Group3_C | SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Group 3 Section C
Archit Jindal BJ20131 | Poornesh Hathwar BJ20155 | Pushkar Khatod BJ20159 |
Roshan Hemachandran BJ20163 | Saloni Malhotra BJ20166 | Swapnil Prakash BJ20175
The objective of SDGs or
Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations in 2015 was to reach a
more sustainable future for the people, attain prosperity, and build a better
future for the planet. As a part of this blueprint, which includes 17 SDGs,
"Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure" is the Ninth. Its objective
is to "Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and
sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation."[1]
The term "Infrastructure"
includes the basic structures and physical systems necessary for society's
functioning. On the other hand, industries are responsible for creating job
opportunities, distributing wealth, reducing poverty, and driving economic
growth. The manufacturing industry, in particular, accounts for over 14.2% of
the total jobs in the world.[2] Innovation,
a term that has taken more importance in the recent past, results in
technological breakthroughs, raising the existing industries' capabilities
while also creating new ones.
WHY IS SDG 9 IMPORTANT
Despite tremendous growth in all sectors, a large section of the population is devoid of basic necessities.
Especially in under-developed and
developing countries, this is one of the most critical issues acting as an impediment for the overall growth and improvement in the standard of living.
Additionally, in general, industries produce hazardous waste in abundant
quantities in solid waste, E-waste, chemical waste, radioactive waste, etc.
Infrastructure development also contributes significantly to climate change.
Without a sustainable way to grow
these sectors, humanity is soon looking at imminent danger on multiple fronts.
These are the primary reasons why Industry, Infrastructure, and Innovation have
been included as a part of the SDGs. The outcomes of several other SDG targets
are dependent on SDG 9 for this reason.
As of now, globally, the GDP share and the employment associated with
manufacturing have been reducing. If the trend continues, we will not achieve
the Agenda 2030 for SDG 9. Thus, the countries have decided to invest in
developing infrastructure, cross-border cooperation, and promoting small
enterprises to ensure sustainable industrial development and achieve a course
correction. Additionally, leveraging the technological advancements to upgrade
the existing infrastructure and industries is equally important. Governments
across the world are thus coming up with focused initiatives in this regard.
(E.g., Start-Up India and Make in India)
CHALLENGES WITH SDG 9
The story of industrial innovation
has been an integral determinant of the course of our history as a community.
From the steam engine's onset to today's truly global production chains and
processes, the industry's innovations and developments have changed our
economies and helped lead to significant changes in our societies. That said,
without sustainable practices and infrastructure in place, our growth has left
vast sections of people wanting for more. Greater than 937 million of the
globe's population in 2017 do not have access to electricity. [6] For
many lower-income countries, the current existent infrastructure constraints
affect firm productivity by roughly 40%.[6]
The challenges to Industry Innovation and Infrastructure are many. However, efforts to overcome these obstacles are underway but would require significant funding and political influence. This part of the blog provides a quick view of the vital challenges critical for progress on this SDG and tall of them, in general.
One main challenge is increasing Internet access by micro and SMEs in developing countries, especially LDCs. Sometimes, access does not translate into usage because of issues concerning affordability, low literacy rates, scarce local content, and a lack of trust. Building skills of individuals and the enterprises, developing relevant Internet content, strengthening vital regulatory frameworks, and promoting trust can help improve access leads to enhanced usage.
Another challenge relates to inadequate transport, which leads to higher trading costs, decreased export competitiveness, and roughly less attraction for foreign direct investment, particularly in landlocked developing countries (LLDCs). And overcoming this challenge requires cooperation, multimodal transport, transport corridors, and an efficient transit facility. Additionally, poor access to infrastructure, particularly transportation, energy, and electricity, hinders development, diversification, and value addition in agriculture & agro-industry in rural areas.
