"We are the first generation to feel the effect of climate change and the last generation who can do something about it' 

- Barack Obama, Former US President

At the time, ‘most people lived by subsistence farming, dividing up land to grow crops and sharing land for grazing animals.

People did not own the land they farmed or lived on, they were tenant farmers, paying rent to a small number of landowners, or carrying out work for the landowner when needed.

In lowland Scotland for example, land was owned by members of the nobility, like dukes, earls and lairds’

(bbc.co.uk)

According to the Cambridge dictionary:

‘Capitalism is an economic and political system in which property, business and industry are controlled by private owners rather than by the state, with the purpose of making a profit.’

According to the UN, ‘there has been some SDG success since 2015 with improvements in key areas, including poverty reduction, child mortality, electricity access and the battle against certain diseases. 

Over half the world’s population is now covered by some form of social protection—10% more than a decade ago. 

Child marriage, maternal and child mortality have declined. 

Women now hold 27% of parliamentary seats globally, up from 22%. 

Access to electricity, clean cooking, and internet connectivity has expanded dramatically.

New HIV infections are down 39% since 2010. 

Malaria prevention efforts have saved 12.7 million lives.

Over 110 million more children are in school, and the gender gap in education continues to shrink with more girls finishing school. 

Access to electricity has reached 92% of the global population, while internet use has jumped from 40% in 2015 to 68% in 2024. 

Local conservation efforts have helped double protection for vital ecosystems.’

But progress is not moving fast enough.

Only 35% of SDG targets are on track or making modest gains. Nearly half are progressing too slowly, and 18% are actually regressing. 

Over 800 million people still live in extreme poverty and hunger. One in 11 people still face hunger. Billions live without safe drinking water and sanitation. 

Women continue to shoulder 2.5 times more unpaid care work than men. 

Persons with disabilities remain underserved across sectors.

Climate records are being shattered, with 2024 the hottest year in history. 

CO₂ levels are the highest in over two million years. 

Over 120 million people are displaced—more than double the number in 2015. 

Debt service costs for low- and middle-income countries hit $1.4 trillion, draining resources from critical development.