Hong Kong’s first blog for SDG education news and announcements
A recent article in Eco-Business highlights very well an issue that we have taught in Geography and Development Studies for a while now. One of the biggest sustainability issues is the potential disaster of the emerging economies developing in the same way as the HICs did, or at least trying to. This could play out in all kinds of immediately obvious bad ways such as too much waste, over-consumption, pollution of all kinds and so on. When it comes to food, most countries demonstrate a shift to high meat consumption as they develop and with population increase this means more people eating more meat more frequently and all the land use impacts e.g. deforestation, water disruption and water and air pollution that come with it. . . .
11 sustainability buzzwords of 2021 (Eco-Business) Destroy and deny: climate villains that made the headlines in 2021 (Eco-Business) 7 trends that will shape sustainability in 2022 (Eco-Business) 2021: Data, Climate, and Solutions (IISD) 10 Sustainability Trends to Watch in 2021 and 2022 (energywatch) Sustainable Business Went Mainstream in 2021 (Harvard Business Review) 5 Sustainability Themes to Expect in 2022 (Morningstar) . . .
An independently funded report by the International Science Council has laid out a road map for how funding can and should be allocated into the five areas currently posing the greatest risk to human life. Unleashing Science: Delivering Missions for Sustainability advocates for science to be better funded and organized to truly deliver inter-disciplinary, systems-focused solutions which are collaborative, inclusive and accessible. They demand immediate changes for science aimed at: Food: eating adequate, healthy diets without consuming nature’s bounty; Water: replenishing nature’s reservoirs to provide enough clean water for all; Health and Wellbeing: being whole and well in body, mind and nature; Urban areas: thriving in places while stewarding the natural environment; and Climate and energy: shifting to clean energy while restoring a safe climate. . . .
Eco-anxiety, a condition defined as “a chronic fear of environmental doom” by psychological experts, is not yet officially considered a mental health disorder, but surveys have shown that young people are increasingly distressed about environmental change. Some reportedly are choosing not to have children because they fear that doing so will amplify global warming. In one of the largest scientific studies yet on climate anxiety in young people conducted across 10 countries, almost 40 per cent of respondents said that they are hesitant about having children and would delay the process. There might be no clear answers on what is the right thing to do, but governments and leaders need to see the signs and try to give youths greater confidence that their children will see a less devastating world. (This is adapted from an article in Eco-Business - 11 sustainability buzzwords of 2021) . . .
How measuring emissions in real time can help cities achieve net zero (The Conversation) The IMF's misstep on climate finance (Eco-Business) Latest Round of National Reports Emphasize Efforts on SDGs 3, 5 and 8 (IISD) Young farmers revolutionizing Puerto Rico’s agriculture (The Guardian) No mountain high enough: study finds plastic in ‘clean’ air (The Guardian) . . .
The language of sustainability and environmentalism is coming more into the public consciousness worldwide and so too the names of important organizations, frameworks, events. People are increasingly able to recognize the 2030 Agenda and probably know that the SDGs are central to its aims. Most would be able to make a good guess at its vision and principles as well. But how many would understand Means of Implementation and FUR? But, these are the very means by which the SDGs and their targets are achieved. By knowing what we are doing, how we are doing it and then checking how well it is working and making adjustments. . . .
Diners more likely to choose a vegetarian option when 75% of the menu is meat-free – new research (The Conversation) Rapid systemic change is needed: slashing emissions in cities (Eco-Business) Putting carbon offsets in perspective (Eco-Business) Infarm raises $200m to support global expansion of vertical farms (BusinessGreen) Google accused of breaching promise to stop cashing in on climate denial (BusinessGreen) Study Finds 55 Chemicals of High-Concern Used in Building Materials (IISD) A ‘false solution’? How crypto mining became the oil industry’s new hope (The Guardian) . . .
We are probably all familiar with the term GDP, even if we are not all quite sure what it means or really is. But for many years, despite many a voice (such as Bobby Kennedy’s famous speech) pointing out the failings of using it as a measure of economic success or a legitimate target of economic policy, it has been and continues to be the most commonly used economic indicator. To update Kennedy’s sentiments we can now see how GDP fails to distinguish between “good” or sustainable production and “bad” or unsustainable, linear production. This article in The Conversation takes a look at the issue and suggests alternatives such as gross ecosystem Product. Well worth a read. . . .
