Sustainability

WHAT'S NEXT?: Preparedness and mitigation plans to increase resilience and reduce economic impact will be crucial over the coming years.

• [New] The UN remains committed to the existing timeline of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end global poverty in all its forms and to reduce inequality within every country by 2030.
• [New] New investment of $350 billion a year in sustainable food and land use systems could create as many as 120 million new jobs and unlock up to $4.5 trillion in new business opportunities by 2030.
• [New] Doubling the energy efficiency of air conditioning by 2050 would reduce the need for 1,300 GW of additional electricity generation capacity to meet peak demand, the equivalent of all the coal-fired power generation capacity in China and India in 2018.
• [New] The Trust Protocol will support US cotton growers in meeting 2025 sustainable growing goals - that include a 13% decrease in land use, a 50% cut in soil loss, an 18% decline in water use, a 15% decline in energy use, a 39% cut in greenhouse gas emissions and a 30% increase in soil carbon.
• [New] With the right social protection policies and long-term investments to build sustainable and resilient food systems, governments can not only avert a COVID-19 hunger crisis, but put the UN goal to end hunger by 2030 back on track.
• [New] Increasing steel efficiency in end-use applications could generate annual cost savings of up to $210 billion by 2030 in reduced material usage and energy demand.
• [New] Doubling the energy efficiency of air conditioning by 2050 would cut electricity use by 1,300 gigawatts, the equivalent of all the coal-fired power generation capacity in China and India in 2018, saving up to $2.9 tn in electricity costs.
• [New] Reusing, refurbishing and recycling clothes could lead to $130 billion in savings and prevent 148 million tonnes of textile waste by 2030.
• [New] The European Commission unveiled a strategy to scale up renewable hydrogen projects across polluting sectors from chemicals to steel and push for clean fuels and energy efficiency to meet the EU's net-zero emissions goal by 2050.
• The world is changing rapidly and is faced with significant challenges in achieving the UN Agenda for Sustainable Development and its goals by 2030.
• If current trends did not improve, the Sustainable Development Goal 2 - eradicating world hunger, food insecurity, and all forms of malnutrition by 2030 - would be not be reached.
• Total final energy demand in aviation in 2050 is reduced by 8%, and total final demand for liquid jet fuel in that year declines by more than 50 Mtoe, or about 15% of 2019 consumption, compared with the Sustainable Development Scenario.
• CO2 capture would increase by 50% to around 7.5 GtCO2 per year in 2050, while almost 90 new bioenergy plants equipped with CO2 capture and storage would be needed each year, nearly three times as much as the capacity projected in the Sustainable Development Scenario.
• Synergies between air conditioners and heat pumps mean that heat pumps achieve an additional 15% cost reduction thanks to spillovers from cooling applications in 2070 in the Sustainable Development Scenario.
• Biden's plan outlines specific and aggressive US targets, including achieving an emissions-free power sector by 2035 and upgrading 4 million buildings over four years to meet the highest standards for energy efficiency.
• The world was off track in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, even before the COVID-19 crisis erupted, but can get back on course by increasing investment in public services, showing solidarity on financing, and reshaping how people work, learn, live and consume.
• Sustainable management of wild fisheries could lead to around $40 billion in annual savings by 2030 by reducing losses caused by overexploitation of wild fisheries.
• Worldwide, doubling the energy efficiency of air conditioners could save up to USD 2.9 trillion by 2050 in reduced electricity generation, transmission and distribution costs alone.
• Improving the energy efficiency of cooling systems by using climate-friendly refrigerants could remove emissions equivalent to between 210bn and 460bn tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2060.
• The UK Government has been urged to implement a Home Improvement Plan to facilitate more than £5bn in annual spending to improve the energy efficiency of the UK's housing stock to contribute to the net-zero target for 2050.
• Under proposals to be set out in legislation later in 2020, Scotland and Wales will acquire new powers in areas including food labelling, support for farmers and energy efficiency.

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Last updated: 01 August 2020