On SDG target 9.5, worldwide R&D
expenditure has grown, with investments in R&D equalling 1.7% of
global GDP in 2014, as noted in the SDG Progress Report [5];
however, there are significant disparities among regions. Differences also
exist around the number of researchers per million people,
with a worldwide average of 1,098 researchers in 2014, 3,739 per million in
developed countries, and only 63 researchers per million in LDCs. [5]
RELEVANCE OF SDG 9 TO INDIA
This SDG is especially relevant to
countries like India since we have been extensively involved with domestic
developmental projects. The Government of India's flagship interventions
like Make in
India and Start-Up India and Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Shramev Jayate Karyakram is
currently fuelling innovation and sustainable industrial and economic
development across the country. This is aimed at increasing India's footprint
in the overall economic developmental movement and improving the country's
traditional production and domestic output.
Make in India, an initiative by the
Indian government to encourage private entities to manufacture in India and
incentivize dedicated investments into manufacturing products. The program has
been relatively successful, witnessing significant foreign direct
investment growth (FDI) after its initial launch. The total inflow was
approximately USD 222.89 billion between 2014 and 2018. This was initially
implemented to facilitate investment, foster innovation, enhance skill
development, protect intellectual property & build best in class
manufacturing infrastructure.
FACTS AND FIGURES
Infrastructure development may
appear to be a less critical sustainability issue than the other problems
covered under the Sustainability Development Goals (SDG). A glance at the
existing infrastructural conditions, even in the developed countries, may
convey the need to consider it an SDG. In some low-income countries like
Ethiopia, infrastructure constraints cut business productivity by approximately
40 percent.[3] Worldwide
2.3 billion people still lack access to necessary sanitization, and more than 4
billion do not have access to internet facilities. [3] The
fact that 90% of the latter belong to developing countries is contrary to the
thinking that infrastructure challenges exist only in underdeveloped countries. [3]
PRICE OF INACTION
The price of inaction for this SDG
is steep as a failure to improve the infrastructure and develop technology may
translate into inadequate sanitation, poor health, and limited access to
quality education. Thus, an inability to attain SDG 9 would ultimately lead to
the failure of SDG 3 (Good Health) and SDG 4 (Quality Education). Considering
that industrial development is the core driver for increasing employment and
advancing sustainable development, inaction would make poverty eradication much
more challenging. Thus, resulting in a weak economy and the failure of SDG 1
(No Poverty) and SDG 8 (Economic Growth). We can understand that inaction
towards SDG 9 would start-off a virtuous cycle of failure of the synergetic
SDGs. The concept of synergetic SDGs has been established in a recent study,
which found a noticeable positive relationship between multiple SDGs.[4]
After forming the Paris Agreement
and its goal to reduce CO2 emission, numerous efforts have been made to
decrease it, but the pace of decline is far lower than the required levels.
Apart from shifting to renewable and green resources, we need to use the
existing resources efficiently, which is impossible without proper
technological and infrastructural development. Therefore, the interdependency
between infrastructure and eco-friendly practices make the attainment of SDG 9
necessary.
Recognizing the significance of infrastructure and undertaking a systems approach will underpin infrastructure and the planet's resilience. It makes the infrastructural development immensely significant for the futureproofing of our existing assets. London's Thames Estuary 2100 strategy is one of the leading examples of infrastructural development that can control the current risks and adapt to future climate changes.
ANALYSIS
There have been significant strides
around the world towards the achievement of the objectives of SDG-9. In the
least developed countries, the agricultural sector remains the primary
employer. However, the manufacturing industry now employs more than 500 million
worldwide, with this figure rising rapidly. Investments in R&D from
low-income countries have doubled from USD 1.9 billion to USD 3.9 billion, and
the number of researchers per million is also on the rise. Despite these
improvements, a lot still needs to be done to reach the goals by 2030.
In India's case, several
initiatives have been taken by the Govt. of India. The government has been
focusing on Tier-2 & Tier-3 transport connectivity through
the Udaan program. More than 600 km of highways were
constructed, and new ports are planned in Trivandrum, Kerala, and West Bengal.
The impetus on North-East's development has been an essential
pillar of the current government's strategy. Capitals of three states in North-East
are currently being connected via rail, and SARDPNE is being undertaken to
build a Trans Arunachal Highway.
