#2022unboxed

In the past decade, the cost of producing the main types of sustainable energy fell sharply – solar energy by 85% and wind energy by 55%. This makes them competitive with or cheaper than fossil fuel energy.

An average of 37% of Africans surveyed trust their governments to ensure the safety of COVID-19 vaccines. Trust varied widely between countries, with 74% Moroccans saying they trusted their government ‘somewhat’ or ‘a lot’, compared with just 15% of Senegalese.

Demand for minerals required for the energy transition is set to increase sharply in the next two decades – as much as nine times in the case of lithium. This trend can benefit mineral-rich countries, but this relies on robust governance of extractive industries.

UK household real disposable incomes are projected to fall by over 4% this year, and almost 3% next year. These are the largest and second largest year-on-year falls since records began in the late 1940s.

Hydropower is the world’s biggest source of renewable electricity but it can also be a source of conflict and wider insecurity. Hydropower dams have displaced an estimated 80 million people worldwide, often leading to clashes with host communities.

Support in Northern Ireland for Irish reunification has doubled since the Brexit referendum – from 14% in 2015 to 30% in 2022. Meanwhile, 49% of people in Britain believe that Northern Ireland should be part of the UK, compared with 26% in 1998.

For the first time in 25 years the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party has no female members. The previous membership included just one woman. The membership of CPC Central Committee, which elects the Politburo, is less than 10% female.

Imports of Russian gas to Europe have plummeted since May. In November they fell to around a fifth of the volume they were during the same month last year. Much of the shortfall has been made up by imports of liquefied natural gas.

Two-thirds of think tanks surveyed in Latin America and the Caribbean say the political context in which they operate has worsened over the past year. Just 18% of African think tanks took the same view, while 24% said their political context has improved.

Globally, government subsidies that promote environmentally harmful activities are worth at least $1,800bn a year – almost three times the total amount of climate finance, and 18 times the (unmet) target amount for supporting climate action in developing countries.