the sdgs, supply chains and the ict sector: critical ... · pdf file ://unwin.wordpress.com...

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TheSDGs,supplychainsandtheICTsector:criticalreflections

TimUnwin27th May2017SDGsandSustainableSupplyChainsinthepost-globaleconomysymposium,RoyalHolloway,UniversityofLondon

http://unwin.wordpress.com

Accenture(2017) Usingdigitaltosolvesupplychainissues

https://www.accenture.com/us-en/insight-digital-supply-chain?c=prod_caslscfy17twt_10000031&n=smc_0317


Published20yearsago!


Joseph– thanksforyourinspirationalkeynote...

Butpovertyalleviationshouldbeaboutreducinginequalityratherthanincreasingaffluence/economicgrowth...


Outline:criticalcontextforsupplychains

• Thedreamofsustainabledevelopment

• TheSDGs:aflawedagenda• TheICTsector:builtonexplicitnon-sustainability

• EnvironmentalimpactsofICTsector• Implicationsforsupplychains


https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Q07laokNXeU/maxresdefault.jpg

TheSustainableDevelopmentdream


ThedreamofSustainableDevelopment• FormaloriginsinBruntland ReportOurCommonFuture

(1987)– developmentthatmeetstheneedsofthepresentwithout

compromisingtheabilityoffuturegenerationstomeettheirownneeds

• Buttheconceptispurelyaspirational,andincludesafundamentaltension– Sustainability

• Impliesmaintenanceofcertaincharacteristics– Development

• Implieschangeorgrowth• Whatistobemaintained;whatistobechanged?

– Rarelyaddressedintheseterms• Somethingthateveryonecanagreeon,butdefinedintheir

ownways!


“SustainableDevelopment”

• Reflectspowerfulunderlyinginterests– Globalcapitalandthecharmingbourgeoisie

• Maintainingtheeconomicgrowthagenda• Whilsttryingtobe“nice”totheenvironment

• ThreecoreconceptsunderlyingSDGs– Bringingtheenvironmentintothediscussion– Focusingonneeds,especiallyofthepoor– Limitationsimposedbyexistingtechnologies

• CanICTsmakeapositivedifference?– Especiallyinthecontextofsupplychains

1972


ThefundamentallyflawedSustainableDevelopmentGoalagenda


TheITUandWSISActionLines

http://www.itu.int/en/itu-wsis/Pages/Roadmaps.aspx


ProblemswiththeSDGs

• Thenumbersgame:– Howmanycanyouremember?• Howmanyarethere?

– Andhowmanytargetsarethere?• 17Goalsand169targets!

• Countriesaremeanttosettheirowntargets– Veryfewhavedoneso,yetwearealreadytwoyearsintothem!

–Meansofeffectivemonitoringandevaluationarealsonotinplace


ProblemswiththeSDG

• BuiltonthefailedMDGs2000-2015– Howvalidistheargumentthatiftheyhadnotbeenset,progresstothemwouldnothavebeenachieved?

– Mightacompletelydifferentsetoftargetshaveachievedgreaterpovertyreduction?

• SDGs– PrimarilyexistasajustificationforUNagenciestohavearole.

• Yettheprivatesectordrivesmosteconomicgrowth– Andnowhasakeyroleininternationalgovernance– WithstronginterestsintheSDGS


ICTsandtheSDGs

OfcourseWSISActionLineswilldelivertheSDGs!


TheICTsectordrivesunsustainability


Mythsandhalf-truths• Video-conferencingistransformingmeetingsandisenvironmentallyfriendly

• ICTcompaniesarenowleadingthecarbonneutralagenda

• InitiativessuchastheGlobale-SustainabilityInitiativeshowhowICTsectorisdeliveringsustainability

• Yet,thereremainsnocomprehensiveenvironmentalauditoftheICTsector


Apple

“Wetakethesameinnovativeapproachtotheenvironmentthatwedowithourproducts.We’recreatingnewsolarenergyprojectstoreduceourcarbonfootprint.We’reswitchingtogreenermaterialstocreatesaferproductsandmanufacturingprocesses.We’reprotectingworkingforestsandmakingsuretheyaremanagedsustainably.We’reevencreatingamoremindfulwaytorecycledevicesusingrobots”

(http://www.apple.com/environment/)


Businessmodelbasedonunsustainability


Abusinessmodelbasedonunsustainability• Deliberatelimitedlifespandesigntoenhanceprofit– Whendidyoulastbuyamobiledevice?

