Taking only into account the environment, the planet is facing countless challenges: climate change, plastics, biodiversity loss, invasive species, depletion of natural resources, ocean acidification, pollution… And each of these challenges not only is complex on itself, but also interacts with the others in ways we’ve only started to understand. The minor Sustainability: Global Challenges, Interdisciplinary Solutions is open for all Bachelor students, including those of other universities. The Global Healthcare Challenge is focused in agricultural biotechnology. It has taken me a while to decide what my first post should be about. At the end of the day, we act with certain inertia from a wide perspective because there would always be pressing issues at closer scales, for which we can (or we think we can) ascribe causes and consequences. Specifically, we anticipate delivering solutions that help meaningfully address the following SDG targets: Efficient Factory-Built Homes Combat Pittsburgh’s Affordable Housing Shortage. Sustainability; Global challenges; Global Challenges How do we sustainably increase the global production of food? Global sustainability: the challenge ahead - Volume 1 - Johan Rockström, Xuemei Bai, Bert deVries It is estimated that governments spend more than $700 billion a year to subsidize environmentally unsound practices in agriculture, water, energy, and transportation. The greatest threats to the sustainable development on earth are: population growth and urbanisation, energy use and global warming, excessive waste generation and the subsequent pollution of soil, air, and water, transportation in cities, and limited supply of resources. However, it might not be the option to settle up for when we have to tackle complex issues, as it can leave important features underrepresented. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. The founding idea should already be worked out to a start-up concept (business plan, canvas or similar). Right now, it is easy to find evidence that supports the idea that we are living one of those periods. Because of the international nature of sustainability, and since all courses are taught in English, we welcome national as well as international students. 2012 Not long ago I read an interesting article, which searched for an evolutionary cause to our poor response, as a species, to the climate change threat, in spite of being well aware of the dire consequences the inaction may bring. Challenge Description: We seek concepts and ideas that deliver innovative solutions to our global sustainability challenges. But we have to learn how to row in the same direction as a species and figure out what are the waves worth taking. The thing is that we’ve already been wandering this planet for quite a while, and we’ve managed to reach amazing achievements against all odds. HOW TO ACHIEVE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT? It’s funny how at first sight it doesn’t really feel like a curse, but it hides a quite interesting (and maybe unsettling) idea: periods where change concentrates often involve uncertainty, crisis, and victims. And now, we have more powerful tools available, so we ‘only’ need to get the huge cesspool of scientific information, the globalized communication, and the international alliances and use them in our own benefit. DuPont™, the DuPont Oval Logo, and all products, unless otherwise noted, denoted with ™, ℠ or ® are trademarks, service marks or registered trademarks of affiliates of DuPont de Nemours, Inc. Delivering Solutions for Global Challenges, DuPont PBS and Corian® Design Sustainability, SDG 3.9 – Reduce Illnesses and Death from Hazardous Chemicals and Pollution, SDG 11.5 – Reduce the Adverse Effects of Natural Disasters, SDG 12.2 – Sustainable Management and Use of Natural Resources, SDG 12.4 – Responsible Management of Chemicals and Waste, SDG 12.5 – Substantially Reduce Waste Generation, SDG 13.1 – Strengthen Resilience and Adaptive Capacity to Climate Related Disasters. Even though, there are always reasons not to give up. So in the face of a crisis, we seek culprits that seem more likely to our eyes: inmigration, the poor, the rich, the politicians, multinational companies, the Americans, religions… leading to a rather destructive environment that always finds instigators. Xuemei Bai, Deputy Editor "Inter- and trans-disciplinary approaches across all knowledge domains and linking local actions to global outcomes are some of the key focuses of global sustainability science and the journal." Big spatial and temporal scales, as well as the indirect effects any action may have, seem to be particularly difficult to understand. Another allegedly Chinese-related statement that is unlikely to be true despite being widely spread (I use this to point out how important is to know what you’re publishing), says that the idiogram for ‘crisis’ has the double meaning of danger and opportunity. Therefore, in order to get the best from our joined efforts, we should aim to maximize the overall benefits and reduce the impacts to a minimum; Or at least, in an ideal world, where our knowledge would reach further than it does, or our ability to analyze that many variables weren’t as limited. A site for a sustainable development - est. How can sustainable development be achieved for all while addressing global climate change? KINGSPORT, Tenn., Dec. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Eastman (NYSE:EMN) announced ambitious 2030 sustainability commitments Tuesday in tandem with the publication of its 2020 sustainability report. They cover everything from food security and the availability of clean water to equitable education, eradicating gender discrimination, and ensuring access to fair judicial systems. We explored trends that might shape the sustainable future for business and have identified seven key challenges. Businesses need to do more to help the SDGs get on track. Materials innovator releases 2020 sustainability report and announces 2030 commitments. #EUhealthyworkplaces Conference w/ @EU_OSHA: ‘Fight against Occupational Cancer’. The Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) is a £1.5 billion fund that supports cutting-edge research to address challenges faced by developing countries. Rising inequalities are a major challenge globally: income inequalities in the UK and US have been increasing in the past thirty years, and the Inequalities Human Development Index (IHDI) scores presented by the Human Development Report (2014) demonstrate that inequality is highest in Africa and South Asia. Obtaining a quality education is the foundation to … What we have done is we’ve taken the framework provided by the United Nations of 17 global challenges – the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Right now, it is easy to find evidence that supports the idea that we are living one of those periods. The report highlights the company’s commitment to sustainable innovation and … These traits become very handy for making everyday choices, without having to go through an in-depth analysis that would eventually get us stuck. Collaborating for Sustainability. Throughout these periods opportunism tends to bloom and economic and social inequalities become sharper. Businesses need to do more to help the SDGs get on track. Businesses need to respond to the issues above, but exactly how to respond and what they will need to do will vary