time by far, and that the new capabilities it offers will actually eliminate poverty. Newsweek
• Community-based health insurance programs reduce catastrophic expenditures which put more than 930 million people globally at risk of poverty. PubMed Central (PMC)
• While big cities offer vast employment and social opportunities, megacities are struggling with several challenges; poverty, crime, pollution, transport, and waste management are just some of the issues faced by the largest cities in the world. Statista
• Sri Lanka's fragile economic recovery will be delayed as Ditwah's devastation of homes, roads and vital crops pushes more families into poverty. ST
• Beginning in plan year 2026, the Colorado General Assembly and the Health Insurance Affordability Enterprise will introduce Colorado Premium Assistance to help reduce monthly costs for households earning between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level. Connect for Health Colorado
• Investing in a stable climate, healthy land and nature, and a pollution-free planet could deliver annual gains of US$ 20 trillion, avoid millions of deaths, and lift hundreds of millions of people out of poverty and hunger. Circular Online
• More Australian children could be dropping out of school as poverty-induced meal-skipping hits a growing number of families. SBS News
• After 2030, the number of people in extreme poverty is projected to increase. Our World In Data

Last updated: 05 January 2026