TSC Thursdays is a weekly TSC blog post with top trending news and issues pertaining to UN Sustainable Goals. TSC’s SDG COVID Impact Dashboard applies our proprietary models and methodologies to filter the global chatter through a dynamic issue taxonomy to track and visualize COVID-19's impact across 17 SDGs in real-time. For more insights on global SDG commitment, sentiment and activity explore our SDG COVID Impact Dashboard here: https://sdg-covid.tsc.ai
1
ENVIRONMENT: SHIFT FROM GLOBAL TO LOCAL SUPPLY CHAIN - A BOON OR A BANE?
The SDG COVID Impact Dashboard picked up a trend around the shift from global to local supply chain as one of the strongest emerging debates over the past weeks. Our in-house sentiment analysis shows clear contrast in coverage on this topic across the globe.
Negative: Globally, international trade has collapsed, with the pandemic causing a forecasted drop of 27% in world trade values in the first quarter of 2020. Given the tight tension in global supply chains, measures to halt the spread of the virus, such as border closures, transportation, and business, have suppressed global exports and imports and reduced production. A decline in commerce that lowers living standards is expected to worsen child labor, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, warns the International Labour Organization.
Positive: The focus on green recovery from the pandemic coupled with a desire to be less dependent on an unstable global supply chain is currently providing a clear opportunity for enabling policies, incentives and investments across African, Latin American and Middle East countries to help expand local manufacturing in the renewable energy sector. This would enable local value-chain competitiveness while supporting access to sustainable energy for all.
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2
ECONOMICS: DOES THE MINIMUM WAGE PILOT PROGRAM IMPACT UPCOMING US ELECTIONS?
Universal basic income is currently an emerging debate, not only in Europe (78% more coverage in Finland in the last month and 87% in France) but also across the Americas, including the United States (8%). Now major cities have announced pilot programmes for minimum wage with an increased attention on the topic of UBI, will this non-traditional and "socialist" idea be able to make waves in the United States, and perhaps even play a role in the upcoming elections?
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3
SOCIAL: SEVERE FOOD SECURITY CHALLENGE IN EAST AFRICA WITH PREDICTED LOSS OF MORE THAN 50% CEREAL HARVEST
COVID has challenged the food security situation in East Africa which is currently being worsened by locust plagues. Left uncontrolled, these plagues can take years and hundreds of millions of dollars to bring under control, according to the FAO. Without intervention the organization predicts a 50-70% cereal harvest loss in the worst case. Cross-sectoral technology partnerships and investment technological solutions like data analysis and drones are considered key to provide solutions.
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4
HEALTH: WILL COVID-19 ELIMINATE THE PROGRESS ACHIEVED IN FIGHT AGAINST HIV, TUBERCULOSIS & MALARIA?
Recently published Global Fund report estimates that countries affected by HIV, tuberculosis and malaria urgently need swift action, extraordinary levels of leadership and collaboration, and significant extra resources (US$28.5 billion) to avoid COVID-19 eliminating the extraordinary progress achieved in the fight against the three diseases in the past two decades. Not only are they extremely vulnerable to COVID-19 itself, but they are likely to be even more at risk from HIV, TB and malaria. The economic impact of COVID-19 will also fall most heavily on such communities, so nutritional deficiencies and the collapse of services will exacerbate their susceptibility to disease.
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