Every company must eliminate its own waste, and make sure that any goods it provides to others can be repurposed after use, to live up to the Break-Even Goals. Here we consider actions which go beyond this.
Today’s take-make-waste approach to material use results in vast amounts of waste, much of which ends up disrupting the environment.
Waste generated by others is reduced when:
This Positive Pursuit encompasses any action which achieves such an outcome.
Each year, nations generate 1.3 billion tons of waste. That’s expected to soar to 4 billion tons by 2100.
In low-income countries, over 90% of waste is mismanaged. This increases emissions and disaster risk, which affects the poor disproportionately.
Current treatment and disposal of waste generates around 5% of carbon emissions.
Sustainable economic growth requires society to create conditions that allow the whole working age population to have quality jobs which stimulate the economy while not harming the environment.
Learn more about SDG 8Half of humanity now lives in cities, and the number is increasing. For cities to thrive we must address the pressures that rapid urbanization is placing on freshwater, infrastructure, air quality and people’s health.
Learn more about SDG 11Sustainable consumption and production aims to do more and better with less, increasing net welfare gains from economic activities that reduce resource use, degradation and pollution.
Learn more about SDG 12The world’s oceans – their temperature, chemistry, currents and life – drive natural processes that make the Earth habitable for humankind. Careful management of this global resource is critical to our future.
Learn more about SDG 14