Most of the time, when we talk about sustainability, we often only focus on the environment, the planet, and things like climate change. However, in this week's materials, I learned that sustainability is more than just the environment. Sustainability can be explained with the three pillar model based on environmental, economic, and social considerations. In addition, the 17 UN Sustainability Development Goals are also not only targeting climate change. They also targeting many other social and economic goals such as poverty, inequality, peace, or even justice. I think this concept helps me to think of it in a whole new and comprehensive way.
I feel the course has changed my thinking a lot at the beginning. The concept of stake and stakeholders give me a clear view of what should I consider and how to make wiser decisions. However, I am still confused about the E3, Macroenvironment(the 4 factors, social, political, technological, economics), and the SDGs. They all trying to make the world a better place, but the strategies, the logic, and the goals are a little different. For example, in the four Macroenvironment factors, social, political, technological, economic, you cannot clearly see any relevance to zero hunger, the goal 2 of UN Sustainability Development Goals. But, the need for food is connecting to almost all economic activities since we all need food to eat.
By the way, among the 17 UN Sustainability Development Goals, I am curious about the Goal 1, No Poverty. The target is to eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere, by 2030. The defined extreme poverty as people living on less than $1.25 a day. However, I think the money and the number are not the main points. The question is, how much or how many they can purchase, the value is the key. If a hamburger is $0.05, they can afford 25 hamburgers a day. If a hamburger is $3, they are facing a big trouble. These days, more and more governments tend to increase their currency supply, causing inflation to grow their economic growth figures. That means if those extremely poverty people do not catch up with the speed of the money supply, their life will be more difficult to reverse.
And, the Goal 2, End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture, is not just as easy as providing them foods to eat. Their target is, By 2030, to end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular, the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food all year round. That means nutrition, sustainable agriculture, and food security are also included.
Reference
United Nations. (n.d.). THE 17 GOALS | sustainable development. United Nations. https://sdgs.un.org/goals.
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