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Innovation and SDG 16: Peace, justice, and strong institutions
CategoriesSustainable News

Innovation and SDG 16: Peace, justice, and strong institutions

By Zarkon Group,

John Lennon famously called for the world to give peace a chance. But, in 2022, is that chance being given? It is hard to argue that it is. The world today is witnessing the largest number of violent conflicts since 1946, with a quarter of the world’s population living in conflict-affected countries. This has been underlined perhaps most starkly by widespread coverage of the first major European conflict since the second world war: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But wars are raging across the globe, with ongoing major conflicts (defined as those that have caused more than 10,000 deaths in the past year) in Yemen, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Mexico, and East Africa – in addition to Ukraine.

Elsewhere, progress is more evident. For example, the global homicide rate fell 5.2 per cent between 2015 and 2020. Despite this, many people around the world remain at risk of violence, with women particularly vulnerable. 

And there remains work to be done in other areas covered by SDG 16, which calls for peace, justice, and strong institutions. Corruption continues to exist in every region on earth, costing developing countries $1.26 trillion each year. Access to legal representation is also far from universal, with a majority of the world’s population unable to gain meaningful access to justice. 

In the face of these entrenched problems, it can sometimes be difficult to see how innovation can make a difference. But innovators across the globe are supporting the necessary institutional changes with solutions that improve transparency, security, and collaboration.

Ending violence

According to the World Economic Forum, the total cost of conflict and violence is more than $14 trillion per year. This includes violence within societies that are at peace, as well as those that are engaged in armed conflict. Women, in particular, are at risk, with almost one in three women suffering physical or sexual violence at least once in their life. In response, innovators are coming up with new ways to prevent and report crime. In the UK, a platform is making it easier to report sexual harassment on London’s public transport network. Meanwhile, a Danish startup has developed connected jewellery that sends an alert to all nearby users of the company’s app if the wearer feels unsafe.

Combatting corruption and money laundering

One of the most effective ways to combat issues like child trafficking, modern slavery, and terrorism is to cut off the financing of these activities. This funding can be substantial with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime estimating that the amount of money laundered each year is equivalent to between two and five per cent of global GDP. This money is used to fund a whole range of nefarious activities. 

This is one area where technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) can make a significant contribution. For example, software company Lucinity has developed a suite of tools that use AI to help companies improve their anti-money laundering compliance. The company uses a ‘Human AI’ approach, which combines AI with human insights and expertise. Beyond technology, however, social enterprises have a role to play through investigative and policy work. For example, The Sentry conducts in-depth investigations to ensure that war crimes don’t pay. The organisation’s recent reports have exposed cases of corruption in Congo, Zimbabwe, and Sudan among many others.

Tackling misinformation

Strong democratic institutions require a healthy public discourse as well as widespread access to information. And innovators are working to prevent repressive regimes from restricting access to information and communication services. For example, Bridgefy’s messaging app, which doesn’t require Wi Fi or data, was downloaded over a million times during the 2021 military coup in Myanmar when internet services were disrupted.

Misinformation, which can be used to undermine faith in democratic institutions, is also an increasingly pervasive threat. Here too, innovators are playing their part. Social media tools developed by Indiana University’s Observatory on Social Media, help journalists, researchers and the public understand viral social media posts, including the role played by bots. Meanwhile an app, called the Newsroom, is hoping to counter fake news and disinformation by explaining how different publishers are covering the same event.

Access to justice

Legal equality is a foundational principle of liberal democracy and is considered a fundamental right in most countries around the world. However, access to legal representation in practice fails to live up to this ideal. For example, a 2019 study by the Task Force on Justice—a multi-stakeholder partnership bringing together UN member states, international organisations, and civil society—found that 5.1 billion people have no meaningful access to justice. 

Although legal systems can seem bureaucratic, innovation can make it easier for everyone in society to access justice. For example, simple visual aids that explain judicial processes can help non-experts to understand the legal system. Meanwhile, legal tech can be used to help people find affordable legal advice. Estonian startup HUGO has developed a platform that matches users to legal assistance they can afford. And, in the UK crowdfunding platform CrowdJustice makes it easier for individuals and organisations to raise funds for expensive legal action.

Words: Matthew Hempstead

Looking for inspiration on sustainability? Why not visit our SDG hub page for more articles on green innovation that matters.

30th August 2022

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Innovation and SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals
CategoriesSustainable News

Innovation and SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals

By Zarkon Group,

The multi-faceted challenges facing the world today must be tackled collectively. And it will only be possible to achieve the SDGs if everyone commits to collaboration, both within and between societies.

In particular, developing countries that have not reaped the economic benefits of industrialisation need to be supported as they transition to a greener, healthier, and more prosperous society. This support must, in turn, tackle the inter-related issues of debt relief and access to finance, communications technology, and global markets.

Action on the SDGs is not the sole preserve of governments. Businesses, NGOs, and citizens themselves all have a role to play, and building partnerships between these societal actors is essential.

