Hong Kong’s first blog for SDG education news and announcements
The latest HLPF took place in July 2021. The dominant issue this year is of course the covid pandemic and for the HLPF the key questions arising over the pandemic’s impact on the 2030 Agenda. There are many elements to the forum and many areas for study but this is en excellent article taking a specific look at the HLPF outcomes from a feminist perspective. It is very thought-provoking and has many good points which ultimately highlight the really difficult barriers to implementing SDGs 5 & 10 as a primary focus and then all the other SDGs due to their intersectionality with gender equality (or lack of it). . . .
If we are to slow human driven global heating, or even reverse it, the top level solution is clear. We have to stop our interference in the carbon cycle. Carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) are the two most important GHGs. Carbon dioxide due to its prevalence, methane due to its impact (holding 22 times more energy than CO2). The only feasible approach to such an enormous, global problem must be multi-faceted. The SDGs are deliberately cross-sectorial so that as many policies as possible can have a positive climate impact alongside their primary focus. We need to change individual behaviour especially relating to consumption and waste, and we need to have systemic change driven by government regulation and corporate decisions to act in a broader interest. Another element will be our technical expertise and ability to contribute to removing carbon from the atmosphere and getting it back into storage using new technologies. these may be broadly referred to as geo-engineering and can . . .
A UK teacher has made an impassioned plea for sustainability to be brought more firmly into the curriculum at all levels. Writing in The Guardian, Meryl Batchelder calls for sustainability education in general and the climate crisis in particular to be taught much more comprehensively and within the standard curriculum in the UK from primary school up. We wholeheartedly agree and hope UK and other international curriculums do the same. It is after all target 4.7 in the 4th SDG – Quality Education. . . .
SDG action is incredibly important, the wide range of issues that they cover are becoming increasingly more prominent in the world. The youth of today are the next cohort of individuals to combat these issues. Collectively, these open-minded individuals are able to cultivate brilliant innovative ideas that could drastically change the world. Youth action is not only important but empowering. Seeing other youth initiatives being implemented all around the world creates a sense of urgency and nudges other youth to engage in sustainable development, creating an environment in which the youth are more equipped to tackle these issues when they grow older. Furthermore, being able to display these youth initiatives on a global platform to a wide range of global leaders and stakeholders shows that we are capable of making a difference and highlights that we deserve a say for the future of this planet. . . .
“This International Day is intended to inscribe the tragedy of the slave trade in the memory of all peoples. In accordance with the goals of the intercultural project "The Slave Route", it should offer an opportunity for collective consideration of the historic causes, the methods and the consequences of this tragedy, and for an analysis of the interactions to which it has given rise between Africa, Europe, the Americas and the Caribbean.” The lessons of the past and the eradication of all modern slavery is integral to SDGs 10 & 16. . . .
Yesterday was World Humanitarian Day. 2021 saw the focus placed on the most vulnerable people who will suffer most from the fallout created by the climate crisis. Using the hashtag #TheHumanRace, the UN recognizes that those in poverty and/or threatened by the immediate reality of their location (think wild fires or Pacific Island atolls) need our help right now. With COP26 in just 10 weeks’ time, the plight of the most vulnerable needs to be front and centre of the consideration and agreed actions that the conference needs to deliver. . . .
The urgency of SDG action is dictated by the status quo and what it signifies for our future. With the status quo being increasingly prominent waves of social, economic, political and environmental issues which erode the prospect of a habitable future, it is more crucial than ever to hasten international efforts to work towards ameliorating them. Youth action and empowerment is especially essential as we are the ones who will have to encounter this future. Thus, society needs to perpetually incubate a generation of ambitious, responsible, action-oriented global citizens in order to ensure that our methods of ensuring sustainability are sustainable themselves. Exposure obtained from global events will grant youth such as myself the opportunity to network with like-minded peers and cultivate a wide array of skills that will aid their future endeavours. More importantly, it will also destigmatize us from mere pawns who should comply with established and negligent systems to truly formid . . .
In a world where the climate crisis is exacerbating societal inequality and causing supply shortages, sustainable development can no longer be sidelined. The youth, arguably the most important stakeholder in the coming few decades, recognize the urgency for sustainable development and hence must act accordingly to speak up and bring attention to issues facing their community. In order for youth initiatives to scale up in impact, exposure and recognition at global events will be integral in our quest to bring forth sustainable development to a wider platform while alerting our cause to a wider range of influential audiences. Therefore, the involvement and presence of youth in future global events should be implemented to expedite the pace of sustainable development. . . .
