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] The richest 1% of US residents are slated to receive $1 trillion in federal tax cuts over the next 10 years, while low- and middle-income families will pay higher taxes, at a time when affordability challenges continue to increase and income inequality in the US and California are already extreme. California Budget & Policy Center
• [New] At a time when economic inequality is surging worldwide, heritable genetic modification could inscribe new forms of inequality and discrimination onto the human genome. Center for Genetics and Society
• [New] Combining algorithmic pricing with facial recognition could deepen inequality and exacerbate affordability issues. Food Tank
• [New] As blockchain technology gains traction, limited internet connectivity in certain regions of the world will exacerbate the existing digital divide and may lead to greater global inequality. New America
• [New] Without careful stewardship, powerful technologies may create new security risks and reinforce global divides, intensifying inequalities both within and between countries. GOV.UK
• [New] Elections Canada will continue to apply a GBA Plus lens to strengthen inclusiveness across its policies and services, ensuring that programs and service delivery reflect gender equality and an intersectional approach. Elections Canada
• [New] Most AI-related foreign investment is flowing toward a small number of countries, increasing the risk of global inequality in technology access and economic growth. Informosio
• [New] The European Commission will address ongoing inequalities affecting more than 90 million people with disabilities, and will continue to promote AccessibleEU Centre as part of its commitment to improving accessibility. AccessibleEU
• [New] UN Women prioritizes investments that demonstrate measurable impact on women's economic opportunities and strengthen the broader ecosystem of gender equality advocates operating throughout Moldova's diverse regions. Impact Funding
• [New] The global exposure estimate from the IMF puts nearly 40% of global employment in AI-exposed categories, emphasizing that complementarity and inequality risks travel together. CEOWORLD Magazine
• [New] Inequality remains the most interconnected global risk for the second year running, fueling political polarization, weakening trust in institutions, and intensifying public discontent. The Middle East Observer
• The Mexican government has pledged free, universal healthcare for all from 2027 as part of an ambitious plan to tackle inequality in the country of 120 million. Positive News
• Addressing gender disparities in labour force participation could raise gross domestic product by up to 20% in some economies - making gender equality not a social aspiration, but the foundation of a stronger, more resilient global economy. OMFIF
• Without ethical governance and equal access, innovations such as artificial intelligence could deepen existing inequalities. Get Creative Money
• Pesticide exposure is an urgent environmental health issue in the Global South, where structural inequalities, weak regulation, and the export of banned chemicals from the Global North create disproportionate risks for marginalized populations. SpringerLink
• By 2046, the global travel industry may be shaped by factors such as artificial intelligence, the growing importance of trust, data control, and potential inequality issues. Hotel News Resource
• Newspapers already calculate billions of excess profits for the energy industry in 2026 - risking even higher inequality if left unchecked by excess profit taxes. New Statesman
• AI could cause considerable inequality. Business Insider
• In South Korea's booming chip sector, bonuses that bullish forecasts suggest could soon approach US$900,000 (S$ 1.15 million) are deepening concerns over widening inequality. ST
• The GAP IV will set the EU vision for promoting gender equality and women's empowerment as a strategic priority in all external actions, in an increasingly fragile global environment. Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood
• Innovation can trigger rebound and system-wide impacts that erode expected emissions savings and exacerbate existing social inequality, risks flagged by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Access Partnership

Last updated: 25 May 2026