SDG 17 focuses on this partnership building, and, in many ways, underpins all of the other SDGs. But how can innovators help deliver on SDG 17? Their role is twofold: they can facilitate partnerships, and they can act as inspiring examples of what partnership can achieve. And of course, innovators exist in all corners of society, not just in startups, but in governments, universities, social enterprises, and communities of all kinds.

Building exports in developing countries

One of the issues raised in SDG 17 is the access of developing countries to global markets. Today, only one per cent of exports in the global merchandise trade come from the world’s least-developed countries, and this percentage has remained flat since 2011. As a result, target 17.11 within SDG 17, which called for the least-developed countries’ share of exports to double by 2020, has not been met.

Despite this lack of overall progress, individual innovators continue to work hard to develop new sustainable and exportable products in developing countries. For example, one startup is hoping to acquire disused land to create a bamboo industry in Jamaica that will export the sustainable crop for use in paper-making. And, in Kenya, an entrepreneur is hoping to turn the overlooked croton nut into a sustainable cash crop.

Mobilising finance

Target 17.3 within SDG 17 calls for the mobiliation of finance from multiple sources to support developing countries. Innovation in finance has come from both the public and private sector. In 2017, supported by the International Finance Corporation and the World Bank,  Fiji made history by becoming the first nation to issue a sovereign green finance bond. Proceeds from the bond sale were earmarked for initiatives to improve crop resilience, bolster flood management in sugarcane fields, support reforestation, and rebuild schools to better withstand extreme weather. 

In the private sector, one startup in Chile has developed a platform that makes it easy for small businesses to manage their business and quickly apply for loans. Such a service is crucial as the company points out that only 5 per cent of companies in all Latin American countries have access to recurring financial services.

Cross-sector partnerships

Partnerships across the different sectors of society will be crucial to achieving the SDGs, as is highlighted in target 17.17. And innovators are developing new ways for organisations of all kinds to tap into the broad range of skills embodied within communities.

One exciting example of this principle in action comes from South African startup Zindi. Presented with data-centred challenges by companies, NGOs, and government institutions, the company invites its community of data scientists to take part in a number of solution-finding competitions. Each winning solution bags its creator a cash prize.

Information and communications technology

Target 17.8 highlights the importance of enabling technology, particularly ICT equipment, for building effective partnerships. Yet this technology is not always readily available in developing countries – only 1.4 people per 1,000 inhabitants have a fixed broadband subscription, for example. Innovators are therefore working hard to improve digital access.

In Benin, one startup offers workshops that teach people how to build their own computers from jerrycans. The training is offered for free, but participants must find the components to build their own computers themselves. These can come from old or broken computers that are being recycled, or purchased. Over the long term, however, access to top-of-the-range communications equipment is essential. In South Africa, telecom giant Vodacom is hoping to make smartphones accessible to everyone with a ‘Good as New’ programme that offers used Apple iphones for sale at a fraction of the cost of a new model.

Dissemination of clean technology

At present, annual clean energy investment in emerging and developing economies needs to increase more than sevenfold to put the world on track to reach net zero by 2050. And the dissemination of clean technologies must be done in a way that ensures they are affordable for developing countries.

In Peru, a social enterprise is making it easier for off-grid households to acquire solar-powered lights and other cleantech solutions. Using a pay-as-you-go model, users can buy one week’s worth of solar energy at a time. To make the financing option viable, the enterprise is working with a range of partners to provide larger solar arrays from which communities can buy power. In Tanzania, EDFI ElectriFI, the EU-funded electrification financing initiative, has invested in Simusolar, a startup that develops affordable solar-powered water pumps and fishing lights for off-grid communities.

Words: Matthew Hempstead

Looking for inspiration on sustainability? Why not visit our SDG hub page for more articles on green innovation that matters.

16th August 2022

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Innovation and SDG 7: Affordable and clean energy
CategoriesSustainable News

Innovation and SDG 7: Affordable and clean energy

By Zarkon Group,

Energy is the bedrock of civilisation, so much so that the scale scientists will use to determine the sophistication of any alien civilisations we may one day encounter is based on their energy use. For most of human history, communities have relied on the energy of human and animal muscle. But since the industrial revolution, the world has tapped a different energy source – the power of the sun stored in the remains of organisms that died millions of years ago.

Fossil fuels changed everything. They have created unprecedented prosperity, brought the four corners of the globe within a 24-hour flight of each other, and transformed the way we produce food and a whole host of other products beyond the wildest dreams of our ancestors.

And energy from fossil fuels has allowed us to generate electricity, bringing the quiet revolution of light and refrigeration to our homes – not to mention smartphones, televisions, and a whole host of other gadgets. Or at least it has to most of the world. The number of people without access to electricity has fallen steadily – by an average of nine per cent per year between 2015 and 2019. Yet today, 770 million people still lack electricity, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. The work of extending the life-changing benefits of electricity to everyone is therefore unfinished.

