The U.N. Sustainable Development Goals rely on Telecoms more than we think

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) have become an integral part of government, business and local authority strategies as we look to become an equal society that lives more sustainably and consciously of our carbon footprint. As technology becomes ever more pervasive in industry and our daily lives, what role does the telecoms industry generally (and 5G specifically) play in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals?

Beyond SDG 9, which is about industry, innovation and infrastructure, how could and should investment in, and penetration of, digital infrastructure improve access to meaningful work (SDG 8), lead to responsible production and consumption (SDG 10), tackle climate action (SDG 13) and impact other SDGs?

Background of the Sustainable Development Goals

In September 2015, all 193 Member States of the United Nations adopted a plan for achieving a better future for all — laying out a path over the next 15 years to end extreme poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and protect our planet. At the heart of “Agenda 2030” are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which clearly define the world we want — applying to all nations and leaving no one behind.The Global Goals result from a process that has been more inclusive than ever, with Governments involving business, civil society and citizens from the outset. We are all in agreement on where the world needs to go.

Fulfilling these ambitions will take an unprecedented effort by all sectors in society — and businesses play a very important role in this process. No matter how large or small, and regardless of their industry, all companies can contribute to the SDGs. While the scale and scope of the global goals is unprecedented, the fundamental ways that business can contribute remain unchanged.

Sustainable development is especially relevant within the TMT (Telecommunications, Media and Technology) sector, given the sector’s key role in driving the advancements in science, technology and innovation that have been consistently recognised by the UN and other groups as a critical enabler for achieving the SDGs.

New and technology-driven approaches are required if we want to achieve key targets, placing TMT organisations at the cutting edge, and providing them with the opportunity, and obligation, to lead on development in this area. Many organisations already have been and will continue to be at the forefront of delivering on the SDGs.

Telecommunications infrastructure is an enabler for Smart Cities

The rise of telecommunication has changed how we interact by enabling global connectivity at the touch of a button. Many activities and practices that once required face-to-face communication can now be done virtually through various telecom channels; and mobile networks provide opportunities across the world. The advancement of mobile network technologies & the ability to transfer data seamlessly across the world makes it possible for meetings, healthcare appointments and even surgery to be done remotely, eliminating the need to use up unnecessary resources and inefficient methods that are harmful to the environment.

The even more transformational possibilities 5G can bring really demonstrates the impact the telecoms industry has in helping achieve the SDG’s; from increasing efficiency and productivity at traffic junctions, to providing remote care, to optimising manufacturing processes, to increasing emergency response times, to providing socio-economically poorer communities a chance to be digitally included. The list goes on…

5G will be critical because it will provide super fast broadband, ultra-reliable low latency communication, massive machine-type communications, high reliability/availability and efficient energy usage.

Smarter Cities will deliver a healthier and more sustainable world

The excitement that 5G brings is backed up by research provided from testbed & trials focussed on applications that are being developed to help critical services. With 5G there is much greater reliability in networks and it is much faster for critical information to be sent. According to Statistics from Ericsson Mobility Report; we outline some of the SDG’s that may be most impacted by 5G and resulting digitalisation:

Goal 8 Decent Work & Economic Growth:

• A 10% increase in mobile broadband adoption means a 0.8% increase in a nation’s gross domestic product, according to research conducted by Ericsson with London’s Imperial College.

Goal 9: Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure & Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities

• Half the world’s population already has access to the internet — the next 50% will be connected by broadband. And the 5.9 billion mobile broadband subscriptions worldwide today will surpass 8 billion by 2024. (Many people have multiple subscriptions.) This will enable social and economic inclusion and help meet societal needs in education, health, e-government and entrepreneurship.

Goal 12: Responsible Consumption & Production

• 5G technology will enable factories to be more flexible, safer, energy efficient, and cost-effective.

Goal 13: Climate Action

• Digitalisation of a range of services and industries, which will be aided by 5G, can help reduce greenhouse and gas emissions by up to 15% by 2030.

To further showcase the role the telecoms industry plays in achieving the SDG’s, various initiatives across the world are showing the sustainable impact that Smart Cities and Digital infrastructure are having on society; here are few examples from a Mckinsey Global Institute Report, Smart Cities: Digital Solutions for a more liveable future;

• Beijing reduced deadly airborne pollutants by roughly 20 percent in less than a year by closely tracking the sources of pollution and regulating traffic and construction accordingly.” “This can reduce negative health effects by 3 to 15 percent, depending on current pollution levels.
• Smart-city solutions such as air quality monitoring, energy use optimisation, and electricity, water, and waste tracking can produce results such as 10–15% fewer GHG emissions, 30–130 fewer kilograms of solid waste per person per year, and 25–80 litres of water saved per person per day.
• Mckinsey quantifies the potential impact of technology on healthcare on disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), the primary metric used by the World Health Organisation to convey the global disease burden, reflecting not only years of life lost to early death but also productive and healthy life lost to disability or incapacity — if cities deploy the smart city applications included in their analyses to their fullest effect, they see the potential to reduce DALYs by 8 to 15 percent.
• By 2025, cities that deploy smart-mobility applications have the potential to cut commuting times by 15 to 20 percent on average. ​​ In a dense city with extensive transit, smart technologies could save the average commuter almost 15 minutes a day. In a developing city with more grueling commutes, the improvement might be 20 to 30 minutes every day.

So what role does the telecoms industry (and 5G) play in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals?, and does investment & access to digital infrastructure determine the success of some of the SDG’s?

The telecoms industry plays a critical role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and is a key enabler for many solutions to be successful. As showcased in some examples above, Mobile network technologies starting with 3G, 4G and now 5G all have a role to play in enabling access to technologies and applications across the world.

The more widespread wireless infrastructure and mobile coverage is, the more likely it is that entrepreneurs will be able to innovate and create applications that can impact society in a positive way. Investing in digital infrastructure should be a global priority; telecoms should join other other utility industries such as energy & water as an essential infrastructure requirement. Better access to digital infrastructure both physical and virtual will allow societies and communities to make the potential economic, environmental & societal benefits a reality; and allow people to utilise technology and applications more impact-fully and productively.

Having seen the success of the UK5G Testbed & Trials and other Smart City examples across the world- we are confident in saying that now is the time for the Telecoms industry to innovate in order to meet the global connectivity demands. Access to connectivity requires the fundamental infrastructures to be put in place, so ultimately investment in digital infrastructure will determine the success of many of the SDG’s. All of us in the Telecoms industry play an important role in innovating and providing new models to make digital infrastructure more affordable, accessible, discoverable & deployable.

As we continue to grow as a SME, Weaver Labs hopes that in the coming months we’ll be able to showcase the sustainable benefits our product Cell-Stack can have in the Smart Junctions 5G project in Greater Manchester with TfGM & Vivacity Labs. Through use of our peer-to-peer software, Cell-Stack digitises Telecommunications Infrastructure assets and groups them in a distributed telecoms network, Cell-Network, where they can be offered “as a Service” in an open and shared marketplace, with no central coordination.

Author: Keyu Sumaria, Project Associate at Weaver Labs