Felix Dodds comments on sustainable development, coffee & life

Gaelle ConnectAID organized their first SDG Book Corner launching the new book “Tomorrow's People and New Technology”  by Felix Dodds, Carolina Duque Chopitea, and Ranger Ruffins. The video can be watched here.  Ysa and Gaëlle  interviewed Carolina Duque Chopitea and Felix Dodds. As we witness a series of social, political, cultural, and economic changes/disruptions this book examines the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the way emerging technologies are impacting our lives and changing society. The Fourth Industrial Revolution is characterised by the emergence of new technologies that are blurring the boundaries between the physical, the digital, and the biological worlds. This book allows readers to explore how these technologies will impact peoples’ lives by 2030. It helps readers to not only better understand the use and implications of emerging technologies, but also to imagine how their individual life will be shaped by them.  Ysa The book provides an opportunity to see the

Invitation Launch of “ Tomorrow’s People and New Technology”  '  ConnectAID’s SDG Book Corner You are invited to ConnectAID’s online SDG Book Corner for the launch of   “Tomorrow's People and New Technology” by Felix Dodds, Carolina Duque Chopitea, and Ranger Ruffins. Time: 4pm CET/10am/EST to 5pm CET / 11am EST, Thursday 28 October. Registration Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ujuahLbpQ-Kdogl0UFCm9Q "I simply love Tomorrow's People and New Technology. Teasingly playful, inquisitive rather than just another turgid tome trying to be politically correct and accurate with each forecast, the authors' bandwidth is wonderfully broad, the insights incisive, and the writing welcoming. This book is a speculative triumph. It invites us into an imaginative world of endless fascination and ingenuity, at once allying suspicions that the future belongs only to the smart machines we have created and are in the process of letting loose." Richard David

Ranger Ruffins joins us on the podcast this week for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of education, working life, and health. We pack a lot into this conversation. Has the COVID-19 pandemic altered education forever? Can AR and VR used in education help address racism and inequality? Is remote work here to stay? What will be the jobs of 2030? What does healthcare look like in a world with telehealth? How do these changes fit within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)? Can robots help older people have a more fulfilling life? Will we be healthier and living more sustainably as new technologies continue to transform these crucial sectors? Join us for this week’s episode and find out! Ranger Ruffins is co-author of the new book Tomorrow’s People and New Technology, which we are focusing on in our first seven episodes to imagine what life in 2030 might look like and how the emerging technologies over the next decade fit into the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It

Guest blog by Eric Usher Head UNEP Finance Initiative.  Originally published here.   Earlier this week I   wrote   about the progress being made by the signatories to the UN      Principles for Responsible Banking as they work to put sustainability front and centre of their businesses. I described the shift in the industry from taking a uniquely risk-based approach to sustainability integration, to one that is more focused on aligning with the needs of society, including particularly the climate emergency. In this second blog, I will focus on some of the pushback that these banks and other financial institutions are seeing as they scale up their sustainability engagements. With COP26 just over a week away, the pressure for action is rising along with the temperature. And some of the pressure is focused inwards, a civil war of sorts whereby some in the climate community are highly critical of the actions being taking by a number of financial institutions – from the green products that t

Development Alternative   warmly invite you to join us in our unique new campaign, ‘Padhegi Wo toh Badhenge Hum’ in collaboration with NDTV.  Roughly, in English: “When She Learns, We All Earn”. The campaign provides a great opportunity for you to support us in helping marginalized women acquire the basic means for a better life – reading, ‘riting, ‘rithmetic, and life and livelihood skills – and achieve our aim to liberate and empower 4 million women in 4 years. Despite India’s enormous progress, the country is still home to three in five of the world’s non-literate women.   This lack of ability to read and write – or to calculate simple sums -- deprives not only the woman but also her family and community of their fundamental rights to better lives and livelihoods – and the nation of their ability to help build it. TARA Akshar+ is a highly efficient, scientific and hi-tech -- almost miraculous -- learning program that helps adults, particularly women from poor homes, quickly

