Here’s to a transformational 20s with the UN's SDGs in focus

2020 has such a wonderful ring to it. Will it be another roaring 20s? My bet is that we’re set for the transformational twenties.

Our planet today presents a world of incredible possibilities, potential and people who – as long as we collaborate on smart common goals – can and will make "it" happen.

So what is the big “It”?

We could start with the not-so-small feat to meet the United Nations’ 17 Sustainability Development Goals by 2030.

Yes 2020 has a wonderful ring to it, yet it also triggers alarm bells: Only 10 years to reach the SDGs; to conquer global challenges like poverty, hunger, inequality and climate change.

The countdown is on, as Bayer's Head of Public Affairs and Sustainability Matthias Berniger stresses in his recent blog.

And yet there is hope. We are living in an era when we can make a difference. As Oxford University economist Max Roser points out in the New York Times: “We are (among) the first people in history who have found ways to make progress against these problems.  How awesome is it to be alive at a time like this?”

Just take a look at Roser’s virtual treasure chest Our World in Data to get a flavor of the societal evolution that precedes us (and potentially awaits us).  

Progress results from prioritization. I feel proud that we at Bayer are prioritizing sustainability with rigorous targets to pave the way into the next decade by striving to:

1. Provide 100 million women in low and middle-income countries with access to modern contraception.
2. Support 100 million smallholder farmers in low and middle-income countries.
3. Become climate-neutral and work together with our suppliers and customers to reduce emissions along our value chain.
4. Reduce greenhouse gas emissions from crop production by 30 percent.

Our planet is not yet at the point of a dystopian no-return. It is possible to achieve these goals and the SDGs. 

At Bayer's Social Innovation Day, Johann Rockstr?m - Director of the Potsdam Institute of Climate Impact Research - reminded us in his impressive speech that we can avoid triggering tipping points: We have the science, technology, people and the passion to pivot today’s trajectory towards a more sustainable future.  

And while I am encouraged by the increasing acceptance of technologies that are critical to feed the world without starving the planet, I felt equally touched and inspired today to read how the Global Shapers’ Community – a network of young people at this year's World Economic Forum – believe that “empathy, collaboration and justice” will be the most vital tools to navigate a sustainable path into the future.

The countdown may be on. Yet for me, the count-up begins with a personal goal to share as many positive innovation- and sustainability-focused stories as I can in the coming 10 years!