Post on 20-Feb-2018
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TheSDGs,supplychainsandtheICTsector:criticalreflections
TimUnwin27th May2017SDGsandSustainableSupplyChainsinthepost-globaleconomysymposium,RoyalHolloway,UniversityofLondon
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Accenture(2017) Usingdigitaltosolvesupplychainissues
https://www.accenture.com/us-en/insight-digital-supply-chain?c=prod_caslscfy17twt_10000031&n=smc_0317
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Published20yearsago!
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Joseph– thanksforyourinspirationalkeynote...
Butpovertyalleviationshouldbeaboutreducinginequalityratherthanincreasingaffluence/economicgrowth...
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Outline:criticalcontextforsupplychains
• Thedreamofsustainabledevelopment
• TheSDGs:aflawedagenda• TheICTsector:builtonexplicitnon-sustainability
• EnvironmentalimpactsofICTsector• Implicationsforsupplychains
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https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Q07laokNXeU/maxresdefault.jpg
TheSustainableDevelopmentdream
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ThedreamofSustainableDevelopment• FormaloriginsinBruntland ReportOurCommonFuture
(1987)– developmentthatmeetstheneedsofthepresentwithout
compromisingtheabilityoffuturegenerationstomeettheirownneeds
• Buttheconceptispurelyaspirational,andincludesafundamentaltension– Sustainability
• Impliesmaintenanceofcertaincharacteristics– Development
• Implieschangeorgrowth• Whatistobemaintained;whatistobechanged?
– Rarelyaddressedintheseterms• Somethingthateveryonecanagreeon,butdefinedintheir
ownways!
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“SustainableDevelopment”
• Reflectspowerfulunderlyinginterests– Globalcapitalandthecharmingbourgeoisie
• Maintainingtheeconomicgrowthagenda• Whilsttryingtobe“nice”totheenvironment
• ThreecoreconceptsunderlyingSDGs– Bringingtheenvironmentintothediscussion– Focusingonneeds,especiallyofthepoor– Limitationsimposedbyexistingtechnologies
• CanICTsmakeapositivedifference?– Especiallyinthecontextofsupplychains
1972
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ThefundamentallyflawedSustainableDevelopmentGoalagenda
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TheITUandWSISActionLines
http://www.itu.int/en/itu-wsis/Pages/Roadmaps.aspx
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ProblemswiththeSDGs
• Thenumbersgame:– Howmanycanyouremember?• Howmanyarethere?
– Andhowmanytargetsarethere?• 17Goalsand169targets!
• Countriesaremeanttosettheirowntargets– Veryfewhavedoneso,yetwearealreadytwoyearsintothem!
–Meansofeffectivemonitoringandevaluationarealsonotinplace
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ProblemswiththeSDG
• BuiltonthefailedMDGs2000-2015– Howvalidistheargumentthatiftheyhadnotbeenset,progresstothemwouldnothavebeenachieved?
– Mightacompletelydifferentsetoftargetshaveachievedgreaterpovertyreduction?
• SDGs– PrimarilyexistasajustificationforUNagenciestohavearole.
• Yettheprivatesectordrivesmosteconomicgrowth– Andnowhasakeyroleininternationalgovernance– WithstronginterestsintheSDGS
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ICTsandtheSDGs
OfcourseWSISActionLineswilldelivertheSDGs!
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TheICTsectordrivesunsustainability
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Mythsandhalf-truths• Video-conferencingistransformingmeetingsandisenvironmentallyfriendly
• ICTcompaniesarenowleadingthecarbonneutralagenda
• InitiativessuchastheGlobale-SustainabilityInitiativeshowhowICTsectorisdeliveringsustainability
• Yet,thereremainsnocomprehensiveenvironmentalauditoftheICTsector
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Apple
“Wetakethesameinnovativeapproachtotheenvironmentthatwedowithourproducts.We’recreatingnewsolarenergyprojectstoreduceourcarbonfootprint.We’reswitchingtogreenermaterialstocreatesaferproductsandmanufacturingprocesses.We’reprotectingworkingforestsandmakingsuretheyaremanagedsustainably.We’reevencreatingamoremindfulwaytorecycledevicesusingrobots”
(http://www.apple.com/environment/)
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Businessmodelbasedonunsustainability
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Abusinessmodelbasedonunsustainability• Deliberatelimitedlifespandesigntoenhanceprofit– Whendidyoulastbuyamobiledevice?
