3. The Role of Sustainable Technologies in Achieving the SDGs
….an article by Megan Doyle, 30th June, 2021
• In 2015, 193 United Nations Member States came together to commit to tackling 17
ambitious global goals — the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) — with 169 targets by
2030.
• The 2030 Agenda maintains that “no one will be left behind”. This principle requires global
participation in achieving environmental, social, economic, and governmental
development.
• At the heart of the Agenda are the 17 SDGs which act as an urgent call for action by all
countries in a global partnership to collectively strategize ways to achieve a more
sustainable future for all.
• While using frontier technologies to achieve the SDGs has long been considered a moving
target, Science, Technology, and Innovation were identified by the UN as one of the main
“means of implementation” to achieve the goals by 2030.
• Digitalization, in particular, plays a significant role in achieving the SDG targets by
improving the efficiency and effectiveness of sustainable development across various
industries.
4. Creating a More Sustainable Planet with
Digital Technologies
• As the cornerstone of many industries, new technologies are rapidly transforming all aspects of our
society, economy, and environment. An estimated 70% of new value created in the economy over the
next decade will be based on digitally-enabled platforms.
• To redirect current unsustainable development trajectories, affordable technological solutions have
to be developed and disseminated widely over the next few years.
• IoT, data analytics, and sensors are helping to solve some of the world’s most pressing issues by:
• Networking and communicating
Sharing valuable information across networks, machines, and devices.
• Monitoring and tracking
Facilitating real-time data capture and reporting operational performance of connected systems.
• Analyzing, optimizing, and predicting
Deriving insights from collected data to make more informed decisions about process efficiencies for
the future.
• Augmenting and automating
Bridging the digital and physical worlds through remote control and the creation of autonomous
systems.