The issue of access to electricity and energy must be tackled alongside another existential challenge – the global energy transition. The burning of fossil fuels is heating up the planet’s climate—by at least 1.1 degrees Celsius already since pre-industrial times—causing a whole host of devastating impacts that are all too obvious to anyone following the news. The world as a whole must therefore transition away from fossil fuels towards affordable and clean energy – and fast. The role of innovation in what is arguably humanity’s greatest ever technical challenge is obvious. Yet the solutions innovators are finding are creative, and sometimes surprising.

New renewable energy sources

Today, the largest renewable energy sources are hydropower, wind, and solar. Wind and solar energy, in particular, are forecast to ramp up during the energy transition, and innovators are working to optimise these established sources incrementally. Wind turbines are becoming hardier, quieter, and more efficient, while solar panels are increasingly being integrated into the built environment in innovative ways – through walls, the facades of skyscrapers, and even blackout blinds.

But in addition to optimising solar and wind, innovators are also thinking outside the box about whole new energy sources. One company is using small turbines to turn almost any waterway into a power source, while another is seeking to harness the power of deep-sea currents. Even nuclear power, in use since the 1950s, is getting a makeover with seaborne nuclear plants that could act as mobile energy sources.

Energy storage

One of the key challenges we face as we move away from fossil fuels is how to store energy from variable sources. What do we do when the sun doesn’t shine and the wind doesn’t blow? Much of the focus has been on batteries, but these come with their own challenges – not least the demand they create for scarce materials that are extracted in environmentally damaging processes. Undeterred, innovators are working to create safer, greener, more efficient, and more affordable batteries, such as one developed in Germany that is made using globally abundant resources.

Batteries are far from the only game in town when it comes to energy storage, however. For example, a prototype system that stores energy in the form of heat and compressed air is 30-40 per cent cheaper than lithium-ion batteries. And another system stores energy on the ocean floor using a mechanism similar to a hydroelectric dam. Hydrogen, in particular, is considered a good candidate for energy storage, and two companies are exploring how hydrogen could be stored in underground shafts.

Energy efficiency

Target 7.3 within SDG 7 sets the goal of doubling the rate of improvement in energy efficiency, a reminder that we must look at energy demand as well as supply. There are many inefficiencies in homes around the world that lead to wasteful energy consumption. For example, in South Africa, a country that faces particular challenges with the security of the power supply, many homes use inefficient electric water heaters, known locally as ‘geysers’. One startup has developed an innovative device that reduces the impact of these systems by tailoring heating to user habits.

Another way in which energy efficiency can be improved is through new building materials that reduce the demand for energy-intensive heating and cooling systems. For example, engineers from China and Germany have developed a wood-based cooling foam that could reduce the cooling energy needs of a building by more than a third. Roofs and windows are another source of energy inefficiency. Researchers in Singapore have developed a window coating that blocks infrared but not visible light, while a smart roof coating developed in the US could also lead to energy savings.

Off-grid energy systems

Extending affordable energy to the remaining proportion of the population who lack it is particularly challenging. Many of these communities are remote, situated a long way from traditional energy infrastructure. Innovators have been responding with modular, portable energy systems.

For example, a Swiss company has developed fully autonomous solar-powered micro-grids that can be used and scaled up by almost anyone. The system is designed to be fully autonomous, and plug-and-play – allowing users to simply plug the system together with no configuration, specific know-how, or maintenance required. Another system developed by a company founded in Tanzania has developed a standalone ‘mini grid’ that draws on multiple energy inputs and a smart storage system to provide continuous power to off-grid communities across Africa.

Back-up generation

Energy systems need to be resilient as well as green and affordable. When natural disasters knock out the main energy grid, hospitals, data centres, and other essential services need to have access to backup supplies. Today, many backup generators still run on polluting diesel. To tackle this problem, one company has developed a generator that can run on a range of fuels, including ammonia and hydrogen.

And it’s not just hospitals that need backup power, so too do households, especially if they are situated in regions prone to supply disruptions. Grassroots NGO Deciwatt has developed a muscle-powered emergency generator for such vulnerable communities.

Words: Matthew Hempstead

Looking for inspiration on sustainability? Why not visit our SDG hub page for more articles on green innovation that matters.

2nd August 2022

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Innovation and SDG 9: Industry, innovation, and infrastructure
CategoriesSustainable News

Innovation and SDG 9: Industry, innovation, and infrastructure

By Zarkon Group,

Infrastructure encompasses all the connections that hold the global economy together. Traditionally, these connections have come in the form of buildings, roads, and power supplies. But with the advent of the internet age, cables, wires, data centres, and satellites are increasingly integral to the economy’s nervous system. While many in the developed world take this infrastructure for granted, people in developing countries often lack both physical and digital connections.

Industry sits together with infrastructure as the bedrock of the economy. Today, 23 per cent of the world’s workforce is employed in industry according to the latest figures from the International Labour Organization. And industry has been key to the historic success of the developed world. Sustainable industrialisation is therefore an important priority for those in developing countries.

