Our Scans · (LF.10) Reduced Inequalities · 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 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries.

• [New] Without governance reform and regional coordination, energy transition efforts in the Middle East could deepen existing inequalities and instability rather than resolve them. Informed Comment
• [New] Elliot Crossan argues that if Labour wins in 2026 and refuses to transform the system generating extreme inequality, NZ society will continue to fragment. The Standard
• [New] As Pakistan enters 2026 as the world's fifth most populous country, with a population exceeding 225 million, high population growth and fertility rates, persistent gender inequality, and rising climate vulnerability, the urgency of addressing population dynamics has intensified. Dawn
• [New] The year 2026 could serve as a critical warning for humanity - one that still offers an opportunity to choose diplomacy, justice, and cooperation over war and inequality. Countercurrents
• [New] AI will affect 40% of jobs and probably worsen inequality. The Guardian
• [New] Certain regions present higher risks for solo travelers, particularly where violent crime, gender inequality or harassment is prevalent, including India, Mexico, Egypt, Morocco, Brazil, Colombia and South Africa. Riskline
• [New] Based on the frequency and intensity of protests and the underlying factors that drive unrest, such as economic volatility, income inequality, the conduct of security forces, and corruption, we expect in 2026 to be more disruptive than 2025. Global Reinsurance
• [New] The biggest shift is not just faster chips, smarter AI, or new devices - it's technology starting to address deeply human challenges: loneliness, inequality, education gaps, and even global security risks. Coding Nexus
• [New] As China expanded Belt and Road investments, advanced in EVs and AI, and entered a sharper economic rivalry with the United States, its property slowdown and domestic inequality exposed new vulnerabilities. Yahoo Finance
• [New] Income inequality and social inclusion are pressing issues that could threaten Indonesia's long-term economic and social stability. Abraham Entertainment
• [New] The EU's Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values program, flush with 1.5 billion euros, funds ZINC-linked projects that label coverage of Prime Minister Viktor Orban as hybrid threats. / Hungary The Sentiment Inspector - JC
• For 2026 and beyond, governments and corporate players are creating worldwide alliances to solve digital inequalities. Digital Engineering & Technology | Elearning Solutions
• Looking beyond strict economic inequality, it found that inequality of opportunity fuels inequality of outcomes, with education spending per child in Europe and North America, for example, more than 40 times that in sub-Saharan Africa - a gap roughly three times greater than GDP per capita. The Guardian
• Promoting gender-balanced participation will strengthen Ukraine's mine action capacity and align reconstruction with broader principles of equality and social inclusion. FREE NETWORK
• The National Strategy for Women and Girls 2025-2030 is Ireland's plan for advancing gender equality over the next five years. Government of Ireland
• The American left's emphasis on social justice and equality could open space for dialog with China, fostering mutual understanding through shared policy priorities amid an intensifying rivalry. South China Morning Post
• The European Commission is drafting its next Gender Equality Strategy through 2030, expected to include measures addressing violence against women, the gender pay gap and working conditions. The Parliament Magazine
• Trump's tax-and-tariff plans, which extend the tax breaks to the very rich while reducing benefits for the poor through benefit cuts and tariff-driven inflation, will increase inequality in the US. Asia Times
• Realising Africa's full potential requires intentional efforts to address structural inequalities, strengthen regional integration and ensure equitable distribution of development gains. Global South Opportunities
• While the inter-imperialist conflict was critical, another factor in undermining the era of neoliberal globalization was the growing global youth-centered uprising against inequality, lack of opportunity, corruption, repression of democratic rights, and national and other forms of oppression. Socialist Alternative
• With billions still lacking identification, global inequality risks deepening, not through lack of funds or lack of innovation, but through lack of recognition. The RegTech
• As Chatham House warns, when digital governance marginalizes smaller states, it risks reproducing the very inequalities the internet once promised to transcend. Global Policy Journal
• As the Race Equality Foundation warns, the UK still lacks a coordinated strategy that explicitly addresses race and class disparities in environmental exposure, community consultation and land-use decision-making. The Conversation

Last updated: 05 January 2026