5 Biggest global sustainability challenges of 2020
We can all agree on the fact that the beginning of our new decade 2020 was definitely one of the worst things that happened to humanity. There are millions of people who are currently sick and are fighting for their lives in almost every country in the world. Scientists from different institutions and organizations that don’t speak the same language are communicating every day by sharing healthcare data to cure a pandemic that has turned the world into a dystopian nightmare. There are those who are saying that mother Earth is healing. And it might be definitely true. But does this justify leaving the world dying and diseased for our future generations?
No. Because that is not the definition of sustainability. We need to ensure that we give our future generations a fair chance to live a happy life while prioritizing nature’s needs. Here are five of the biggest sustainability challenges that we will face in 2020:
1.Curb the warmth
The past decade was the warmest that the world has experienced. There was a consistent growth in the rate of carbon emissions with a high frequency of air travel, more need for space, and deforestation. Now we have a decade to improve our approach. To make sure that warming is limited to 1.5 degrees, we need to cut emissions by 7.6% every year for the next 10 years.
2.Adhering to the Global Sustainability Development Goals
In the Paris Agreement of 2016, large coalitions were formed and big goals were set by every nation to reduce their carbon footprint. The deadline for these goals is the year 2030. Extreme poverty, child mortality, education, sanitation, and vaccination in the third world countries were prioritized. It was decided that goals apply to all countries, regardless of income level and the WHO Forum will reinforce this notion.
3.Eliminate inequality that hampers development
Through surveys and other financial and socio-economic data accumulated from all the countries in the United Nations, it was discovered that 20% of development progress was lost in recent years due to the unequal distribution of education, health, and living standards. When societies develop at different paces it is difficult to keep and reach a common goal. Therefore, eliminating unequal development will be a priority in 2020 for sustainable development.
4.Curbing conflict with humanitarian response
Wars and tensions are as toxic to the environment as mass extinctions or wildfires. They create distrust, hatred, non-cooperation, and lead to the exploitation of natural resources. In the end, it is more harmful to the plants, animals, and our future generations than it is to us. Countries will have to converge together on terrorism, the refugee problems, avoid sexual violence and child abuse.
5.Sharing healthcare support
No one is in the Coronavirus situation alone. It is a type of disease that stops spreading with isolation. But we need to be connected as a world now more than ever. No country alone can find a cure or a vaccine. Therefore, mass fundraising needs to take place on a global scale to gather billions of dollars to accelerate the new drug discovery against the novel coronavirus strain.
