UN Sustainable Development Goal Number 9 - Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure - Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
Episode 3 of 'The 17' podcast focuses on UN Sustainable Development Goal 9. It reveals just how interconnected our economic systems are and how complex a task making them sustainable will be. The 3 “I’s” (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure) must all work together for a sustainable future to be possible - a huge challenge. According to the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the current state of affairs looks like this:
- Globally, only 1 in 3 small manufacturers have access to loans or a line of credit
- Manufacturing growth is increasing globally but stalling in less developed countries
- Hi Tech industries are far more resilient to crises than low tech industries
- The least developed countries have huge challenges in providing universal and affordable access to the internet
- All countries need to upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them environmentally sustainable
Goal 9 raises an important question: Is sustainable industrialisation a valid aim… or a contradiction in terms? Can you continue to grow industry without causing further harm to the planet?
An optimistic expert with broad experience
Eve Roodhouse has experience in delivering national level digital infrastructure and now has a leadership role for an entire UK city (Leeds) on culture and economy. Her skillset is in bringing varied (and sometimes non-aligned) strands together to deliver progress. She has an unshakeable belief that things can get better and that business and industry (if given the support to innovate) can come up with the solutions to deliver a sustainable future.
“Some people would think “My mind is blown - are we ever going to be able to solve all this? We’re all doomed!”… Whereas I look at it and think we’ve got some really brainy people around, we’ve got people who are really committed to solving these challenges. Our question is - How can we go faster? ” - Eve Roodhouse
Eve highlights a few key things that would help us go faster. Digital inclusivity - we must even out (regionally, nationally and globally) reliable and cheap access to the internet. Diversity in innovation - being an entrepreneur is hard, but vital for the innovation needed to meet the planet’s sustainability challenges. Eve argues that it has to become easier for all people, all over the world to have the financial support they need to get new sustainable companies, ideas and products off the ground.
Start / Stop
Each episode of 'The 17' ends with our influential expert guest giving us their Stop/Start - one thing we can all stop doing and start doing right now to help move the planet toward meeting the UN Sustainable Development goal in question.
Eve’s 'Stop' relates to our attitude to industry - she argues we need to stop thinking that business is bad when it comes to the climate. She thinks the exact opposite is true - a properly innovative industrial sector can deliver the solutions the planet needs.
Eve’s 'Start' is about encouraging collaboration and mutual respect between groups sometimes (wrongly in Eve’s opinion) characterised as being on opposite sides of the climate debate. Eve wants campaigners and public sector bodies to start seeing how business and industry can be part of the solution, not seen as part of the problem when it comes to sustainability.
Yorkshire's ambition to lead on Sustainability
Both guest Eve Roodhouse and host Kate Hutchinson live in Yorkshire and they sense that the county is keen to be a leading regional voice on sustainability. Eve points out that Leeds as a city is the perfect size to lead on innovation - small enough to progress quickly but big enough to scale. Eve believes that Leeds and Yorkshire companies can play a vital role in originating new solutions that can play a part in addressing the climate crisis.
The first ever Yorkshire Sustainability Week takes place this coming July and will have an in-person conference as its centrepiece featuring keynote speakers such as Greenpeace's Areeba Hamid. Go to www.yorkshiresustainabilityweek.com to find out more and get your tickets.
Be informed, take action and spread the word
'The 17' is a podcast dedicated to sustainability. It is structured around the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development goals. They represent, in essence, a plan to protect the future of the planet. We all need to know what they are, take reasonable positive actions in our own lives to help... and spread the word.
This new sustainability podcast has made quite an impact. Episode 1 was a hit - hitting Number 2 in the UK Apple Podcasts ‘Earth Sciences’ chart - an amazing result for a brand new podcast.. A new episode of ‘The 17’ is released on the 17th of each month and each episode is themed around a different one of the UN’s seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Follow 'The 17' to make sure you are informed and hear from influential experts about what actions to take to play your part in building a sustainable future. Listen every month, subscribe, leave reviews and tell your friends.
Resources
Find out more about Eve Roodhouse’s work in Leeds here: https://invest-leeds.co.uk/
Discover the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals: https://sdgs.un.org/goals
Explore the plans for Yorkshire Sustainability week here: https://www.yorkshiresustainabilityweek.com/
The 17 is a podcast themed around the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals. A new episode is published on the 17th of each month, and explores a different one of the 17 goals in detail.
The UN SDGs represent an all-encompassing plan to protect the future of our planet, it is our responsibility to know what they are, understand them, and make sure that we are doing our bit to help.
We are a new podcast and keen to grow. Please subscribe on your usual podcast platform, leave reviews and spread the word about the podcast. Thank you.
The 17 is produced by Bwlb - www.bwlb.co.uk
