Technological Effect and Gender Gaps

Meta description

As defined in the 1987 Brundtland Report sustainable development is the “Development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future

generations to meet their own needs”. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are also known as the Global Goals, were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity.

Technological effect and gender gaps

SDGs are a collection of 17 goals (not legally binding) that focuses on social development, economic development, and environmental protection for future generations SDG 11 is ‘Sustainable cities and communities that target making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. With an increase in the percentage of the population living in urban areas and city environments, the priority is having sustainable, safe, and inclusive settlements and cities. SDG 11 addresses safe, affordable housing as well as the protection of natural and cultural heritage. There are 10 targets to be achieved in SDG 11 and they are measured with the help of 15 indicators.

Technology is a revolution that has affected and changed our daily habits. It has improved our daily lives and helps us to be more sustainable in the future. Technology can help us achieve our goals and it also creates a positive impact on society. It also enables us to connect to people across the globe.

United Nations has recognized the importance of technology in achieving the SDG in its recent sustainable development goals report. According to a new study by the World Economic Forum and PwC – if we employ technological innovation, we could make progress with two-thirds of the 169 targets within the Sustainable Development Goals. UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, at the closing of the 2018 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development said that

“Technology has great potential to help deliver the SDGs, but it can also be at the root of

exclusion and inequality. We need to harness the benefits of advanced technologies for all.”

By utilizing technological advancements/opportunities in light of SDG 11, we can explore the

potential of smart cities. At present more than 50% of the world’s population lives in urban areas. It is estimated that the percentage will go up to 70% by 2050. This will create huge challenges for the government, local bodies, and city planners. The solution to many of these problems is information and communication technology (ICT). International Telecommunication Union (ITU) (UN specialized agency for ICT) is working to develop the tremendous potential that ICTs have to help build smarter and more sustainable cities. ICT offers cities innovative infrastructure and applications, such as smart buildings, smart water management, intelligent transport systems, and efficiencies in energy and resource waste management. These lead to more effective and holistic city management.

Many countries have taken multiple initiatives to reach the target set by UN SDG11. For example

1. In many countries, there is a rise in the usage of electronic vehicles (EV’s). It has a positive impact on cities and communities as well as is environment friendly as it does not emit any type of gas that can affect the climate. It helps in promoting and achieving SDG 11. According to a press release by Ernst and Young Global Ltd, China is at the top position when it comes to the progress made by countries toward an Electric Vehicle (EV) future. China is followed by Norway and Sweden in the list by providing various tax benefits and a strong energy ecosystem along with high consumer uptake. In Israel, during covid-19, a new app was launched that could hold the key to creating faster, cleaner, safer, and more convenient commutes. The users have to enter their location and destination, and an algorithm calculates the most efficient and fastest journey. Public transport is then rerouted according to that. The purpose of the introduction of the system was to help fight covid-19, but later on, it was estimated if implemented permanently it could save $25 million a year.
2. The United for Smart Sustainable Cities (U4SSC), launched by United Nations along with many other coordinators such as ITU in 2016 is one of the prime actions taken under the umbrella of SDG 11 to achieve the goal. It serves as a global platform to advocate public policy and to encourage the use of ICTs to facilitate and ease the transition to smart sustainable cities. This could be a game changer in this field if implemented properly and effectively.

Therefore, it is right to say that Technological advancements and opportunities will transform cities and communities into sustainable which will ultimately help them improve their quality of life. This will lead to developments in various sectors such as health, transport, environment, etc. Technological advancements give us an opportunity to develop more intelligent and inclusive urban systems where basic facilities are taken care such as sanitation, health, etc. If we want to reach and the targets set by Sustainable development Goal number 11, the organizations at the international level as well as local level, governments, municipalities all need to work together so that the cities can become smart and sustainable.

REFERENCES

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_development https://www.undp.org/sustainable-development-goals https://sdg-tracker.org/cities

https://sdgtracker.org/cities

http://www.ey.com/

https://sdg.iisd.org

https://u4ssc.itu.int/

https://www.weforum.org/