Industry

Industry holds an indispensable relationship with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) formulated by the United Nations, illuminating the fact that sustainable industrial development plays a vital role in achieving these global objectives. Industry, particularly manufacturing, serves as a critical driver for economic growth, employment, and technological advancement. SDG 9, specifically, underlines the importance of industry, innovation, and infrastructure, underscoring the need for resilient infrastructure, inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and fostering innovation. However, the intricate interlinkages between industry and other SDGs must not be overlooked.

For instance, clean and sustainable industrial processes contribute significantly to SDG 13, aiming at climate action, by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving energy efficiency, and adopting clean and environmentally sound technologies. Similarly, SDG 12, responsible consumption and production, demands the industries to promote resource and energy efficiency, sustainable infrastructure, and provide access to basic services, green and decent jobs, and a better quality of life for all. It motivates industries to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle.

The role of industries extends to SDG 8 (Decent work and Economic Growth) as industries stimulate economic activities that lead to job creation and thus, improve living standards. Also, in respect to SDG 5 (Gender Equality), industrial sectors have the potential to provide opportunities for women in the workforce and help bridge the gender wage gap.

Nevertheless, the transformation to a more sustainable industry is not without challenges. The demands of rapid technological changes, the need for significant capital investments in green technologies, and the transition to a circular economy are some of the hurdles industry faces. Further, this transformation requires a multilevel and multi-stakeholder approach, calling for cooperation among governments, private sectors, academia, and civil society to pave the path to achieving SDGs.

The development of new high-efficiency magnets and/or electric traction motors using a limited amount of critical rare earths or none at all is crucial for the large-scale deployment of electric vehicles (EVs) and related applications, such as hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and e-bikes. For these applications, we estimated the short-term demand for high-performing NdFeB magnets and their constituent rare earths: neodymium, praseodymium and dysprosium. In 2020, EV, HEV and e-bike applications combined could require double the amount used in 2015.

Millenials are much more connected and IT savvy than the Baby Boomers
Companies need to adjust their recruitment and retention practices to take into account the culture and needs of the new millennial generation. This is important for advancing SDG 8.6 to substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training.
RX,

World Travel Market, Responsible Tourism Blog, June 2017

june-sdg-session-2016-hotels-sdgs-and-transparent-reporting
At the heart of Responsible Tourism are commitments to transparency and accountability. It is a process of addressing the sustainability issues which arise in a particular place and which the business can do something about, materiality matters. But it is not enough to focus only on the process, it is important to report the achievement. This blog explores reporting frameworks, rating initiatives, certification, recognition and showcases best practice.
Elsevier,

Vaccine, Volume 35, 25 May 2017

Background While our previous work has shown that replacing existing vaccines with thermostable vaccines can relieve bottlenecks in vaccine supply chains and thus increase vaccine availability, the question remains whether this benefit would outweigh the additional cost of thermostable formulations. Methods Using HERMES simulation models of the vaccine supply chains for the Republic of Benin, the state of Bihar (India), and Niger, we simulated replacing different existing vaccines with thermostable formulations and determined the resulting clinical and economic impact.

Looking for the best in innovation
ICIS launches the search for the very best in innovation in the chemical industry. Now in their 14th year, the ICIS Innovation Awards seek to recognize and reward companies and individuals that show high levels of innovation in products and processes, as well as providing benefits to the environment and advancing progress towards sustainability. This award raises awareness of the benefits of innovation to the environment and supports SDG 9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure.
Thirty years of public health research have demonstrated that improved indoor environmental quality is associated with better health outcomes. Recent research has demonstrated an impact of the indoor environment on cognitive function. We recruited 109 participants from 10 high-performing buildings (i.e. buildings surpassing the ASHRAE Standard 62.1–2010 ventilation requirement and with low total volatile organic compound concentrations) in five U.S. cities. In each city, buildings were matched by week of assessment, tenant, type of worker and work functions.
Most conventional scheduling problems use production efficiency, cost and quality as their preeminent optimization objectives. However, because of increasing costs of energy and environmental pollution, “low-carbon scheduling” as a novel scheduling model has received increasing attention from scholars and engineers. This scheduling model focuses on reducing energy consumption and environmental pollution at the workshop level.
ICIS,

ICIS AFPM Supplement March 2017, pages 32-33

The rush to build large-scale petrochemical complexes in the US Gulf Coast area has encouraged companies to take a collaborative approach to finding and encouraging talented and skilled workers. The drive for growth cannot be achieved without creating decent work for all which advances SDG 8 Decent work and economic growth.
Elsevier, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Volume 68, 1 February 2017
Trees, and their derivative products, have been used by societies around the world for thousands of years. Contemporary construction of tall buildings from timber, in whole or in part, suggests a growing interest in the potential for building with wood at a scale not previously attainable. As wood is the only significant building material that is grown, we have a natural inclination that building in wood is good for the environment. But under what conditions is this really the case?
LexisNexis Legal & Professional,

LexisNexis France, Lexis360, Collectivités Territoriales, 16 February 2017

In France the goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2050. To support this, there are ambitious targets for the development of photovoltaic energy: 500 MW of new installations per year at a constant rate. Following a consultation with the stakeholders from the photovoltaic sector, a new regulatory framework for solar energy, set out in this detailed practice note, has been implemented which provides two distinct mechanisms depending on the type of installation. Solar energy is critical to SDG 7.2 to increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.

Texte en français.

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