With 2019, we also say goodbye to the decade of 2010s. Certain things happen in every decade which later become its defining features. Three things will define 2010s in future. First, internet became part of our day to day life. For shopping, chatting, dating, working, studying, food ordering, entertainment, and so on, we now rely heavily on internet. It has become a medium of political, social and economic activities. Second, climate change came on the centre stage in our discussions. In 2015, for the first time representatives of almost all the countries came together in Paris to talk about climate change. Good number of youth across the world took to the streets demanding that the world must act to reduce carbon emissions. Third, acceptance of the right wing ideas grew across the world. If the first two brought us closer, the rise of nativist, majoritarian, protectionist, revivalist ideas tore us apart. As we enter into 2020s, the challenges we face are huge and complex.

Scientists agree that we are on the edge as far as climate change is concerned. The planet’s temperature has risen quickly in the last two hundred years, thanks to industrialisation. Scientists say that if actions are not taken at the global level to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the earth’s temperature will rise by 1.5°C than the pre-industrial time in the next 30 years. If that happens, the sea levels will rise so much that the coastal areas will submerge. If the temperature rises by 2°C, then the climate change effects will be irreversible. It will cause extreme weather conditions. Natural calamities would become frequent, and there would be a shortage of food and water. All these predictions are made by scientists after in-depth studies.

To avoid all that, the first challenge in the 2020s is to reduce carbon emission considerably. This requires reducing the use of fossil fuels, turning towards renewable sources of energy. Also, strict regulations on commercial use of natural resources, such as forests are needed. It will come at the cost of short-term economic gains. And that’s where the challenge becomes more complex.

Economists fear that the world is headed for economic recession. Chief Economist of International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said in October that the growth rate of the world economy for 2019 will be 3%, lowest since the 2008 economic crisis. According to the report of anti poverty campaigner Oxfam, the top 26 rich people in the world owned as much wealth as the poorest 3.8 billion people in 2018. 3.8 billion is just over half of world’s population. In 2017, the number of rich people owning that much wealth was 43. The report for 2019 will be released later this month.

In the 2010s, those who felt left behind either supported right-wing populist groups and people, or took to the streets against their governments. In 2019 itself, people protested in large numbers in Sudan, Chile, France, Lebanon, Iraq over bad economic conditions. Major economies such as U.S., China, Japan, Germany, and developing ones like India all are experiencing slowdown. The second challenge in the 2020s will be not just to ensure economic growth, but inclusive economic growth.

States’ use of modern technology to control their citizens, growing clout of protectionist ideas, surroundings getting filled with hate, violence, and fear are some other challenges. Huge gap between the rich and the poor despite tremendous exploitation of natural resources for economic development is responsible for these other challenges. Much will depend on how the world tackles the two challenges of reducing carbon emissions and ensuring inclusive economic growth in the 2020s. Efforts are needed at the global level, and not at the national level. As we enter in the 2020s, the first step needed in this direction is the acknowledgment that these two problems exist.