Global manufaturing took a hit as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the subsequent recovery has been uneven, with less developed countries showing signs of stagnation. At the same time, as the climate crisis becomes ever more urgent, it is important that the economic benefits of industry and infrastructure do not come at an environmental cost that is too high for the world to bear.

Investment in innovation is essential for industrialisation to be sustainable and broad-based in the future – especially in areas of industry that are currently difficult to decarbonise.

Electrification 

Target 9.4 within SDG 9 calls for industrial processes and infrastructure to be upgraded or retrofitted for improved environmental sustainability. One of the challenges when it comes to de-carbonising industry is the need for extremely high temperatures for key processes. At present these temperatures can only be attained economically by burning fossil fuels. Electrification of industrial heating processes is an important goal – especially as most net-zero scenarios envisage electricity generation transitioning almost entirely to renewables. 

Finnish engineering company Colbrook has developed ‘Roto Dynamic Heater’ (RDH) technology that uses electricity generated from renewable sources to reach process temperatures of 1700 degrees Celsius – hot enough to replace fossil fuels in a number of processes previously considered unsuitable for electrification. Elsewhere, Saudi Arabian mining company Ma’aden is planning to replace fossil fuels with solar ‘greenhouses’ to generate the steam needed for aluminium production.

Hi-tech manufacturing

In addition to electrification, hi-tech innovations can also lead to improved efficiency and sustainability. Approximately 45 per cent of electricity generated on earth is consumed by industrial electric motors. Current designs are energy-intensive with metal-to-metal contact between rotating and stationary parts acting as a major source of inefficiency. Finnish startup SpinDrive combats this inefficiency with active magnetic bearings (AMB) technology that levitates the rotating parts of a motor using electromagnetic forces. 

Elsewhere, a new manufacturing process that combines elements of traditional casting with 3D printing produces complex metal parts that are lighter and up to 80 per cent cheaper than the current industry standard. Affordable, lighter components could lead to improved fuel efficiency in the automotive and aerospace sectors.

Transport infrastructure

Roads, railways, ports, and airports are crucial for both the movement of goods and ideas. But millions of people around the world live more than 2 kilometres from the nearest all-season road. Extending transport links in a sustainable way is therefore essential for economic development. German startup Ecopals has developed an asphalt additive made from non-recylable plastic. The enhanced asphalt improves road longevity and reduces the need for virgin materials and petroleum-based products such as bitumen. 

Clean, accessible public transport is particularly important in less developed countries where many do not have the means to own a private vehicle. In Kenya, the Nairobi Metropolitan Area Transport Authority has recently announced that its new Bus Rapid Transit network will be exclusively operated by green vehicles.

Communications and connectivity

In today’s world, internet connectivity is as important as more traditional forms of infrastructure. Yet, to this day, over a third of the world’s population has never been online. Innovators are working to bring connectivity to even the most remote regions. 

Satellite technology is coming on leaps and bounds with companies taking different approaches. Mangata is using a combination of ground-based hubs and high orbiting satellites to make the cloud accessible anywhere. Another company, Astranis,  is using small satellites placed in geosynchronous orbit to provide faster broadband speeds. The company’s satellites are much smaller than other geosynchronous satellites on the market and are consequently much cheaper and faster to manufacture. 

Even where the internet isn’t available at all, innovators are looking to provide connectivity. Bridgefy has developed technology that enables messaging and app access without data or Wi-Fi.

Re-purposing old infrastructure

As the world transitions to a new energy system, much of the infrastructure that powers today’s world will no longer be used. However, innovators are considering a number of ways in which existing fossil fuel infrastructure can be re-purposed to support a cleaner, more sustainable world in the future.

For example, the UK is exploring how coal mines could be used to provide geothermal energy. And sustainable aviation fuel has been successfully piped to New York’s LaGuardia airport using existing petroleum pipelines.

Looking for inspiration on sustainability? Why not get the latest green innovations that matter direct to your inbox by signing up for our Sustainable Source newsletter.

5th July 2022

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Innovation and SDG 4: Quality education
CategoriesSustainable News

Innovation and SDG 4: Quality education

By Zarkon Group,

There is no shortage of research demonstrating how vital education is for a wide variety of social and economic outcomes. For example, one additional school year can increase a woman’s earnings by 10 to 20 per cent, and each year of education reduces the risk of conflict by 20 per cent. 

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the percentage of young people completing upper secondary school increased from 54 per cent in 2015 to 58 per cent in 2020. While these figures demonstrate progress, this rate of improvement actually represents a slowdown from the preceding five-year period. And even before the pandemic, projections showed that only 60 per cent of young people would be completing upper secondary education in 2030, indicating a pronounced deceleration in educational progress.

