At the heart of Responsible Tourism are commitments to transparency and accountability. It is a process of addressing the sustainability issues which arise in a particular place and which the business can do something about, materiality matters. But it is not enough to focus only on the process, it is important to report the achievement. This blog explores reporting frameworks, rating initiatives, certification, recognition and showcases best practice.
Smart cities use data and technology to drive energy efficiency and are on the increase. The advantages of integrating energy efficient technologies into building planning and urban modelling are understood, but what are the risks? This article considers the threat of cyber crime on smart cities and the technology that these cities rely on, drawing out the links between SDG 7 and SDG 9. On the one hand, smart cities support the need for open data whilst on the other hand increased protection and security of that data will be required to avoid the threat of cyber attacks.
Photos of a beach on Henderson Island in the Pacific Ocean provides yet more evidence of the detrimental impact that packaging and other plastics waste is having on the environment globally. Creating a virtuous circle out of what, until now, has largely been a chain of production from feedstock to consumer will not be easy. But it is the innovation aspect that has fired the imagination of producers, processors and corporate consumers of plastics packaging. This fits with SDG 9.4 to upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes and SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy.
ICIS launches the search for the very best in innovation in the chemical industry. Now in their 14th year, the ICIS Innovation Awards seek to recognize and reward companies and individuals that show high levels of innovation in products and processes, as well as providing benefits to the environment and advancing progress towards sustainability. This award raises awareness of the benefits of innovation to the environment and supports SDG 9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure.
It is a sign of the maturity of the green and biobased chemicals sector that major producers and technology providers are making moves to join the entrepreneurs and start-ups that have been driving the technology forward. This positive trend supports the advancing of SDG 9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, and SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy.
The Blueprint for Business Leadership on the SDGs aims to inspire all business — regardless of size, sector or geography — to take leading action in support of the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It illustrates how the five leadership qualities of Ambition, Collaboration, Accountability, Consistency, and Intentional can be applied to a business' strategy, business model, products, supply chain, partnerships, and operations to raise the bar and create impact at scale. The Blueprint is a tool for any business that is ready to advance its principled approach to SDG action to become a leader. This chapter relates specifically to SDG 9.
The HPCC Systems Team collaborates with multiple higher learning institutions globally to help train and develop the future managers of Big Data projects. Participating institutions receive free training classes and materials to learn the platform and help incorporate it into their curriculum. Students benefit from learning and working with a platform that was designed from the ground up by industry leader, LexisNexis. This programme advances SDG 4 Quality education and SDG 9.B to support domestic technology development, research and innovation in developing countries.
HPCC Systems offers free introductory online training classes for anyone wanting to learn the basics of the ECL programming language and the open source HPCC Systems platform. Included in the training are self-paced lessons, lab exercises and a moderated Q&A forum to increase proficiency for solving Big Data problems. HPCC Systems training advances SDG 4 Quality education and SDG 9.B to support domestic technology development, research and innovation in developing countries.
The groundbreaking Hands Free Hectare project has just seen its first harvest. This £200,000 Innovation UK-funded project by Harper Adams University with Precision Decisions has modified existing machinery to drill, sow, spray and harvest the crop without any human control. The project aims to show how automation can facilitate a sustainable farming system where multiple smaller, lighter machines will enter the field, minimising the level of compaction (SDG 15, life on land and SDG 9, industry, innovation and infrastructure).
Achieving SDG 11 will require new technologies and innovations to be deployed in the real-estate sector. Already blockchain and artificial intelligence form the foundations of smart buildings, using data on residents' personal preferences to be able to improve efficiency and comfort. This article explores the different technologies and innovations that provide significant untapped potential in the real estate sector.
