Hong Kong’s first blog for SDG education news and announcements
Last Friday, 20 May was World Bee Day – a UN observance adopted in 2017. This recognizes how crucial protecting bees is to achieving the 2030 Agenda. Modern agricultural practices which use pesticides, insecticides, clear natural habitats, alongside pollution and global heating, have devasted many bee populations placing them under severe threat. Greenpeace estimates US losses running at double the natural rate. As bees pollinate some 90% of human food crops, this is potentially disastrous for humans as well as the bees. Clearly, bee loss relates to SDGs 2, 3 and 15 as well 10, 11 and 12. What is frustrating is that the resistance to fixing this – and it is fixable – seems only to be a resistance to change and an unwillingness to accept that for example the losses due to other pests will be far outweighed by the gains from saving bees. Once again, hoping for some sanity to prevail. . . .
Yesterday, May 22 was International Day for Biological Diversity. The general public is finally becoming aware that complex ecosystems are crucial to all life on earth, us included, but that many modern human practices are highly destructive of this complexity. Governments are finally recognizing the issue and quite rightly getting pressured by their communities. The Convention on Biological Diversity has been ratified by 196 nations with its aim for "the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources" The theme in 2022 is “Building a shared future for all life”. Fitting within the context of the ongoing United Nations Decade on Restoration, which highlights that biodiversity is the answer to several sustainable development challenges, the slogan conveys the message that biodiversity is the foundation upon which we can build back better. (see . . .
Draft HLPF Declaration Calls for Solidarity to Fast Track 2030 Agenda (IISD) Cryptocurrency price collapse offers hope for slowing climate change – here’s how (The Conversation) Climate change isn’t just making cyclones worse, it’s making the floods they cause worse too (The Conversation) Satellite images reveal global losses of tidal wetlands over past two decades (Eco-business) Who made the cut for The Liveability Challenge 2022? (Eco-business) Stockholm+50: Unlocking a Better Future (SEI) Climate geoengineering must be regulated, says former WTO head (The Guardian) Shut down fossil fuel production sites early to avoid climate chaos, says study (The Guardian) Bosque Foods Just Bagged $3M To Transform Mycelium into Whole Meat Pork and Chicken (green queen) How to Minimize Waste On Amazon Orders (green queen) . . .
One of the problems about setting targets is that when they are missed it is incredibly disheartening and easy to give up. The targets themselves can become the “reason” for action rather than the underlying needs that set the target in the first place. This week has seen a number of downbeat announcements that the headline 1.5 target set in Paris in 2015 and the only legally binding target is likely to be missed. But this mustn’t mean giving up on climate action. If anything, it means try harder. Push harder for change from those in power, think about our individual behaviours. Especially, consider all the other value propositions for our actions and work other than profit. A good article in The Conversation gives substance to this view. We must find ways to get away from wealth as a measure of success. . . .
Completed in early May, the XV WORLD FORESTRY CONGRESS has resulted in the Seoul Forest Declaration. The Congress showcased the essential role of forests in the global sustainable development agenda – including the 2030 Agenda as well as the Global Forest Goals (GFGs), the Paris Agreement on climate change, the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, and the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework – and it will identify key measures and recommendations for enhancing this role. The Declaration focused on six sub-themes and resulted in six key calls to action for all stakeholders – governments, private sector, research and education organisations, communities and youth. You can read the one-pager here. . . .
Our Ocean Conference Closes with USD 16.35 Billion in Pledges (IISD) Young Indian farmers are turning to an ancient crop to fight water stress and climate change (The Conversation) Electric car supplies are running out – and could drastically slow down the journey to net-zero (The Conversation) Are CFOs effective stewards of corporate sustainability? (Eco-business) Revealed: the ‘carbon bombs’ set to trigger catastrophic climate breakdown (The Guardian) Coldplay labelled ‘useful idiots for greenwashing’ after deal with oil company (The Guardian) Big meat is gobbling up fake meat companies (The Guardian) Use Only What You Need: Sharing Economy Platform Scoops $20 Million For On-Demand Home Appliance Lending App (green queen) Electrification, storage pose singular challenges for hydrogen (Reuters) . . .
One of the great problems sustainability faces is that is it not taught in mainstream curriculums. The UK is a good case study of how governments have a tendency to conservatism and a resistance to change that the grassroots can often find frustrating. You can read an excellent overview of educational research from the UK published in The Conversation which has established the desire for government to drive sustainability much harder in schools. The UK government policy can be seen here. . . .
In late April, The UN Economic and Social Council annual Youth Forum took place virtually. The 2022 theme was: COVID-19 Recovery: Youth Taking Action for a Sustainable Future. This recognized that the pandemic has not only been a problem in its own right, but has had immensely damaging impacts on many of the already lagging paths to achieving the 2030 Agenda. There was also focus on the SDGs scheduled for review in 2022 – 4, 5, 14, 15 & 17. The full outline of the aims of the forum can be accessed here. The Presidential Statement of policy recommendations should be released soon. . . .