If progress was slowing even before COVID-19 swept the globe, early indications suggest that the pandemic has had a significant detrimental effect on educational outcomes. Figures from UNICEF show that school closures have resulted in 2 trillion hours of lost in-person learning globally. And the impact is likely to be felt the most in low-income countries, with the United Nations expecting a spike in school drop-outs in the coming years. 

Against this backdrop, efforts to improve access to education for all age groups are more important than ever, and innovation can play an important role.

Access to schooling

Access to schooling is an obvious place to start a discussion of innovation and education. But the years before a child reaches school age are particularly important for their development. Despite this, only one in five children are enrolled in pre-primary education in low-income countries. In Uzbekistan, educational authorities are using converted buses to bring pre-school classes to the most remote communities.

Participation rates improve once a child reaches primary school age, even in low-income countries. Nonetheless, access to schools can be challenging in many regions, with children required to walk for hours to attend lessons. A non-profit in Madagascar is addressing this issue with 3D-printed schools that can be located closer to homes. 

University-level education is the most exclusive of all, with affordability acting as a key barrier to access. For example, in some Southeast Asian countries, the average cost of a university education is nearly double GDP per capita. A Singapore-based startup aims to provide students with affordable financing options by partnering directly with universities to offer subsidised installment plans.

Diversity and inclusion

Education is not only about ensuring children attend class, it’s also about creating an environment where students from all backgrounds can thrive. School can be particularly challenging for migrant children who face cultural as well as language barriers. For example, unaccompanied asylum-seeking children are over three years behind non-migrant pupils on average. One Danish startup has developed a language-learning app that helps migrant children navigate differences between their own culture and the culture of their new home.

Learning differences

Inclusion is also of critical importance for students with learning differences. According to UNICEF, only 36 per cent of adolescents with disabilities complete lower secondary education. In response, innovators are developing tools that are tailored to the needs of non-traditional learners. One personalised learning platform offers tailored programmes, and connects students with educators who can provide individualised support. Meanwhile, another startup has developed a voice-based learning app that is specifically designed for those with reading and writing difficulties.

Adult learning

Education isn’t only about children. Target 4.4 within SDG 4, focuses on the importance of technical and vocational skills for youth and adults. On-the-job training is one focus for innovators. For example, a Paris-based startup has leveraged artificial intelligence to develop a human-first employee learning platform.

Adult learning is particularly important for those who find themselves displaced as a result of wars and natural disasters. One language-learning platform is connecting refugees and those from other marginalised groups with employers in the digital economy. The goal is to help disadvantaged candidates break into a sector they might have previously considered out of reach.

Words: Matthew Hempstead

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21st June 2022

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Innovation and SDG 14: Life below water
CategoriesSustainable News

Innovation and SDG 14: Life below water

By Zarkon Group,

Oceans are the cradle of life and make up 95 per cent of the space available to living things. Yet research shows that marine biodiversity is declining dangerously, with humans the biggest cause. And each year 8 million tonnes of plastic waste escape into the sea. 

The ocean matters to humanity in more than one way. Not only does it support the livelihoods of billions of people – it also has an enormous influence on the climate. An estimated 83 per cent of the global carbon cycle is circulated through marine waters, and oceans have absorbed around a third of all the CO2 ever produced by humans. Moreover, marine waters contain resources that are extremely useful in the fight against climate change. Seagrass meadows sequester carbon up to 35 times faster than tropical rainforests, and seaweed is used in a wide range of sustainable innovations.

Given the importance of oceans to our shared future, many innovators are looking to the ocean for inspiration. Although international co-operation and government action are essential for enacting change, innovation will also play a crucial role in protecting life below water.

Ocean pollution

Around 80 per cent of ocean pollution is caused by our lives on land through sources such as agricultural run-off, pesticides, plastic, and untreated sewage. And much ocean pollution ends up on the seafloor – including 60 per cent of chemical leaks, oil spill-offs, and micro-plastics. Latvia’s PurOceans Technology is tackling seafloor pollution in a unique way. The company pumps bubbles of ambient air to the lowest depths where they stick to chemical pollutants and float back to the surface.

To garner corporate funding and support for pollution clean-up, startup CleanHub has developed a tech platform that connects brands whose plastic products may end up in the ocean with local plastic collection schemes.

Marine and coastal ecosystems

Marine ecosystems are not only crucial for the vast array of species that live in them – they are also integral to the global economy. For example, hundreds of millions of people around the world rely on coral ecosystems for food and economic security. Yet, according to the UN Environment Programme, around 14 per cent of the world’s coral has been lost since 2009. In response, Blue Oasis Technologies has developed engineered underwater ‘cities’ that are designed to save coral. The structures are made up of 55-tonne modules that are lowered into the ocean with a crane, as well as smaller, stackable modules. Elsewhere, a project by Danish energy company Ørsted aims to provide a ‘safe haven’ for corals by growing them at the base of wind turbines.

