Blog 5- Sustainable Development in Denmark

 

In this week’s blog, the featured country will be Denmark. Among the countries which joined together to found the United Nations, Denmark is considered one of the most sustainable countries globally (World Atlas, 2020). Currently, Denmark implements 9 of the 17 sustainable development goals throughout the country, in addition to being the home to an island which is 100% sustainable, operating off of renewable energy, solar, and wind power (World Atlas, 2020).

In addition to the 100% sustainable island in Denmark, the country puts quite a bit of focus on responsible consumption and production, especially in the case of energy sources. Upwards of 30 percent of the energy used in Denmark comes from renewable sources, such as wind, bioenergy, solar, and geothermal energies (Denmark.dk, n/d). Surprisingly, a vast majority of the renewable energy in Denmark is sourced from bioenergy, or energy which comes from organic material (biomass), such as manure, animal fats, and straw, with wind energy providing support in the background (Denmark.dk, n/d).

Along with the innovation in renewable energy sources, Denmark also encourages the responsible consumption and production of food. According to an article by the State of Green (2018), a large reason for the almost one-third of food wasted or lost is caused by a lack of consumer knowledge. Included among the solutions for this issue are stores in Denmark having “stop food waste” areas with food that is close to expiration available for purchase at a greatly discounted price (State of Green, 2018). Additionally, there is an app that pairs customers with bakeries and restaurants near closing time, that allows for foods to be purchased at a discounted price, rather than wasted (State of Green, 2018).

   The above-mentioned efforts of sustainability hardly delves into the number of sustainable practices used throughout Denmark, making it rather unsurprising that this country is a global leader in sustainability. Luckily, Denmark has many partners that encourage the use of sustainable development goals throughout several countries and provides resources to do so. Hopefully, other countries will use the sustainability practices of Denmark as guidance in furthering sustainability practices globally.  

 

                                                                      References

Denmark.dk. (n/d). Pioneers in clean energy. https://denmark.dk/innovation-and-design/clean-energy

State of Green. (August, 2018). New BCG report: companies can help reduce food loss and waste dramatically. https://stateofgreen.com/en/partners/state-of-green/news/new-bcg-report-companies-can-help-reduce-food-loss-and-waste-dramatically/

World Atlas. (August, 2020). The world’s most sustainable countries. https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-world-s-most-sustainable-countries.html.

Blog 4- Sustainable Development in Finland

 

       In this blog, the country of focus will be Finland. According to the World Atlas (2020), the country of Finland is among the top ten most sustainable countries, ranking seventh as of August 2020. In addition to a focus on the sustainable development goal of responsible consumption and production, Finland focuses on many other goals as well. Most impressively, as of 2017, the country had 0% of its citizens living below the extreme poverty line (Sustainable Development Goals, n/d). Along with impressive poverty statistics, Finland also boasts impressive statistics in regards to responsible consumption and production. In 2017, the rate of electronic waste recycling in Finland was at 61.3%, the material footprint (amount of primary materials used) was at 0.5 kg per unit, and in 2016, the amount of hazardous waste generated for each dollar was recorded to be 0 (Sustainable Development Goals, n/d).

        In addition to the current levels of sustainable development in Finland, the country is also among those in the United Nations who adopted the 2030 Agenda (Government and Ministries, n/d). In implementing this agenda, Finland works to support environmental sustainability both in the country, and internationally (Government and Ministries, n/d). Among the ways that Finland has worked to support sustainable development goals in the country includes institutional mechanisms which support national implementation, as well as implementing a budget for sustainable development within the country (Finland, 2020).

        Overall, although there are not many specific examples currently available as to how Finland is implementing responsible consumption and production, evidence shows that the country is working to improve steadily. In addition to working on responsible consumption and production, Finland is also working hard to implement the other sustainable development goals, with relative success. Not only is Finland working on sustainable development goals in its own country, but it also provides support for other countries to implement the goals as well. The work Finland is doing on sustainable development goals is encouraging, and hopefully is making a difference in other countries as well.   

 

References

Government and Ministries. (n/d). Agenda 2030- sustainable development goals. https://um.fi/agenda-2030-sustainable-development-goals.

Sustainable Development Goals. (n/d). SDG country profile. https://country-profiles.unstatshub.org/fin#goal-1.

Finland. (2020). Sustainable development goals knowledge platform. https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/memberstates/finland

World Atlas. (August, 2020). The world’s most sustainable countries. https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-world-s-most-sustainable-countries.html.

Blog 3- Sustainable Development in Canada

 

For this blog, the focus will be on the United Nations country of Canada. Although right next to The United States, the country of Canada vastly differs from its neighboring country, especially in the aspect of sustainability. To begin, the country of Canada has a council, as well as a list of strategies, and assessments to aid in monitoring the sustainability practices throughout the country (Federal Sustainable Development Strategy, 2019).  Included among these strategies is the use of efficient sources of energy in homes, buildings, and transportation, protection of natural resources within the country, protections for forests and forestry, and funding, grants, and incentives for research and development of more eco-conscious resources (Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (2019).

Although Canada boasts many resources and options when it comes to energy efficiency, and clean energy, the recycling of other resources leaves much to be desired. According to a study on medical wastes and how it affects sustainability in Canada, the possibility of reducing waste volume by close to 93% exists by simply improving recycling practices, investing in reusable equipment and optimizing supply management (Baharmand & Yu, 2020). Despite the current lack of recycling in Canada, the country has plans to invest a total of 22.5 million in a project which plans to recycle organic waste, such as food eaten, and turn it in to biogas, which can be used as energy (Urban Waste to Electricity Demonstration, 2020).

Although Canada has not been as active in sustainability practices as countries like Sweden and Switzerland, the country has begun to put forth effort into changing that. With the many goals, programs, and technologies emerging from this country show that it is possible to begin implementing sustainable practices, and have success with them. Hopefully, the Country of Canada will continue to implement sustainable practices in the country, and become a pioneer for sustainability in a similar way to Sweden and Switzerland.  

References

Baharmand, I., Duan, N., & Yu, A. (2020). First, do no planetary harm: Perspectives on medical waste and sustainability initiatives. UBC Medical Journal, 12(1), 30–32.

Federal Sustainable Development Strategy. (November, 2019). Government of Canada. https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/conservation/sustainability/federal-sustainable-development-strategy.html.

Urban Waste to Electricity Demonstration. (March, 2020). Government of Canada. https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/science-data/funding-partnerships/funding-opportunities/current-investments/urban-waste-electricity-demonstration/4963.