Do you believe that human security and climate change are connected? Ever heard of exponential technologies? I presume the answer is yes! This presumption stems from the fact that the medium in which you read this article is a perfect example- The Internet!
This post is the concluding part of my amazing weekend in Harnosand. If you missed the first, you can find it here😉 Disruptive technology is becoming a favourite topic in the sustainability space and this led to the topic, Exponential thinking in Sustainability. During the summit, Rebecka Carlsson enlightened us on Singularity University and the different projects that people are/were working on during her time in the programme.
Exponential technologies move from deceptive to disruptive. This is evident in various sectors such as transportation, industrial growth, energy implementation, communication, the internet, processing speed of computers, amongst others. Interestingly, most of these technologies span from humans thinking about ways to improve the ways of working in their everyday lives.
Follow these sentences, do they bring to mind any new technology or brew new ideas in your mind?
- This technology might stop climate change
- The solar car I thought I would invent has been invented by my colleague
- We might live long enough to live forever
- Virtual reality can make us more emphatic
- It is possible to make an engine work on asteroid minerals.
- The coming 100 years will be 20,000 years of technological development
Some people have come to the conclusion that forty percent of fortune 500 companies that exist today will no longer exist. This extrapolation stems from this topic of exponential technologies and the impending revolution, most people expect to take place soon.
CASE SOLVING
The next session was all about goal 12. Have you heard of The Swan or Nordic Ecolabel? Have you seen this sign on some products and wondered why?
The Nordic Swan Ecolabel is the official sustainability ecolabel for the Nordic countries. The purpose was to give Nordic Consumers guidance and to help them choose products which had fulfilled strict environmental requirements. In Sweden, there are thousands of products carrying the Nordic Swan Ecolabel.
However, despite the awesome work the Nordic Swan is doing, the younger generation including me is oblivious to their activities. In addition, companies so as to gain market advantage make their own eco-marks. These were some of the challenges we tried to solve during the case solving session
COMMUNICATIVE STRATEGIES
This was the final session which dealt with how we communicate the SDG goals. In this session, we learnt a lot on effective communication with respect to the dynamics in the room and how to engage your audience optimally. Also, we learnt how to prepare outstanding presentations irrespective of the topic of discussion.
Then we played the privilege game and called it a wrap not long after that:)
PERSONAL REFLECTION: I really loved the sustainability summit for students. I would encourage every student to take part at least once in the summit. It was good to listen and share ideas with people from various fields and different universities discuss sustainability and other interesting topics needed to move the world thinking in the right direction.
I also like the efforts Sweden is making with ensuring that companies are taking the necessary steps to ensure sustainability in the life cycle of products and not just, the disposal of products.
Did I mention it was my first vegetarian weekend? All meals were vegetarian options only and it was soooo goood!! So if you’re reading this and planning an event for just vegetarian options but want everyone to enjoy it, ask SIDA for advice on the best caterers!
Finally, do not forget this…
Everyone has a part to play in achieving the seventeen sustainable goals. What are you doing in your little world?