In every nation, there are different environmental challenges that affect the welfare of the people and the economy in various ways. Like other countries, Singapore is not spared from various environmental issues. However, the good news is that it promotes good practices toward environmental protection by all stakeholders.
Likewise, Singapore also aims to deliver the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals SDGs by 2030. Against this background, Singapore hosts Ecosperity Conferences annually, and these consist of global leaders committed to sustainability. The conference focuses on various key themes every year.
In 2019, Ecosperity conference aims to explore new approaches to water, energy as well as material flow to achieve low carbon. The other area of focus is to promote sustainability by building a resource-efficient future. As such the upcoming Ecosperity Conference in Singapore tackles different issues about sustainability.
2019 Prosperity Conference
The 2019 Ecosperity Conference runs under the theme “From Ambition To Action.” It runs from 4 to 7 June 2019 at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Singapore. Ecosperity Week consists of a variety of events, and it draws the participants from the academia, policymakers, investors as well as global business leaders.
The weeklong conference focuses on the following events: pitch sessions, roundtable discussions, innovation showcases, site visits as well as networking opportunities. The participants aim to come up with the best ideas that can shape policy formulation and promote sustainability.
As 2030 draws nearer, there is a growing need for public and private sector collaboration to achieve the SDGs. It is high time that businesses seize the opportunities worth US$12 trillion in addressing environmental and other pressing social challenges.
Climate change continues to cause severe effects on both the welfare of the people and the environment. The human factor significantly contributes to climate change which is the reason why everyone should act to address this problem.
As the theme of the conference suggests, we all have ambitions, but it is high time we transform them into actions. According to the conference’s theme, tomorrow starts today; hence it is essential to act now for the sake of the future. With the right mindset, it is possible to achieve sustainability since it only requires behavior change.
The 2019 Ecosperity Conference aims to drive discussions that can help in promoting low carbon, the major contributor to climate change. The conference also aims to improve sustainability through efficient use of resources so that future generations can also benefit.
Highlights Of Ecosperity 2018 Conference
The 2018 Ecosperity Conference focused on elements related to food and nutrition, education and healthcare toward building resilient societies. Our welfare is increasingly becoming digital and urban future hence new approaches to food production are vital.
As such, the primary challenge addressed by the 2018 Ecosperity Conference was about food production. It also focused on the need for change in the ways we care for the sick to create and how we learn. These measures will lead to the creation of a happy future for the planet and everyone.
Therefore, to achieve these sustainability goals, it should not be business as usual. Drastic changes are vital to turn ideas into action as recommended by 2018 Ecosperity Conference.
The following five big ideas emerged from last year’s conference.
1. What do Your Genes Tell You?
Genetic testing is vital to address some of the diseases that you are vulnerable to. It can help us overcome some conditions without visiting a doctor. For instance, changes to lifestyle and diet can help address conditions like diabetes.
2. Poverty As Opportunity
Poor societies hold opportunities for creating a rich world. In most cases, there is a tendency to ignore communities that are poor, but they are capable of uplifting the welfare of people. The poor need to be educated to bridge the gap between them and the rich. And find jobs that are suitable for lower educated workers that can learn a skill or trade.
3. Working Together
It is important to engage different stakeholders to keep the people healthy. For example, challenges such as water and climate change can help to tackle global hunger crises.
4. Skills Shaping
Companies in Asia struggle to fill job vacancies due to lack of requisite skills. It is high time employers focus on skills development to improve their operations. The fifth idea pertains to acting differently. We need to inspire each other and promote creativity and innovation.
5. Use Diversity To Solve Challenges
When you have different experiences and backgrounds working to solve a problem you chances are better due to varying perspectives involved. One never knows where a great idea can come from.
Role Of Young Asians In Protecting The Environment
The calls to protect the environment are loudest among the youth in Asia-Pacific than anywhere else across the globe. Asia-Pacific is home to more than 60% of the youth across the whole world. The good news is that the young people in this region treat environmental issues as a top priority.
Issues such as sustainable agriculture, water pollution, plastic waste as well as environmental protection take center stage in youth conferences. The youth also host their Ecosperity Conferences in Singapore, and they focus on critical issues that affect the environment.
The Youth Ecosperity Dialogue (YED), draws participants from all the 10 Asian countries. The conference presents an opportunity for the youths to network and learn from each other about sustainable development. The youngsters also get a chance to network with corporate leaders and exchange ideas about different measures they can take to protect the environment.
The young people in Asia understand that they have growing populations hence the need to adopt sustainable development practices. Agriculture is a vital sector concerning food production, and the youth are beginning to develop interesting forms of farming.
Therefore, youth conferences and dialogues help them to adopt new innovative ideas that can help them to tackle critical issues like food security. Many countries face food shortages and other related environmental problems, but the solution lies in the people.
The other aspect is that the youth are also concerned about utilizing the land and resources efficiently to avoid damaging the environment. More importantly, children in Asia are aware of the impacts of climate change. They also know that they can make a difference by promoting sustainable practices in different sectors of production.
Many young people in Asia try to be environmentally friendly, and they employ green practices by avoiding waste. Many young people in university also view recycling as a good way of protecting the environment.