NEWSROOM
EU election interest points to the resurgence of democracy
Public interest in the upcoming European Parliament elections has risen to 60% – up from 49% in 2019 – according to a poll from Eurobarometer. Intention to vote has also risen by 10% – to 71% – since the last election. A key issue for many voters is the rise of poverty, with 33% choosing it as a top issue. After that came public health, economics, job creation and defence, with climate change falling from third to fifth priority. The survey is not necessarily an indicator of how many will vote, but a promising sign for the health of European democracy. Some 50.66% of those eligible voted in the last election, marking the highest turnout since 1994.
Nature credited as a musician in drive to earn royalties for environmental issues
From Paul McCartney to Missy Elliott, the sounds of our world have provided the backing for some of the world’s great songs. Music legend Brian Eno is leading the movement for nature’s official recognition as an artist, earning royalties for conservation programmes. The project, Sounds Right, has received support from artists like London Grammar, Aurora and Ellie Goulding – some of whom have remixed their songs to include natural sounds. The project aims to earn £32mn in its first four years, with an independent panel including Professors Brian Cox and Tamsin Edwards deciding where the money is spent.
Boko Haram kidnapping victim rescued after 10 years
It was the tragedy that sparked a movement: in April 2014, 276 girls were kidnapped from the town of Borno, Nigeria, by militant group Boko Haram. The resulting #BringBackOurGirls movement received support from around the world, led by former First Lady Michelle Obama. As many as 82 girls (now women) remain missing, but for one of them, the ordeal is over. Rescued last Thursday, the young woman and her three children join the 180 others who have either escaped or been released from captivity. Kidnapping remains a problem in Nigeria, with thousands currently missing across the country.
Green energy contributed 10% of global GDP growth last year
The clean energy industry contributed more than $320bn to the global economy in 2023, a figure exceeding the annual GDP of the Czech Republic. The analysis by the International Energy Agency (IEA) found that 80% of the world’s new energy capacity output came from clean sources, with employment in the industry outweighing that from fossil fuels since 2021. In China, the world’s second largest economy, clean energy contributed nearly 20% of GDP growth, as the country has massively scaled up its output. For the EU, growth has been even more marked, accounting for nearly one-third of GDP growth last year.
Ways to change the world every week