While coral reefs receive a lot of well-deserved attention, they are not the only form of marine ecosystem. Seagrass meadows are home to myriad animals and plants, and act as extremely effective carbon sinks. Non-profit Beneath the Waves has teamed up with digital data company Hexagon AB to map seagrass meadows using airborne laser technology. The enhanced data will improve the accuracy of monitoring and restoration efforts.

Overfishing 

The world produces around 200 million tonnes of fish and seafood every year. Statistics on overfishing are notoriously complex (and controversial). But a 2017 assessment by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations found that over one-third of fish stocks are overfished. And the proportion of fish stocks that are over-exploited has increased over time.

One particular issue connected to fishing is by-catch. Globally, we throw just under 10 per cent of the fish and marine animals we catch back into the ocean. To help reduce the impact of fishing on marine life, France’s National Institute for Ocean Science is working with a number of partners to pilot an AI-powered smart net that can sort fish in the water, preventing by-catch. A simpler approach, tested in a study in Mexico, is to use illuminated fishing nets that reduce both by-catch and fishers’ workload.  

SDG 14 also mentions illegal fishing as a particular challenge. In Korea, the government is leveraging drones, artificial intelligence, and the internet of things to manage octopus resources and reduce illegal fishing.

Scientific knowledge

To effectively protect and preserve our oceans, it is important for us to understand them. But more than 80 per cent of the ocean is unmapped, unobserved, and unexplored, and it is estimated that 91 per cent of ocean species are yet to be classified by science. 

One way we can bolster our scientific knowledge of the oceans is through autonomous vehicles. The UK’s National Oceanography Centre has developed two new classes of autonomous underwater vehicle that can operate up to 1500 metres underwater. And, in China, a new autonomous vessel that serves as the mothership for a fleet of intelligent, self-driven air, surface, and underwater research drones, is currently undergoing trials.

Words: Matthew Hempstead

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7th June 2022

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Innovation and SDG 13: Climate Action
CategoriesSustainable News

Innovation and SDG 13: Climate Action

By Zarkon Group,

In 1938, British scientist Guy Callendar demonstrated how records from nearly 150 weather stations showed that temperatures had risen over the past century – and that carbon dioxide levels had risen over the same period. At the time, meteorologists widely dismissed what was then called the ‘Callendar Effect’.

Today, the scientific evidence for man-made global warming is overwhelming, and climate change has emerged as the defining issue of our age. Greenhouse gas emissions are leading to rising temperatures, with scientists estimating that we have already caused warming of 1.2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Limiting further temperature rises to 1.5 degrees could prevent the worst effects of global warming. But the world is not on track to meet this target.

The structural changes needed to limit climate change will require the collaboration of everyone in society, and necessitate action from society’s biggest stakeholders –notably governments. But innovation has a vital role to play in tackling this most existential of issues.

Understanding the impacts of climate change

If we are to effectively adapt to the reality of climate change and take action to limit its effects, it is crucial that we understand how temperature rises and extreme weather events will impact global eco-systems. Over the past decades, scientists have gathered an extensive body of research on the effects of climate change, but innovators continue to develop new ways to collect data on climate impacts. For example, a partnership between marine environment non-profit Beneath The Waves, and digital data experts Hexagon AB, is using airborne lasers to map seagrass meadows. This technique will allow researchers to track year-on-year changes and understand the role that these eco-systems play in the overall health of oceans. In the future, windborne sensors, could also be used to monitor climate change. 

Climate models are also incredibly important for forecasting the impacts of a changing climate. Nividia is developing an advanced supercomputer for modelling the entire earth. The extremely high resolution of this ‘digital twin’ for the planet will enable the development of even more accurate models. 

Education and awareness

Around the world, people have become accustomed to seeing and hearing news about climate change. Yet, despite this familiarity, innovators are coming up with new ways to prevent complacency and ‘climate fatigue’. One of the challenges of climate change as a policy issue, is that it can seem impersonal and intangible in our daily lives. Tackling the first of these issues is an app called ISeeChange. The app alerts users when weather in their area is abnormal, while also allowing them to share and discuss climate impacts and solutions. 

A marketing campaign from Australian insurer Suncorp is tackling the issue of intangibility. Citing the statistic that only three per cent of disaster funding is spent on prevention, the company introduced a prototype home designed to withstand bushfires, floods, and cyclones – weather events that are becoming increasingly common because of climate change. The campaign provokes consideration about how and when the costs of increasingly common extreme weather events are borne.

Climate finance

The cost of tackling climate change will be considerable. And target 13.A within SDG 13 highlights the importance of providing financial support to developing countries to help them mitigate climate change. The target challenges developed countries to jointly mobilise $100 billion in finance per year from all sources – both public and private. Governments will be key in mobilising climate finance, but innovators also have a role to play – especially as the Climate Policy Initiative estimates that climate finance must increase by at least 590% to meet global climate objectives. 

One company that is developing an innovative method for mobilising climate finance is Generate Capital. The firm partners with companies or communities to provide them with the capital to build sustainable infrastructure projects – such as geothermal power plants. Rather than raising private equity funds, which must usually be returned after ten years, Generate lets institutional investors by a stake directly in the firm, so that they can invest for the long term.

