Joe Biden sworn in as President
Despite fears surrounding an increasingly violent transition of power, Joe Biden was officially and peacefully made President of the United States on the 20th of January. Biden’s inauguration concludes one of the most dramatic political turnovers in America’s history, with riots on Capitol Hill, baseless claims of fraud and signs of fragmentation within the Republican party beginning to show. This presidency could also mark the end of so called ‘Trumpism’, as of the 26th of January, Biden has already signed 33 executive orders, 12 of which being reversals of Trump’s, for example re-joining the World Health Organisation and the Paris Climate Accord.
Now in office, this administration must move on from the political challenge of achieving electoral success to an even harder task, governing in this difficult, Covid-tainted environment they find themselves in.
EU demands ‘fair share’ of vaccines
The European Union has begun to put pressure on vaccine companies to deliver on their EU quota promises. EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides has said that companies producing vaccines within EU members states must, “provide early notification whenever they want to export vaccines to third countries”. In effect, this will serve as a large barrier for vaccine companies wishing to export their goods outside the EU. They may well decide to refuse requests for exportation if promised supply to the EU is not fulfilled.
With Britain now out of the EU, this could affect the vaccination effort across the UK. Whilst Britain has ordered 100 million doses of the domestically produced AstraZeneca vaccine, the UK’s supply of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine is produced in Belgium. Therefore, considering warnings of an AstraZeneca shortage, the EU’s stance on its fair share of vaccines could render Britain’s vaccination effort much less powerful.
On a positive note – 50 countries unite in pledge to protect climate
As part of the One Planet Summit hosted by Emmanuel Macron, Britain has joined 49 other countries in pledging to protect a third of the world’s natural habitats by 2030. Thanks to this summit, 50 countries spanning 6 continents are united in the crucial endeavour to increase biodiversity. However, some campaigners have cautioned that in order to make non-superficial change such pledges must be binding. 18-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg tweeted, ‘ “LIVE from #OnePlanetSummit in Paris: Bla bla nature Bla bla important Bla bla ambitious Bla bla green investments…”.
Whilst it is important to note that there does need to be further, far-reaching legislation to protect the climate, this pledge is testament to the inter-governmental steps that are being taken in the right direction. This commitment, paired with Boris Johnson’s Ten Point Plan for a green recovery, is a sure sign that Britain will be a valiant soldier in the fight against climate change.