In Meghalaya, MGNREGA
has been instrumental in reaching out to 90% of households and entails the
development of last-mile connectivity. The novel initiative to use
the MGNREGA funds to develop roads for connecting the markets has been well
received. The program also consists of identifying the bottom 20 from every
village & help them in their livelihoods.
The state of Maharashtra has been
another trendsetter in the field. Under Delhi-Mumbai Industrial
Corridor(DMIC), infrastructure development projects like stormwater
drainage in MIDC estates, sewage treatment, and waste collection are the steps
being undertaken for Sustainable Industrialization. The state has strained
water resources and is adopting the models used by Israel & Singapore for
sewage treatment.
Govt of India has also been moving
towards the Public, Private Partnership in the infra sector. This
was reflected in the uptick from 21% to 37% from the 10th five-year plan to the
11th five-year plan. Apart from the PPP model, a significant number of projects
are also following the Built Operate Transfer (BOT) model and
a hybrid annuity model. These models focus on the private sector involvement
for fostering innovation & inclusive industrialization.
In recent years, dedicated programs like Tinkering Labs, Atal Incubation Centers & Atal Grand Challenge under the Atal Innovation Mission has been undertaken to foster sustainable development.
WAY FORWARD
These steps enunciate that India
and the world is putting in efforts towards achieving SDG-9 of its
"outcome" targets, but a lot still needs to be done in this
direction.
The recent corona pandemic has
highlighted the urgent need
for resilient infrastructure. The critical infrastructure in India remains
far from adequate. India is distinctively placed to deliver on its commitment
to focus on Innovation, Infrastructure despite being the faster-growing economy
in the world. Information and communication technologies have been on the
frontlines of the COVID-19 response. As the pandemic reshapes how we work, go
to school and shop for essentials, it is now more important to bridge the digital divide for
the 3.6 billion people who remain offline, unable to access online education,
employment, or critical health and sanitation advice.
Following are the immediate
actions that can be targeted:
- Build Basic Digital access, including infrastructure
and skills
- Regulators need to update the policy norms to
digitally coordinate across sectors, e.g. financial, competition, data
security
- Cooperation across borders: Multilateral
collaboration needs to be strengthened to facilitate experience sharing
and capacity support, particularly for LDCs
Digital technologies can be
harnessed in support of sustainability in the fields of finance, operation,
etc. The government's approach to the use of technological advancements should
be to build on the growing interest in sustainable investment. Policymakers
must encourage the increasing interest in sustainable investment. Measures such
as sustainability standards of operating, sustainability risk disclosures,
etc., can be used as parameters in these policies.
As for the far future, innovation
and technological progress is crucial to finding lasting solutions for
economic and environmental challenges. So new strategies need to be implemented
that will support the use of new technologies like artificial intelligence,
biotechnology, blockchain, and robotics to accelerate the achievement of the
2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.
Even before the outbreak of
COVID-19, global manufacturing growth has been steadily declining. While
information and communication technology are essential for sustainable growth,
development pathways can become more challenging, as new technologies may
create fewer jobs. To counter these trends, countries should pursue
labor-enhancing development pathways by incentivizing investment in industries
that feature decent work opportunities.
A new sustainable approach is needed to ensure that technological change supports the implementation of the SDG - one that prioritizes people and at the same time prioritizes inclusion to tackle gender biases.
References
https://in.one.un.org/page/sustainable-development-goals/sdg-9/
https://www.sdgfund.org/goal-9-industry-innovation-infrastructure
https://sdgacademy.org/goal/industry-innovation-and-infrastructure/
https://developmentfinance.un.org/sites/developmentfinance.un.org/files/FSDR_2020.pdf
https://niti.gov.in/indias-commitment-to-the-sdgs
https://niti.gov.in/writereaddata/files/Report_SDG-9.pdf
http://ris.org.in/pdf/SDGs_Report_Chapter_9.pdf
Video inspiration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEOdMq2Gk54&ab_channel=MAPFRE
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