Adaptation and resilience

In addition to finding ways to limit further climate change, innovators are coming up with solutions that help to make communities more resilient in the face of the reality of rising temperatures. For example, a UN-backed project has developed an app that leverages advances in AI and smartphone technology to help farmers fight plant diseases linked to climate change. In an urban context, Czech startup ECOTEN has used geospatial data to create a temperature map of Vienna that the city will use to plan adaptations in response to the climate crisis.

Supporting vulnerable countries

The burden of climate change is not spread evenly across the globe, with developing countries, and small island nations particularly at risk. Solutions that are tailored to the needs of these communities—and that involve local people—are particularly crucial. For example, in Tanzania, a charity is teaching women to farm climate-resilient sea sponges to protect their income as fish stocks and seaweed cultivation are impacted by climate change.  

Coral reefs are particularly important for the livelihoods of those living in coastal areas. Worldwide, an estimated one billion people benefit either directly or indirectly from the ecosystem services coral reefs provide. Sadly, coral eco-systems are among the most vulnerable to climate change with global coral cover falling by half since the 1950s. In response, Portuguese company Blue Oasis Technology has a plan to save the world’s coral by building engineered reefs.

Words: Matthew Hempstead

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26th April 2022

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Innovation and SDG 3: good health and wellbeing
CategoriesSustainable News

Innovation and SDG 3: good health and wellbeing

By Zarkon Group,

Between 2000 and 2019, global life expectancy increased by more than six years. And over the long term, average life expectancy has increased from less than 30 in 1770 to over 70 in 2019. Simply put, people are living long than ever – a testament to the exponential gains in medical knowledge that have accompanied our modern age.

But while the overall story of global healthcare is a positive one, the COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us not to be complacent. Aside from the immediate impact of the crisis, huge disparities remain between different healthcare systems, and the pandemic has highlighted varying levels of resilience and preparedness. Moreover, the toll of endemic infectious disease remains high in some regions. In 2020, 1.5 million people died from tuberculosis, 680,000 from AIDS-related illnesses, and 627,000 from malaria. And, while people are living longer, increases in the number of years a person can expect to live in good health have not kept pace with overall life expectancy.

Global health and wellbeing challenges therefore remain, and innovation will play an important role in tackling them – from artificial intelligence that streamlines diagnosis to clothing that helps to prevent malaria.

Health and AI

One major frontier of medical innovation is artificial intelligence (AI). The AI in healthcare market is forecast to reach $64.1 billion (around €59 billion) by 2027. AI is scaling up and automating tasks that could previously be completed only by human health professionals – freeing up the time of doctors and nurses, while helping to reduce human error. For example, a network of 11 medical facilities in Chicago, is trialling an AI system that flags and follows-up on signs in medical images of illnesses beyond those that were the subject of the original referral.

With AI applications growing in number, there is strong demand for large amounts of patient data to test and train algorithms. One startup is on a mission to provide the data needed for validation studies that test the effectiveness of AI healthcare applications – without compromising patient privacy.

United Nations SDG 3: good health and wellbeing

Mental Health

Recent decades have seen growing understanding of the importance of mental health. According to the World Health Organizatio(WHO), around 20 per cent of the world’s children and adolescents have a mental health condition. The seriousness of mental health is enshrined in target 3.4 within SDG 3 – which calls for the promotion of mental health and well-being. Innovation is helping to improve access to mental health services. For example, one app uses AI to provide clinically proven mental health therapy. The platform offers affordable psychological support regardless of location and time. 

Given the prevalence of mental health conditions among children, innovators are focusing on solutions tailored to the needs of families. For example, another mental health app helps families have difficult conversations using a framework based on empirical, evidence-based research and insights.

United Nations SDG 3: good health and wellbeing

Health coverage and access to medicines

According to the United Nations, less than half of the global population is covered by essential health services. And 2 billion people still lack access to medicines. Target 3.8 within SDG 3 sets the task of achieving universal health coverage, encompassing financial risk protection and access to services, medicines, and vaccines. Here innovation can help. For example, one Nigerian startup is aiming to make healthcare accessible and affordable in low- and middle-income countries. The company does this by bundling together several healthcare services—including insurance plans, telemedicine, and prescription delivery—under a single flat fee. Another, related issue is the prevalence of fake pharmaceuticals. An online marketplace combats this problem with a platform that connects patients with trusted, vetted suppliers.

Contagious disease

Much progress has been made in tackling contagious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. For example, over 6.2 million malaria deaths were averted between 2000 and 2015. Nonetheless, , according to the WHO, there were 241 million malaria cases in 2021. One startup is making bamboo sleepwear with insect repellent incorporated into the fabric. This helps to prevent mosquito bites that transmit malaria-causing parasites.

