BCN SCIENCE CORNER

The World in 2050 Initiative té per objectiu proporcionar anàlisi, recerca i coneixement basat en l'evidència científica i facilitar una bona implementació de l'Agenda 2030 i dels Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible (ODS) aprovats per les Nacions Unides el 2015. I amb aquest propòsit ha publicat un informe que examina les tendències i dinàmiques que fan necessària la implementació dels ODS i identifica sis transformacions clau per assolir el compliment dels ODS, i que fan referència a la demografia; el consum i la producció; la decarbonització i l'energia; l'alimentació, la biosfera i l'aigua; les smart cities, i la revolució digital. L'informe proporciona recomanacions polítiques sobre com articular la implementació d'aquestes transformacions.
Els ODS estableixen metes globals molt clares i ambicioses en àrees socials, econòmiques i ambientals amb importants interaccions entre elles (per exemple, entre energia i clima, entre seguretat alimentària i ecosistemes, etc.). Manca però, i és urgent, una avaluació de la viabilitat per assolir aquests múltiples objectius planetaris socioeconòmics i ambientals de manera simultània mitjançant enfocaments metodològics integrats i sistèmics. I és necessari respondre a preguntes com ara: Com assolir els objectius de la fam, la pobresa, l’energia i el creixement alhora que es compleixen els objectius ambientals?

A continuació reproduïm un fragment de l’informe on s’especifiquin quins són les sis transformacions necessàries per assolir els ODS.

The six transformations necessary to achieve the SDGs:

• Substantial advances in human capacity are needed through further improvements of education and health care. Education and health are instrumental for enabling people to live a self-determined life, find decent work and generate income to sustain themselves, but also to undertake climate change mitigation and deal with environmental problems. The ambitions go hand-in-hand with the goals to end poverty in all its forms and to reduce global inequality.

• Responsible consumption and production cut across several of the other transformations, allowing us to do more with less. Evidence shows that it is possible to reduce consumption of resources considerably by taking a more service and circular economy-oriented approach with respect to mobility, housing, food systems, and other sectors of our economies. Reductions in demand leverage large saving potentials at different stages of the supply chain.

• It is possible to decarbonize the energy system while providing clean and affordable energy for all. Pathway analysis shows that energy-efficiency, increasing the share of renewable energy, electrification and carbon-capture and storage all play a key role in decarbonizing the energy system around 2050, while providing access to modern energy for all. Achieving the Paris Agreement is still possible but only if combined with a focus on a broader set of SDGs.

• Achieving access to nutritional food and clean water for all while protecting the biosphere and the oceans requires more efficient and sustainable food systems. It is possible to meet the needs of a growing world population and at the same time limit the food system’s environmental impacts by combinations of increasing agricultural productivity, reduction of waste and losses, and changes towards a less meat-intensive diet. The highest priority is to provide healthy and affordable food for all and thereby to eradicate hunger. Heathy diets and lifestyles are also essential for reducing obesity in the world.

• Transforming our cities will benefit the majority of the world population. Pathways show that by 2050 around two thirds of human population will live in urban areas. Sustainable cities are characterized by high connectivity and ‘smart’ infrastructure, enabling high quality services, with low environmental footprint. Transforming slums into decent housing is feasible with low energy and material requirements. Good city design, sustainable lifestyles, empowered local actors and participatory approaches that avoid one-size-fits all solutions are needed to achieve this transformation to sustainable cities.

• Science, technology and innovations (STI) are a powerful driver but the direction of change needs to support sustainable development. The digital revolution symbolizes the convergence of many innovative technologies, many of which are currently ambivalent in their contribution to sustainable development, simultaneously supporting and threatening the ability to achieve the SDGs. There is an urgent need to bring the sustainability and the digital and technology communities together to align the direction of change with the 2030 Agenda and a sustainable future beyond. There is also a need to implement forward-looking roadmaps and governance structures that allow the mitigation of potential trade-offs of a STI revolution, particularly relating to its impact on the workplace, on social cohesion, and human dignity

PDF «Transformations to achieve the sustainable development goals»