• Hardwareandsoftwareregularlyrequiringupgrades– Eachthenrequiringanupgradeoftheother– MicrosoftXPandWannaCry

• Businessmodelensurescontinuedpurchasing– Linkedwithmodernityandfashion

• Increasingglobalinequality– Witholder,less-advancedtechnologybeingsoldtothepoor,whilsttherichremainseveralstepsaheadwiththelatesthigh-endtechnologies


Businessmodelbasedonunsustainability• Hassomepositiveoutcomes:– Recyclingsectorforhardware

• Butinterestinglynotforsoftware– Potentialgrowthindustryforsomepoorercountries

• Butoverwhelminglynegative– Devicesandsystemsaredesignedtochange

– Acertainkindof“development”(aschange),butnot“sustainable”(asmaintenance)

http://www.recyclingyourit.co.uk/images/recycling-cost1.jpg


Environmentalimpact

http://www.humanium.org/en/wpcontent/uploads/2016/04/child-labor.jpg


Environmentallydamaging

• Directimpactonincreasedelectricitydemand– Serverfarmsanddatacentres– Energyrequiredinproduction

• E-waste– Oftenexportedtopoorercountries– Butopportunityfornewindustriestoemerge

• Satellitewaste– Exploitationofthe“commons”

• Someindirectbenefitsinhelpingothersectorsreduceenergydemandandadverseimpactsonenvironment


NTTJapan:ICTsandenergyconsumption

http://www.ntt.co.jp/news2012/1202e/120213a_1.html


Spacedebrisevolution

http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Operations/Space_Debris/About_space_debris


Spacedebris:needsaglobalresponse


Andsotosupplychains...

http://www.supplychain247.com/article/why_are_we_letting_digital_marketers_define_the_future_world_view_of_supply


Manydefinitions

”Atypicalsupplychainbeginswiththeecological,biological,andpoliticalregulationofnaturalresources,followedbythehumanextractionofrawmaterial,andincludesseveralproductionlinks(e.g.,componentconstruction,assembly,andmerging)beforemovingontoseverallayersofstoragefacilitiesofever-decreasingsizeandincreasinglyremotegeographicallocations,andfinallyreachingtheconsumer.”


Accenture(2017):digitaltechnologiesandsupplychains

https://www.accenture.com/us-en/insight-digital-supply-chain?c=prod_caslscfy17twt_10000031&n=smc_0317


Ismobilephoneproduction“sustainable”?

https://az734552.vo.msecnd.net/cache/9/2/0/3/4/e/92034e1b98c3a81a03deef66bb51495a0a9abc13.jpg


ManyexamplesofpositiveimpactofICTsinsupplychains

• Useofdronestodelivertoremoteplaces– Mynewprojectondronehacking!

• AImanagementofdistributionprocesses

• Driverlessdeliveryvans• Virtualdeliveryofcontent


Butchallengesincontextofsustainabledevelopment• Whodothesebenefitthemost?• Needforcomprehensiveandholisticenvironmentalanalysis

• EnsuringmoresustainableICTbusinessmodels– Restartexample

• Needtofocusonrealdevelopmentoutcomes– Forthepoorestandmostmarginalised

https://therestartproject.org/restarters/restarter-profile-meet-halima/


Conclusions

• ChallengingtheassumptionthatSDGsare“good”andwillreducepoverty

• HighlightingtheinterestsbehindtheSDGs– UNagenciesandprivatesector

• Emphasising unsustainabilityofICTsector– Especiallyneedforcomprehensiveenvironmentalaudit


Toexploretheseideasfurther...

http://www.ict4d.org.ukhttp://unwin.wordpress.com


ESAvideos• SpaceDebris– ajourneytoearth– http://www.esa.int/spaceinvideos/Videos/2017/04/Space_debris_-_a_journey_to_Earth

• Spacedebrisproblemneeds‘globalresponse’– http://www.esa.int/spaceinvideos/Videos/2017/04/Dealing_with_space_debris

• Activedebrisremovalmission– http://www.esa.int/spaceinvideos/Videos/2016/05/ESA_s_active_debris_removal_mission_e.Deorbit

the sdgs, supply chains and the ict sector: critical ... · pdf file ://unwin.wordpress.com...

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