Tuberculosis (TB) is another disease that remains deadly. In 2020, an estimated 9.9 million people fell ill with TB. To enable TB diagnosis in remote regions, a Mexican biotechnology startup has developed an affordable diagnostic system that requires no electricity, costs less than €1 per test, and returns results in 15 minutes.

United Nations SDG 3: good health and wellbeing

Reproductive health

According to the WHO, every day in 2017, approximately 810 women died from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. Of these deaths, 94 per cent were in low- and lower-middle-income countries. A key cause of maternal death is a lack of medical expertise, with over 55 per cent of countries having fewer than 40 nursing and midwifery professionals per 10,000 people. However, innovation can still play a role in improving reproductive health. For example, a new blood test—which can be taken around the sixth month of pregnancy—could signal the likelihood of a premature birth.

Words: Matthew Hempstead

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11th April 2022

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Innovation and SDG 6: clean water and sanitation
CategoriesSustainable News

Innovation and SDG 6: clean water and sanitation

By Zarkon Group,

Water is life. Nothing in nature is simpler. The fate not only of humanity, but of all life on earth is bound up with our stewardship of the global water supply. And water courses are also dynamic eco-systems home to innumerable species of plants and animals. But over the past century, human water use has increased at double the rate of population growth. In simple terms, we are using more water than ever.

Recent decades have seen some important advances when it comes to clean water. Notably, between 2000 and 2020, the number of people using safely managed drinking water increased by 2 billion. But we are now facing a new, unprecedented threat to water resources: climate change. Unicef estimates that half of the world’s population could be living in areas facing water scarcity by as early as 2025, and 700 million people could be displaced by intense water scarcity by 2030.

Responsible water stewardship requires multi-layered solutions. But innovation will play an important role. From new physical technology—such as improved desalination processes—to the use of data to improve the management of water systems, innovators are working to protect the world’s most valuable asset.

Fresh water production

At the most basic level, humans need to drink water to survive. But today, 26 per cent of the global population lack access to safely managed drinking water. At the same time, unsafe water is responsible for 1.2 million deaths each year. In response, innovators are busy developing novel ways of producing fresh water – sometimes, literally, from thin air.

Desalination—which converts the earth’s abundant resources
of saltwater into fresh water—is well-established but requires access to a
dependable supply of electricity. Many water-stressed regions lack this
security of supply. In response, a team of researchers has come up with a solar-powered
desalination system that is both more efficient and less expensive than
previous methods.

Other than the world’s oceans, the atmosphere is another potential source of water that new technology is looking to tap. Israeli company Watergen has developed a portable atmospheric water generator that pulls water directly from the air. The company is in a race to hit the market with Exaersis Water Innovations, a US company that has also developed a portable device for use by campers and off-grid travellers.

Sanitation and hygiene

People need safe access to water for sanitation and hygiene.
Effective sanitation systems require high levels of urban planning and
maintenance, which can be challenging in some parts of the world. Map Action is
a Mali-based startup that has developed a mapping
app that shows the location of issues such as broken pipes, and
poor-quality wastewater systems.

In other situations, people lack access to even the most
basic facilities like toilets. A Spanish design studio has developed an
upcycled, 3D-printed portaloo designed to provide better facilities for
refugees in camps and disaster recovery zones. 

By contrast in the developed world, hygiene can place major demands on water resources. For example, the average showerhead uses 12 litres of water per minute. Danish company Flow Loop has developed a new recirculating shower that reduces water use by 85 per cent.

Pollution and wastewater treatment

Exacerbating issues of water scarcity is the fact that many human activities contaminate water supplies. According to the UN Environment Programme, 80 per cent of global wastewater goes untreated, containing everything from human waste to highly toxic industrial discharges. To tackle the issue of industrial water pollution, Finnish startup Algonomi is developing a circular system that uses algae to both clean up industrial waste water and produce useful materials.

Restoring water-based eco-systems

The water resources we use come from freshwater eco-systems that are on the decline as a result of human activity. Deforestation may grab the headlines, but between 1970 and 2015 the area covered by inland and coastal wetlands declined at three times the rate of forest loss.

Fortunately, innovators are working to mitigate this loss by restoring eco-systems – even within urban contexts. A student design concept aims to improve water circulation in urban rivers by creating a coral-reef-like structure for shrimps, shellfish, and other organisms. Another design for an underwater bicycle garage benefits the aquatic life of the area with porous concrete that helps plants and mussels stick to the walls, while coconut mats help purify the water, and mesh baskets shelter fish. 

Local participation

Target 6B within SDG 6 highlights the
importance of supporting and strengthening the participation of local
communities in improving water and sanitation management. An app that allows community
members in East Africa to maintain
and diagnose their own water systems offers an excellent example of how
technology can be used for community empowerment. The app provides locals with
tools—such as maintenance checklists and diagnostic decision trees—through a
smartphone. This helps them to avoid situations where ​they must wait days or
weeks for repairs to their water systems.

Words: Matthew Hempstead

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22nd March 2022

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