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Vertical underwater farming solution scoops the Sustainia Award
GreenWave – a US-based vertical ocean farming solution – has won the Sustainia Award. GreenWave’s revolutionary technology allows ocean farmers to produce 30 tons of sea vegetables and 250,000 shellfish per acre in a year while restoring ocean ecosystems. Sustainia handed over the Sustainia Award to Bren on Wednesday February 8, at Sustainia’s big Sustainia Living event at the Royal Danish Opera House in Copenhagen.
One of the Film4Climate Global Video Competition winning entries "Three Seconds" (1st Prize Short Film) was showcased at this Sustainia event.
Fed up with the unsustainable practices of the fishing industry, fisherman Bren Smith founded GreenWave just three and a half years ago on Long Island, New York, U.S. GreenWave relies on a new innovative system, which enables seaweed, scallops and mussels to grow on floating ropes, stacked above oyster and clam cages below. The system provides food, fertilizer, animal feed and sustainable biofuels, making ocean farmers the stewards of their local waters. Bren Smith now has 15 farms in development in Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and California.
GreenWave represents a readily scalable and replicable solution, which takes a triple bottom line approach – one that builds a blue-green economy, acts on climate change, and provides better food options – while addressing the global goals, making it a clear recipient for the Sustainia Award.
GreenWave is a single solution to multiple challenges, with one big goal. Simply, we are focused on saving the oceans in order to save ourselves. We’re delighted to win the Sustainia Award, and I hope it helps us take our work to waters all over the world.
- Bren Smith, Executive Director and CEO of GreenWave
Sustainia’s big Sustainia Living event focused on sustainable lifestyle, during which pioneers such as acclaimed architect Bjarke Ingels, food activist Claus Meyer and sustainable clothing advocate Livia Firth guided us through the ceremony.
All ten Sustainia finalists were also eligible for the Community Award, which was decided by public vote during October 2016 – and the winner is Code to Inspire, a solution which teaches Afghan women computer coding and empowers them to find employment or pursue entrepreneurial ventures. According to the founders, 85 percent of Afghan women have no formal education and are illiterate, so Code to Inspire opened Afghanistan’s first female-only coding school in 2015 to provide a safe space for women to learn, express themselves and acquire competitive skills.
Too many Afghan women are denied the chance to fulfill their potential because of the complex barriers that prevent them from receiving education and working. So we’re responding to this national crisis by providing them with the skills they need to find opportunities in the digital global marketplace. Receiving the Community Award from Sustainia gives us the added boost we need to reach as many women as possible, and change even more lives in the region.
- Fereshteh Forough, Founder and CEO of Code to Inspire
Code to Inspire teaches Afghan women computer coding and empowers them to find employment or pursue entrepreneurial ventures. Photo Credits to Sustainia
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Youth Solutions Report provides solutions to address global problems
NEW YORK - The first edition of the Youth Solutions Report, which identifies 50 youth-led projects aiming to solve the world’s toughest problems, was released today at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
The report, produced by the youth initiative of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN Youth) identifies and celebrates youth-led projects and ground-breaking ideas to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It reflects a growing interest in supporting and scaling innovative solutions to address problems such as poverty, inequality, clean and affordable energy, access to healthcare and education, e-participation and waste.
The report highlights the work of youth-led organisations, such as Liter of Light who bring over 750,000 affordable solar lights to 15 countries; the talented team behind BenBen who operate a Blockchain-based land registry that facilitates secure land transactions to encourage investments and transparent land resource management; FinFighters who run a citizen shark science program to collect genetic data and information from Moroccan fishing ports and market; and the group running the SHAPE project using mobile technology to promote citizens’ e-participation in their city’s public life.
Professor Jeffrey Sachs, UN Secretary General’s Adviser on the SDGs, and Minister Karen Ellemann, Danish Minister for Equal Opportunities, launched the report during a two-day forum on youth and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The report was produced in partnership with Ashoka, Sustainia, the Resolution Project and Panorama (joint initiative of IUCN and the German government) and has been reviewed by a panel of experts, comprising leading figures from business, civil society and academia.
Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever, has supported the initiative. “SDSN Youth and its Youth Solutions Report are excellent examples of initiatives crucial for helping young people realize the full potential of their abilities, innovations and solutions.”
“Today we have the largest generation of youth in history - a powerful force for change. 84 percent of millennials are convinced they have a duty to make the world a better place, and many already are, through socially aware businesses and youth-led campaigns in support of the Sustainable Development Goals.” Mr. Polman said.
Max Thabiso Edkins, Climate Change Expert on the Connect4Climate program of the World Bank Group, highlights that "this generation is the first generation to live with the impacts of climate change and it is the generation that will build a sustainable, low-carbon and resilient future."
"The Youth Solutions Report shows that young people are already building that future. At the Connect4Climate program of the World Bank Group we believe in the power of youth to change the world." Mr. Edkins emphasized.
Siamak Sam Loni, Global Coordinator of SDSN Youth, says that young people must be seen as key stakeholders in the sustainable development debate and that there is a pressing need to acknowledge their essential role in achieving the SDGs.
“Young people are already contributing to the implementation of the SDGs but they face common challenges that prevent them from realizing the full potential of their ideas and solutions, including the lack of visibility, limited access to finance, and the lack of training and technical support. The Youth Solutions Report will help investors, donors and supporters better understand the multi-faceted role of young people in sustainable development and give them additional opportunities to showcase and scale their work.” Mr. Loni said.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of 17 goals included in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which was launched at UN Headquarters in September 2015 and adopted by 193 member countries of the UN. The SDGs, which are relevant to all countries, aim to achieve social inclusion, economic prosperity and environmental sustainability.
For more information on the Youth Solutions Report visit: www.youthsolutions.report
For media enquiries and interview requests, please contact: solutions@sdsnyouth.org
Earth Hour 2017
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Earth Hour is a worldwide grassroots movement, organized by the World Wildlife Fund, that unites people to protect the planet. Over 7,000 cities and towns worldwide participate by turning off the lights of homes, businesses and landmarks for one hour. From changing individual behavior, to legislation, Earth Hour has achieved massive environmental impact - but as climate change accelerates, our response needs to grow too.
