At Island Innovation we often talk about the importance of supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, we are also aware that actions speak louder than words. In the post below we aim to share how we, as a social enterprise, support each of the SDGs and how we plan to focus our efforts during 2021.
Those of you familiar with the SDGs will understand the importance of their interdependence:
Sustainable Development Goals interplay
Sustainable Development Goals interplay
The International Science Council produced a report, including the above image, examining the interactions between the different SDGs. You can review their executive summary here. In the interests of brevity, we will try and refrain from repeating ourselves too much below, but it is worth mentioning that there is a connection between our actions and multiple goals.
Despite our commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals, we know there is always more to be done. This is why we encourage you to join our community and share your innovations and best practices for supporting the SDGs. Not only will the entire network benefit, but it will push us to develop our efforts and further our support for remote, rural and island communities.
Below we review each of the SDGs and, thanks to the work of Alicia Richins, include key actions for governments, communities, organisations, businesses, and individuals for 2021. Alicia developed the 24 days of SDGs, and we have included the actions she shared with her newsletter subscribers. If you’d like to learn more about her SDG work we recommend signing up for her newsletter.
SDG 1: End poverty in all its forms
Unfortunately, largely due to COVID-19, poverty increased substantially in 2020. Over 150 million people are expected to fall into extreme poverty in 2021. Had COVID-19 not occurred then the expected rate, according to the World Bank Group, was estimated to drop to 7.9%.
Economic revival is essential to reducing poverty across the world. This is why we are committing to sharing best practices and ideas for post-COVID recovery:
We also welcome contributors from our network to share their thoughts and ideas on our platform. If you are interested in collaborating on content or wish to contribute an article please get in touch.
How you can support SDG 1
Governments
Communities
Organisations and businesses
Individuals
SDG 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
We aim to support and educate our audience on the benefits of agricultural technology (AgTech). We believe the application of modern technology to crop production, fishing, food production, soil research and food chains can help island nations achieve improved food security.
In 2021, we also want to share more information about Circular Agri-food systems as a way for islands to become more sustainable. Sustainable agricultural systems can help prevent land degradation and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20% according to a study by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
Circular agri-food systems are a big opportunity for islands around the world. Many rely heavily on tourism and agriculture, two activities that are known to produce enormous amounts of waste. With the Circular agri-food model, island nations can turn the waste from these two economic activities into organic resources for crop production and energy generation sources. Creating a circular economy can not only maximise the allocation of limited resources without further harming the environment but also creates a more efficient economic system, with, ultimately, more food created per unit input.
How you can support SDG 2
Communities and individuals
SDG 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
It goes without saying that the biggest threat to achieving this goal is currently COVID-19 which has put unprecedented strain on healthcare systems. Our virtual events were designed initially to bring communities together across the world, but as they’ve developed, we’ve seen several tangible benefits including a reduced carbon footprint and adaptability to an environment where social distancing is recommended.
How you can support SDG 3
SDG 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
Island Innovation is based on the principle that we can all benefit by sharing knowledge and experience. Everything we do as a social enterprise is designed to build connections across remote, rural and island communities. We believe peer-to-peer learning is at the forefront of innovation and is a fundamental driver of creating sustainable change.
A significant amount of our resources are invested in sharing insights and news from communities across the world. Our flagship virtual events, the Virtual Island Summit and the Island Finance Forum, are designed to facilitate learning and positive exchanges across our network. Attendance for these events is, and always will be, free and open to all to ensure inclusivity and equity.
How you can support SDG 4
Governments
Communities and individuals
Organisations and businesses
SDG 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
We are committed to ensuring that our team, ambassadors, contributors and community are representative of the diversity of the global community. Currently, at Island Innovation, more than 50% of the team are female and a large percentage live on or are from diverse island communities.
When working with clients we ensure that any post-COVID recovery plans are feminist and have considered everyone in society. To truly embrace equality as an organisation it is important to be not only feminist but anti-racist, support the LGBTQ+ community and be disability positive.
How you can support SDG 5
SDG 6: Ensure available and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
Currently, 3 in 10 people lack access to safely managed drinking water and 6% lack access to safe drinking water, according to the United Nations. Though our news platform we hope to inspire communities and provide workable solutions for clean drinking water and sanitation.
How you can support SDG 6
SDG 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy
One of the topics at the Virtual Island Summit 2020 was ‘Clean Energy Development and Integrated Resource Planning in Island States’. This 90-minute session focused on supporting economic growth and sustainability in island states through clean energy development and the importance of integrated resource planning in this process.
Transitioning to clean power generation can provide island states with improved energy security and independence, support local economic development, and combat climate change and other negative local environmental impacts. Sustainable energy is one of the primary topics Island Innovation will focus on in 2021. This means we are committed to creating more conversations around the topic, sharing best practices and working with partners to bring the latest innovations to our network.
If you, or your organisation, is working on any projects related to sustainable energy and would like to contribute to our blog then please get in touch. You can read more about contributing articles and insights to Island Innovation here.
How you can support SDG 7
SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth
Good businesses provide decent work and economic growth to the areas they invest in. But for this to be sustainable and successful in remote, rural and island communities they must ensure their approach aligns to the quadruple helix.
We work with committed clients in the private sector who invest in remote and island regions and consistently generate new business and sustainable economic growth. The financial model at Island Innovations means we can provide free resources and events for island stakeholders whilst helping companies grow their businesses both sustainably and profitably.
How you can support SDG 8
SDG 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
Fostering innovation is what we are here for as we have stated in our mission. There are many ways that we help innovative practices develop:
How you can support SDG 9
SDG 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries
One of the main goals of SDG10 is to achieve income growth of the bottom 40% of the population. As we’ve stated previously, our focus is on remote, rural and island communities, the majority of which fall within this 40%.
