How can iGEMers address goals 7, 9, and 12 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals?
Humanity has come a long way from the Stone Age. In an era where even Moore’s law has been disproved, it might seem like all that needs to be discovered has been discovered. But this is far from the truth: humanity needs affordable and clean energy to be available for all, we need better solutions to replace the old to ensure that our footprint reduces drastically. Above all, we need technologies that ensure that our patterns of consumption and production remain sustainable through the present into the foreseeable future.
By launching this challenge, 2020 iGEMers have the chance to join the rest of the world in achieving the UN vision for 2030 by an open and inclusive collaborative approach using synthetic biology as the driving force to do so.
Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
...Nearly 3 billion people are dependent on highly inefficient and highly polluting cooking systems
Primary energy intensity, defined as total energy supply per unit of GDP, improved by 2.5 % in 2016, bringing the annual rate of improvement between 2010 and 2016 to 2.3 %[1]. This is far better than the progress observed between 1990 and 2010, when annual improvements averaged 1.3 % [1]. However, it still falls short of the SDG target of at least 2.7 % [1]. What’s more, the latest estimates for 2017 and 2018 suggest a slowdown in improvement [1]. The lack of cleaner fuels and technologies remains a major contributor to poor health and environmental degradation in low- and middle-income countries [1]. It is clear that concerted efforts have to be made to improve the access to clean and safe cooking fuels and technologies, especially in rural areas and to the unserved populations around the world [1].
Energy efficiency continues to improve, but more concerted action is needed to reach the SDG target
Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
The world still has a long way to go to fully tap the potential of inclusive and sustainable industrialisation together with innovation and infrastructure
Inclusive and sustainable industrialization, together with innovation and infrastructure play a key role in the introduction and promotion of new technologies and enable the efficient use of resources [1]. The world still has a long way to go before the full potential of this can be tapped. Industrialization in both developed and developing countries slowed in 2018, there are wide disparities among countries in terms of the investment that goes into research and development (R&D) and although almost 96% of the world’s population lives within reach of a mobile-cellular network signal, not everyone is able to take advantage of them [1]. More interest and investment in R&D that builds resilient infrastructure, promotes inclusive and sustainable industrialization and fosters innovation is needed now more than ever to achieve Vision 2030 [1].
Inclusive and sustainable industrialisation together with innovation and infrastructure, can unleash dynamic and competitive economic forces that generate employment and income
Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
The transition towards sustainable and resilient societies will ultimately depend on the responsible management of the planet’s finite natural resources
“Material footprint” refers to the total amount of raw materials extracted to meet final consumption demands. It is one indication of the pressures placed on the environment to support economic growth and to satisfy the material needs of people. The rate of natural resource extraction has increased since 2000. Globally, the material footprint has increased by 70% since 2000 and 113% since 1990. Meaning, as the population and GDP grows, we use more material resources to satisfy the ever increasing rise in these metrics, a trend we have to reverse if we are to achieve Vision 2030.
Urgent action is needed to ensure that current material needs do not lead to over-extraction of resources and further degradation of the environment.
References
[1] ]United Nations, "The Sustainable Development Goals 2019", United Nations Publications, New York, 2019.
[2] "Communications materials", United Nations Sustainable Development. [Online]. Available: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/news/communications-material/. [Accessed: 29- May- 2020]
