Network Insights - July 5 2024

Weekly impact, news, and predictive insights from the world's largest social entrepreneur network.

Sweden | Global – Sweden offers 480 days of paid parental leave per child (distributed between the parents) and this week, a new law goes into effect that makes paid parental leave transferable to grandparents and other caregivers. Passed in December, the law allows single parents in Sweden to transfer up to 90 days of paid leave to other caregivers and a parental couple to transfer up to 45 days. Many Ashoka Fellows across the world champion more investment in children and greater public support for early child care and family leave, including Mary Gordon in Canada/global, Ai-jen Poo and Jessica Sager in the US, while other social entrepreneurs are expanding the legal definition of “family” to reflect evolving family and care structures: see US-based Diana Adams (Q&A here).

Global – World carbon emissions did climb slightly last year, but a new report (slides here) by respected research group Rocky Mountain Institute, co-founded by Amory Lovins, predicts that the world could see peak fossil fuel use (then decline) as soon as this year, as renewables continue to grow exponentially in many places. RMI found that in the past decade “solar generation has grown 12 times, battery storage by 180 times, and EV sales by 100 times,” with China leading the growth with “solar generation up 37 times and EV sales up 700 times.” Other touch points: since March, California (world’s fifth largest economy) has produced for some portion of every day more than 100% of the state’s demand for electricity (more here); Bangladesh is electrifying faster than the US and Europe, according the RMI report above; and while coal made up 40% of the UK’s power in 2010, it will be consigned to the history books next year, according to this article shared by Mark Campanale.

Global – Social entrepreneurs are selected by Ashoka all year round (every year since 1981). Meet three new Ashoka Fellows via June conversations on centering nutrition in health and hospital care (Isabelle Kamariza in Rwanda); regenerative economies and new opportunities for wealth holders (Stephanie Brobbey in the UK); broadband and Indigenous communities (Matthew Rantanen in the US). And stay tuned (ongoing) for more from the world's social entrepreneurs on what's working, what's next, and the role we can all play.