from company to company. In alignment with SDG 11.1 to address Safe and Affordable Housing, DuPont PBS supports Module Design’s efforts to create affordable and market rate, flexible housing options that meet the U.S. Department of Energy’s Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) standards. With the purpose of enhancing the quality of life in a material way, Eastman works with customers to deliver innovative products and solutions while maintaining a commitment to safety and sustainability. Overview Global Solutions Sustainability Challenge is a virtual exchange initiative that supports workforce development in the U.S., Iraq, and Jordan. Loss of trust in the global corporation The Edelman Trust Barometer , an annual survey recording levels of trust in primary institutions, released its 2017 results in January. A site for a sustainable development - est. Leaders put a healthy ocean at the top of the global policy agenda to accelerate economic recovery. Delivering Solutions for Global Challenges Showing alignment to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) is easy — but meaningfully advancing the goals is not. Free subscription, This post is also available in: Aragonese, Spanish. We are focusing innovation efforts that we expect will help advance the following SDGS. The present economic system often rewards the most unsustainable practices, and by doing so, prolongs the pathology of the status quo, monopolizes resources, maintains the power structure, and decreases the opportunity for a new system to be designed and built tha… Environmental & Global Sustainability Issues The rise of technological advancements and industrialization not only gave rise to our modern civilization, but it also gave rise to a wide range of environmental issues and global challenges. Advancing Construction Productivity for Sustainability →. It seems that when faced against complex issues that may be too difficult to fully understand, we tend to create shortcuts that brush aside those complexities, and we react better to direct threats. Making the Business Case. This journal will house the broad and integrated research base that is an indispensable part of this challenge." We believe that long term shared value is created by solving the challenges defined in the SDGs. DuPont 2030 Sustainability Goals → As a part of a new sustainable development roadmap, the United Nations … This is obviously a very broad subject, with countless internal complexities worth hundreds of posts, but I hope you enjoy the read nonetheless. Are you the next BioGENEius in Global Sustainability? According to the World Resources Institute, there are three very large gaps that we need to bridge to produce enough safe and healthy food by 2050. At this point, our ideal world bangs its head against a brick wall and scientists cry in despair. The fund addresses the United Nations sustainable development goals. 2012. LONDON (December 2, 2020) —The High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (Ocean Panel) today put forward a new ocean action agenda, paired with bold commitments and new research. Rupa Kibbe is in the problem-solving business. Most don’t realize that humans have been using agricultural biotechnology for thousands of years, harnessing the power of fermentation and capitalizing on yeasts and other microorganisms to improve the food supply. Nevertheless, even with the available information, we don’t seem to react proportionally, which is quite frustrating to the scientific community. KINGSPORT, Tenn., Dec. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Eastman (NYSE:EMN) announced ambitious 2030 sustainability commitments Tuesday in tandem with the publication of its 2020 sustainability report. I finally opted to take a top-down approach, setting out a framework of discussion on sustainability from a global perspective: Where are we as a species and where are we going; what are or should be our priorities; and what are the main tools and obstacles in our path to an environmental, economic and social sustainability. Environmental issues have become a common concern for people around the globe. © 2020 DuPont de Nemours, Inc. All rights reserved. Obviously, you have to add to that equation socioeconomic factors such as overpopulation, migration, health, inequalities, wealth dynamics or warfare (Pezzey y Toman, 2002). CropIn Technology Solutions, an India-based agricultural-tech company, was awarded second place. Showing alignment to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) is easy — but meaningfully advancing the goals is not. The winning teams will now receive cash prizes of €100,000 and €35,000 respectively. IDH, The Sustainable Trade Initiative and the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) are delighted to announce that Agritask Ltd., an Israel-based agricultural-tech start-up, has won the Better Cotton Innovation Challenge. Contact us and tell us what you’re thinking about sustainability. Often, the rhetoric surrounding sustainability and “green” practices is … There seems to be a Chinese curse that says: ‘May you live in interesting times’, which is probably not Chinese. Find out more on key sustainability issues >> Read our concise review article on business and global sustainability context >> What are the key trends in business sustainability 2017? Vienna, 24&25.Sept, European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA). Goal 4: Quality Education. It is part of the UK’s official development assistance (ODA). DuPont 2020 Sustainability Report →. Most sustainability issues require systemic change, and systemic … Founded in 1920, Eastman is a global specialty materials company that produces a broad range of products found in items people use every day. Community college students from the U.S. and university students from Iraq and Jordan team up to solve global challenges facing … And as the global innovation leader for Shelter Solutions, that’s exactly where she wants to be—not to mention it’s what gets her up in the morning. Obviously, the arrogant ignorance and disinformation so spread in social media don’t help. Quality Education. … Winners of Global Sustainable Farming Challenge Revealed Announcements Thursday, November 26th, 2020 The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) and IDH, The Sustainable Trade Initiative are delighted to announce that Agritask Ltd., an Israel-based agricultural-tech start-up, has won the Better Cotton Innovation Challenge . The report highlights the company's commitment to sustainable innovation and establishes goals to address three difficult, long-term and potentially devastating challenges that … There are many examples that illustrate the interest and hope some ideas have woken at a global scale (such as the movement Fridays for Future), and many goals that used to be deemed unimportant are earning a place in international policies. Many of the challenges facing humankind, such as climate change, water scarcity, inequality and hunger, can only be resolved at a global level and by promoting sustainable development: a commitment to social progress, environmental balance and economic growth. Taking only into account the environment, the planet is facing countless challenges: climate change, plastics, biodiversity loss, invasive species, depletion of natural resources, ocean acidification, pollution …. 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