Episode 3 on the new book Tomorrow's People and New Technology: Changing How We Live Our Lives By Felix Dodds, Carolina Duque Chopitea, Ranger Ruffins now out on Spotify.  Felix Dodds joins us again for this week’s episode to discuss everyone’s favorite hobby - travel. We talk about how travel might be more customized and sustainable by 2030. How can big data and the blockchain make travel a better experience for people and the planet? What will be the impact of self-driving transportation, AI and robotics, Augmented Reality on our travel. Find out on this week’s episode! Felix Dodds is co-author of the new book Tomorrow’s People and New Technology, which we are focusing on in our first seven episodes to imagine what life in 2030 might look like and how the emerging technologies over the next decade fit into the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Book description - Tomorrows People and New Technology "Though many books describe tech and AI’s impact on our future, few pa

“Humanity has understood the necessity to change the course of development. Nations have made their pledges in the form of SDGs and climate goals. The word progress has been reevaluated. To what extend we can succeed in this fundamental transformation in such a relatively short time, the jury is still out, but the clock is ticking. It is  a remarkable book  bringing closer to our daily lives what is at stake and how technological shift can and will influence our journey.  Excellent reading  for all who plan to spend the rest of their lives in the changing future." Ambassador Csaba Kőrösi,  director of the Office of the President of Hungary, former co-chair of the UN Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals Sustainable Society Cafe is a podcast for people interested in emerging technologies and how they fit into realizing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In our inaugural series of seven episodes, we unpack the new book Tomorrow’s People and New Technology by Fel

  Save the Date Please share with your networks   Building Meaningful and Effective Engagement by Major Group Stakeholders with the United Nations Environment Assembly-UNEA 5.2, and the Nations Environment Programme  Including matters pertaining to UNEP@50, Stockholhm+50, and Towards Resolution 73/333,  “Strengthening Environmental Governance and Law ” A Series of Online Webinars for Stakeholders in Each of the Six UNEP Regions Stakeholder Forum for a Sustainable Future  (SF), with the support of the  United Nations Environment Programme’s  (UNEP) Civil Society Unit in Nairobi, invites you to take part in one of six new regional capacity-building webinars for  Major Group Stakeholders . Focused on the run-up to  UNEA 5.2 , the resumed session of UNEA-5 from 28 February to 2 March 2022, the webinars will also include content relevant to the Special Session of the Assembly on 3 - 4 March 2022, which is devoted to the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the creation of UN

Guest Blog by the Green Economy Coalition: New research   launched today   shows  that two-thirds of countries have no or minimal green recovery policies in place. Analysis of 32 countries, and around US$11.1 trillion of economic support shows that only a small handful of rich countries are investing in a green economy as they emerge from the pandemic. The research undertaken by the Green Economy Coalition confirms that  Greta Thunberg's accusations  that politicians are making empty promises to ‘build back better’ or kick start a ‘green economy’ in the wake of COVID-19 are well founded. Sweden, France and now Spain are leading the race for a green recovery. Their recovery plans dedicate at least 40% towards low carbon infrastructure, applying environmental conditions to carbon-heavy industry bailouts and creating a green jobs programme for the long-term unemployed. But even these leaders are preoccupied with one-off low-carbon projects and are shying away from the urgent st

  Tomorrow's People and New Technology - Changing How We Live Our Lives By Felix Dodds, Carolina Duque Chopitea, Ranger Ruffins is out on the 14th of  October.  The theme of the book is looking at 2030 and where we might be in terms of new technology. The Fourth Industrial Revolution is characterized by the emergence of new technologies that are blurring the boundaries between the physical, the digital, and the biological worlds.  This book allows readers to explore how these technologies will impact peoples’ lives by 2030. It helps readers to not only better understand the use and implications of emerging technologies, but also to imagine how their individual life will be shaped by them. The book provides an opportunity to see the great potential but also the threats and challenges presented by the emerging technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, posing questions for the reader to think about what future they want.  Emerging technologies, such as robotics, artificial in