Browsing category
3 Mins Read Vietnam’s significant textile industry is battling the sudden drop in orders due to vanished demand as a result of the coronavirus, which could mean the loss of vital incomes for the country’s garment makers. Vinatex, one of the largest corporations in Vietnam, says that as many as 50,000 workers could be furloughed as a result […]
4 Mins Read The United Nations’ mid-year update, the World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) report, expects that the coronavirus pandemic will drive more than 34 million people into extreme poverty. Highlighting that the crisis will exacerbate existing poverty and inequality, the UN says that strong global cooperation will be critical to both contain the pandemic in the […]
3 Mins Read As the Dutch capital begins to plan for its post-pandemic recovery, it is ditching traditional financial models for a new “doughnut” metric, a system that keeps poverty at bay while ensuring environmental sustainability. In doing so, it will become the first city in the world to officially adopt the model, and might just become a […]
3 Mins Read Tim Bray, an engineer and vice-president at Amazon’s Web Services arm, has made a high-profile exit from the e-commerce giant. In a post explaining his resignation, Bray said he was “in dismay” over the company’s firing of employee activists who have spoken out against Amazon’s poor working conditions and inadequate protections during the pandemic. His […]
3 Mins Read Women leaders around the world have joined hands in solidarity to call for a mass global effort to address the human crisis of the pandemic. Called the “Rise for All” campaign, the initiative calls on leaders in all countries and sectors to support the socioeconomic response to people most vulnerable to the coronavirus and the […]
4 Mins Read Slavery is not a thing of the past. It still exists today, affecting millions across the world, including our home here in Hong Kong, where Kenyan domestic workers are trafficked and subjected to forced labour in the city. In the past years, high-profile stories documenting the abuse of foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong, such […]
8 Mins Read As Covid-19 continues its spread across the world, the pandemic will disproportionately affect the world’s most vulnerable populations, among them asylum seekers, refugees, internally displaced peoples and migrant workers. The world must turn its attention to respond to this global crisis in a way that recognises the acute challenges these communities face. The entire world […]
3 Mins Read XR Fashion Action, a global climate advocacy group calling for a 52-week boycott of new clothing or textile products for the planet, has recently voiced the social injustices that garment workers are now facing from fast fashion giants during the coronavirus pandemic. In their Instagram post, the group highlighted the “humanitarian crisis” that is now […]
3 Mins Read The economic recession from the coronavirus pandemic will stop almost 24 million people from overcoming poverty in East Asia and the Pacific this year, warned the World Bank. In a new report, the World Bank also said that households dependent on industries especially vulnerable to Covid-19 will face “substantially higher” risks, such as tourism, manufacturing […]
5 Mins Read World Health Day is a global health awareness day celebrated every year on April 7, launched by the World Health Organisation (WHO). World Health Day this year is happening in the middle of the global Covid-19 pandemic, as well as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals’ (SDG) goal of the month for April: Good Health […]
2 Mins Read International Women’s Day is internationally observed on the March 8th every year, representing a focal point for women’s rights and is a celebration of the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. Some people wonder if we need the attention since women have come so far. While we have made progress when it comes […]
3 Mins Read A new investigation by Channel 4’s current affairs programme Dispatches has revealed that coffee chain giant Starbucks and Nespresso are sourcing their beans from suppliers who are using child labour. The television exposé showed children under 13 working 40-hour weeks in substandard conditions on farms in Guatemala and are being paid a daily wage little […]
5 Mins Read As Joaquin Phoenix accepted the Academy award for best actor for the 2019 film Joker at the Oscars ceremony, he addressed the crowd with a winning speech that placed a much-needed spotlight on global inequalities. While there is no doubt that Phoenix is not the only figure to raise awareness on issues such as human […]
3 Mins Read A landmark ruling by the United Nations human rights committee (OHCHR) has found that it is unlawful for governments to return people back to the countries where their lives were threatened by the climate crisis. The judgement comes as scientists have repeatedly warned that our planet is at a tipping point, and experts are hoping […]
3 Mins Read An employment tribunal in Norwich, England has recently ruled that ethical veganism is a philosophical belief protected by the law against discrimination. The ruling came in a case brought by Jordi Casamitjana, a man who claimed that he had been unfairly sacked by animal welfare charity League Against Cruel Sports (LACS) after he raised concerns […]
2 Mins Read 2020 is the year where seafood as we know it will be dead, primarily due to heightened concerns about not only the environmental impact of consuming fish and other seafood, with health and ethical concerns playing a part too. More people will wake up to the fact that in the midst of our ecological crisis, […]
4 Mins Read Impact investment is on the rise in Asia, as the younger generation of investors are looking for a more holistic approach that takes into account positive social and environmental returns. This marks a shift away from the conventional culture of investment, which is typically characterised by a monetary gains mindset, towards strategies that price in […]
4 Mins Read In recent weeks, Hong Kong residents and visitors have become worried about potential dioxin poisoning, as concerns continue to mount about the effects of an estimated 10,000 rounds of tear gas being fired across the city since June. Prompted by the multiple reports of animal casualties and health complications in children, members of the Hong […]
5 Mins Read These insta-trendy spiritual stones that promise to connect you to the Earth are in fact shrouded in conflict, human rights abuses and environmental destruction. From contaminating drinking water to disrupting ecosystems and being linked to severe human rights violations, mining crystals is a dirty job. This new-age fad turned billion-dollar industry comes with a hefty […]
4 Mins Read An investigation by the Guardian has revealed that popular upmarket athleisure brand Lululemon are sourcing clothing from a Bangladesh factory where female workers are being beaten and physically assaulted. The Canadian brand has garnered a cult following in the past decade alongside the yoga-centric health and wellness boom, with celebrities donning their leggings and market […]
4 Mins Read We are thrilled to launch our brand new series, Green Queen Giving, where every month we will showcase one of the amazing NGOs or charities that we are proud to list in our Green Queen Guide to Hong Kong. In our inaugural post we talk to Christina Chao, responsible for Development & Marketing at Grameen Foundation’s […]