By showcasing the successes of these communities, we want to help deliver enhanced representation in global economic and financial decision-making. This will happen when innovative projects and solutions are given the international recognition they deserve. Creating and developing a powerful global network helps provide a united voice and positively shapes the outside perception of these areas.
We are committed to not only growing our network, but ensuring that it is used appropriately to advance positive change and provide amplification of achievements equally across our members.
How you can support SDG 10
SDG 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe and resilient
Island Innovation focuses on reducing negative environmental impacts, improving resource efficiency, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, and resilience to disasters (for example COVID-19). There are a number of cities on islands and we regularly share information concerning the protection of natural resources and the environment. We all share one planet so all positive actions, regardless of how remote they may seem, play a part in improving the environment for all.
In 2021, we will also continue our work with renewable energy and sustainable transport technology companies and connect them with island governments and policymakers.
How you can support SDG 11
SDG 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
One of the key challenges in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 12 (SDG12) is the continued fossil fuel subsidies offered by governments to fossil fuel companies. In 2018, they were at $427 billion compared to $318 billion in 2015. We, as we mentioned in our work on SDG11, work closely with sustainable energy companies. Our aim in 2020 is to work closely with government bodies to explore the advantages of switching to sustainable energy sources rather than remaining reliant on fossil fuels.
Our community, via the Facebook and LinkedIn Groups, shares best practices around sustainable production and consumption. This covers everything from personal initiatives, to articles and news.
We are champions of virtual events; organising both the Virtual Island Summit and the Island Finance Forum annually. But our commitment to virtual events, which connects thousands of attendees worldwide and are a sustainable alternative to in-person conferences, also extends to providing free resources:
We will continue to build our resource library in 2021 and are also planning to further develop our website to make existing resources more easily accessible to our network.
How you can support SDG 12
SDG 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
We remain committed to fighting climate change and will continue to share news and insights on this topic throughout 2021. We also hope to be part of COP26 when this happens at the beginning of November. Growing the voice of Island Innovation helps us to champion island and rural initiatives in global forums.
There are approximately 15,000 islands all over the world and many of them are fighting daily with man-made issues relating to climate change. As part of the Virtual Island Summit, we ran a session on “Energy Independence For Island Nations: Building Sustainable And Resilient Microgrids” which reviews how to go about finding the best solution and what type of planning is required. It also engaged governments and utilities about how to move forward proactively instead of waiting for environmental or catastrophic incidents to force their hands.
How you can support SDG 13
SDG 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
One of the key topics for this year’s Island Finance Forum is climate change, the Blue Economy and natural capital. We hope that the event will help highlight the unique financial challenges faced by global island communities and the solutions for sustainable economic recovery and inclusive growth in a post-pandemic world.
Again, it is through the development of our network, that positive change happens relating to SDG 14. Be it the sharing of innovative ideas such as wind-powered cargo ships which can reduce emissions by up to 90%, the Blue Economy table we featured at our end of year holiday event, or sharing resources which spark community debates.
At the Virtual Island Summit 2020 we hosted a session on ‘Hometown heroes: encouraging local champions for ocean protection’. It highlighted ocean champions from island nations around the world who are leading efforts to protect their oceans one reef at a time:
How you can support SDG 14
SDG 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and revert land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
Many thought that COVID-19 had given the planet a break and that previous damage inflicted could be undone as the world stood still. However, the small respite provided when businesses halted production and international travel was suspended, was not anywhere near enough to achieve SDG 15.
More work is required from governments and businesses, including Island Innovation, to support this goal. Agricultural expansion is one of the main reasons that forest areas continue to decline as such a rapid rate. This is why SDG 2 and 15 are tied together. Our commitment remains in supporting companies who promote AgTech solutions and sharing best practice and insights with our community. You can read more about it here.
How you can support SDG 15
SDG16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
The development of peaceful, just and inclusive societies, should be included in business planning. Part of these steps includes engaging with governments and NGOs to gauge the impact of business practices on the surrounding communities and environment. Our consultancy services are designed to help businesses support SDG 16. As seen in the ECOSOC chamber launch event, businesses and the financial sector are critical to the success of SDG 16:
A key part of SDG 16 is about good governance and developing strong institutions. We, as we’ve said before, believe that this happens through enabling relationships between island stakeholders and government structures.
How you can support SDG 16
SDG17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
We kind of wish this one came first, only because it is the one most closely aligned to how Island Innovation works as an organisation, and we are aware that not everyone will have got through each of the Sustainable Development Goals in one sitting!
As we mentioned, the strength of our network comes from the ability to connect all key stakeholders and help coordinate meaningful partnerships. The more closely society, governments, academic institutions and businesses work together the more successful sustainable development will be.
This year we have welcomed 346 ambassadors to Island Innovation who represent over 200 different island communities. We started the program to bring passionate individuals together to help them develop their network, provide access to exclusive training and build stronger community connections. The program has grown significantly since its conception. It supports SDG 17 as it brings together individuals in powerful partnerships and facilitates connections across islands and diverse sectors within sustainable development.
How you can support SDG 17
Looking towards the future
2020 saw us united globally in many ways, all subject to new restrictions on our lives regardless of where in the world we live. But this situation has made us stronger, more resilient and appreciative of what we have and what we can count on, and fortunately, in many ways, it has spurred us into paying attention and taking care of our environment and society.
Sustainability is pressing for islands all around the globe as the tourism industry was hit hard by the pandemic, and it is the main source of income for many communities. At Island Innovation, we are proud to support the post-COVID recovery by making information accessible to islanders from all walks of life.
If you are part of a government body, NGO or organisation who wants to review your SDG support and strategy then please get in touch with us to discuss how our consultancy services help.
Alicia Richins
Alicia Richins