Hong Kong’s first blog for SDG education news and announcements
Friday Oct 15 is International Day of Rural Women 2021 and is themed Building rural women’s resilience in the wake of COVID-19. As the UN page states, women have borne the brunt of pandemic impacts and been at the forefront of pandemic recovery. And rural women have often carried an even greater burden, especially in marginalized remote areas. In our SDG context, clearly addressing the needs of rural women falls under SDGs 5 and 10, bu, as with all our SDG consideration we must remember the interconnectivity. Helping rural women will also have a positive impact on SDGs 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, and 15. Rural women are a cornerstone of sustainable development. . . .
This excellent article in The Guardian highlights the rising sense of eco-anxiety being felt around the world, especially among the young. There is a paradoxical need to highlight all the environmental, social and economic problems the world is facing so that solutions can be sought and implemented which will at the same time focus our minds on the existential crisis we may be facing. Similarly, we have made great progress in recognizing and understanding mental health issues but face exacerbating poor mental health outcomes with all our reporting and awareness. But we have to face up to the fact that this is the only option for survival and take optimism from that. If we can see efforts being made to solve the problems we face then we can join in those efforts and be positive about the future. . . .
Sustainability (or lack of) in the news: Good report from Energy Transitions Commission on action to try and revive Paris targets. (ETC) High fashion starting to become role models?? (The Guardian) Problems with educating public and improving perceptions (RTHK) Why is action on plastic taking so long? Example of conservative government (RTHK) Biophysical Boundaries Transgressed versus Social Thresholds Achieved by Nation (Leeds University) Critical thoughts on carbon footprints (Undark) . . .
The secret to rewilding success is about people, not trees. So says this article in The Guardian. We are getting to better understand that effective solutions to environmental issues need to recognize competing interests and seek to overcome/negate conflict before it becomes entrenched. We cannot simply demand that people prioritize the environment over their livelihoods and we need to remember that people’s ideas and attitudes to the countryside are deeply embedded and have been reinforced by lifetimes of imagery, language and common usage. The article covers the story of the Affric Highlands Scheme in Scotland and its ambitious aim to rewild 200,000 hectares with a key philosophy of “rewilding the people who live in it”…… . . .
This year the specific theme of WHD is “Accelerating urban action for a carbon free world”. The theme recognizes that city populations and their activities are responsible for some 70 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions with transport, buildings, energy, and waste management accounting for the bulk of urban greenhouse gas emissions. SDG11 calls for sustainable cities and communities by setting targets which aim at: housing for all; safe and accessible transport; inclusive urban planning; heritage preservation; protection from disasters; air quality; waste management; and provision of green space, among others. Progress towards the SDG 11 targets also has positive explicit implications for a huge number of other SDGs. It is therefore a of fundamental importance to the 2030 Agenda. . . .
Sustainability (or lack of) in the news around the world this week: China pledge to stop funding coal projects (The Guardian) Developing nations welcome US climate finance pledge but warn more is needed (The Guardian) One-third of the world’s tree species are threatened with extinction – here are five of them (The Conversation) Cut less, leave longer: decades of data show we are over-exploiting tropical rainforests (The Conversation) Vaccinations, Climate Action Among 5 Sources of Hope for UNGA76 (IISD) Youth at the HLPF: Facing the Ongoing Challenge of Meaningful Participation (IISD) . . .
Globally, around 14 percent of food produced is lost between harvest and retail, while an estimated 17 percent of total global food production is wasted (11 percent in households, 5 percent in the food service and 2 percent in retail). In Hong Kong, over 3,300 tonnes of food is thrown in landfill every day. 29 September is the UN International Day of Awareness on Food Loss and Waste Reduction which is aimed at raising awareness so that individuals and businesses can pause and think about how they might address this problem. Our YCI programme has also seen a couple of projects looking at this: https://www.wastelessfeedbetter.org/ and https://www.zerofoodwastepackaging.org/ . . .
Last week saw a summit convened in the United Nations General Assembly to address the challenges the world faces today in terms of the sustainability of its food production systems. It has become increasingly obvious in recent years that not only do we continue to need more food provision for an increasing global population but that our production and distribution methods need to change. The UN is trying to convene scientists plus SMEs and small holders as part of an overall approach to decentralize farming, deindustrialize it, reduce energy usage and improve food security while eradicating damage to the environment. However, numerous groups also criticized the summit for not doing enough to force change among the corporate stakeholders in current food systems. . . .
