Planet under Pressure

POLITICAL LESSONS
8.
The empowerment of
local communities and
value chains strengthens
the resilience of
societies.
Any calls to toss globalization on the ash
heap of history are mistaken, as are any
appeals to the populace to spend their
future vacations at the local swimming
hole. Indeed, there have long been many
things awry in global trade and mass
tourism fueled by budget airline tickets.
But a supposed return to the “good old
days” is not going to happen. They never
existed in the first place.
Important trade and value chains work
globally, and globally is the only way to
produce a wide range of essential goods.
Excluding entire regions from technological
advancement by way of deglobalization
would be a tremendous injustice
– one that would go well beyond the
injustice done daily by an imbalanced
international trade system.
Local businesses help the world
master the crisis
At the same time, it is important to
strengthen local and regional communities,
because they play a crucial role
in times of crisis. Those who have been
shopping at local supermarkets for years,
those who are familiar faces at local
bookstores and repair shops around the
corner, and those who maintain good
relationships with their neighbors are
better armed to survive the crisis.
Personalized and local initiatives –
people buying groceries for elderly or
at-risk neighbors, at-home offerings
from regional sports clubs and cultural
institutions, and delivery and take-away
services from local restaurants, to name
just a few – have played a vital role in
helping us master the crisis to such a
large extent so far. That is why every
one of us should think about whether
shopping at stores in our neighborhoods
or supporting local culture ought to be
given more weight in future spending
decisions.
9. Most families will agree
The efforts to promote
digitalization raise new
social questions.
that school closures,
digital instruction, and parents subbing
in as teachers are trying for all involved.
Although digital learning offers countless
benefits for students and professionals
to expand their horizons, digitalization
is creating a new social divide. That is
because households with little education
or money are technically ill-equipped to
take advantage of these global education
opportunities. As a result, children whose
parents are digitally well-equipped will
not only emerge from the crisis with
their education futures intact, but they
may also have been able to use their time
at home to gain an even greater edge.
Social inequality is on the rise
This structural inequality may have
nothing to do with Covid-19, but the
pandemic has widened the economic gap
that has been growing for many years
now. If strengthening digital learning
is one of the lessons of the coronavirus
crisis, then efforts should be undertaken
to even out the social impact by providing
children from poorer families with basic
digital tools as a public service.
10.
Overcoming
global
poverty and
strengthening
climate
protection and environmental conservation
efforts will be essential to avoid a
new era of pandemics.
The coronavirus pandemic makes clear
that poorer states are significantly more
affected by the spread of a virus. Often,
they lack a healthcare system and an effective
social safety net. With distancing
and hygiene guidelines virtually impossible
to implement correctly, a humanitarian
disaster is unavoidable. Help is of the
essence. The G20’s debt relief efforts for
lower-income nations is not going to be
enough, even though it is undoubtedly
the right thing to do.
The ecological aspect takes on a whole
new dimension in this context. Protecting
biodiversity, fighting pandemics, and
climate change are not issues that can
be flexibly prioritized from one day to
the next. On the contrary, they are causally
intertwined. Those who demand a
respite from environmental protections
and climate action in light of the coronavirus
crisis are irresponsibly working
in cahoots with lobbyists and have failed
to understand what is actually going on.
Helping the poorest of the poor is an act
of self-preservation. A pandemic outbreak
will have an impact on the entire world,
no matter where it begins. A second
wave of Covid-19 – with a high number
of deaths and infected individuals, and
with a renewed round of restrictions on
public life – would have the potential to
bring even wealthy states to their knees.
The article was originally published in
Tagesspiegel Online on April 16, 2020.
Global Goals Yearbook 2020
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