• Hardwareandsoftwareregularlyrequiringupgrades– Eachthenrequiringanupgradeoftheother– MicrosoftXPandWannaCry
• Businessmodelensurescontinuedpurchasing– Linkedwithmodernityandfashion
• Increasingglobalinequality– Witholder,less-advancedtechnologybeingsoldtothepoor,whilsttherichremainseveralstepsaheadwiththelatesthigh-endtechnologies
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Businessmodelbasedonunsustainability• Hassomepositiveoutcomes:– Recyclingsectorforhardware
• Butinterestinglynotforsoftware– Potentialgrowthindustryforsomepoorercountries
• Butoverwhelminglynegative– Devicesandsystemsaredesignedtochange
– Acertainkindof“development”(aschange),butnot“sustainable”(asmaintenance)
http://www.recyclingyourit.co.uk/images/recycling-cost1.jpg
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Environmentalimpact
http://www.humanium.org/en/wpcontent/uploads/2016/04/child-labor.jpg
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Environmentallydamaging
• Directimpactonincreasedelectricitydemand– Serverfarmsanddatacentres– Energyrequiredinproduction
• E-waste– Oftenexportedtopoorercountries– Butopportunityfornewindustriestoemerge
• Satellitewaste– Exploitationofthe“commons”
• Someindirectbenefitsinhelpingothersectorsreduceenergydemandandadverseimpactsonenvironment
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NTTJapan:ICTsandenergyconsumption
http://www.ntt.co.jp/news2012/1202e/120213a_1.html
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Spacedebrisevolution
http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Operations/Space_Debris/About_space_debris
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Spacedebris:needsaglobalresponse
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Andsotosupplychains...
http://www.supplychain247.com/article/why_are_we_letting_digital_marketers_define_the_future_world_view_of_supply
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Manydefinitions
”Atypicalsupplychainbeginswiththeecological,biological,andpoliticalregulationofnaturalresources,followedbythehumanextractionofrawmaterial,andincludesseveralproductionlinks(e.g.,componentconstruction,assembly,andmerging)beforemovingontoseverallayersofstoragefacilitiesofever-decreasingsizeandincreasinglyremotegeographicallocations,andfinallyreachingtheconsumer.”
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Accenture(2017):digitaltechnologiesandsupplychains
https://www.accenture.com/us-en/insight-digital-supply-chain?c=prod_caslscfy17twt_10000031&n=smc_0317
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Ismobilephoneproduction“sustainable”?
https://az734552.vo.msecnd.net/cache/9/2/0/3/4/e/92034e1b98c3a81a03deef66bb51495a0a9abc13.jpg
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ManyexamplesofpositiveimpactofICTsinsupplychains
• Useofdronestodelivertoremoteplaces– Mynewprojectondronehacking!
• AImanagementofdistributionprocesses
• Driverlessdeliveryvans• Virtualdeliveryofcontent
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Butchallengesincontextofsustainabledevelopment• Whodothesebenefitthemost?• Needforcomprehensiveandholisticenvironmentalanalysis
• EnsuringmoresustainableICTbusinessmodels– Restartexample
• Needtofocusonrealdevelopmentoutcomes– Forthepoorestandmostmarginalised
https://therestartproject.org/restarters/restarter-profile-meet-halima/
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Conclusions
• ChallengingtheassumptionthatSDGsare“good”andwillreducepoverty
• HighlightingtheinterestsbehindtheSDGs– UNagenciesandprivatesector
• Emphasising unsustainabilityofICTsector– Especiallyneedforcomprehensiveenvironmentalaudit
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Toexploretheseideasfurther...
http://www.ict4d.org.ukhttp://unwin.wordpress.com
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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