From space the Earth appears as a blue planet, but about
one billion people are forced to drink contaminated water,
while another 2.3 billion are suffering from water shortages.
With climate change the importance of water increases.
The oceans absorb around 2bn tonnes of CO2 per year,
maybe even 2.8-2.9bn tonnes. Increasing CO2 alters the
chemistry of seawater – known as ocean acidification –
which affects marine life. On land, shortages create water
conflicts between countries and people.
Air pollution kills 7 million people each year, according
to the World Health Organisation. Worst hit are cities
in India, China and Pakistan. In China, about 1.6 million
people die from air pollution each year. In Europe, the
number of premature death from air pollution is 430.000
-800 000 persons.
The price drop in solar and wind power has initiated an
energy revolution. Renewable power sources added a record
858 TWh of generation in 2024, 49% more than the previous
record in 2022. In China, 356 TWh solar and wind generation
were added in 2024, of which solar accounted for 250 TWh.
In the world, solar generation has doubled over the last three
years to reach over 2000 TWh.
The WHO warns that the obesity epidemic creates a health
crisis of immense proportions. The number of overweight
reached 2.9 billion in 2022, compared with 857 million in
1980. Weak socioeconomic groups suffer. Among African-
American women in the US 57 percent have obesity.
The US has the highest proportion of obesity among OECD
countries: 44 percent of women and 42 percent of men.
The obesity rate is even higher for women in arab countries:
59 percent in Egypt, 52 in Qatar and 50 in Kuwait and Iraq.
Unlike many other of the world's major cities Greater Tokyo
with 37 million inhabitants is functioning with first-class
public transport, sewage and sanitation systems.
Central to the sustainable city is an efficient land use in the
station near areas of dense settlement and concentration
of activities within walking distance of 1000 meters, and that
the station is integrated with the surrounding neighborhoods
and the region.
Humanity's collective knowledge explodes. With the James
Web Telescope astronomers can study time shortly
after
the Big Bang. With the construction of the neutron spallation
source ESS in Lund physicists will be able to study materials
and microcosmos. Intelligence Watch monitors technological
progress and its implications for sustainable development.
The idea of paternity leave is gaining traction in Japan. Could dads with prams symbolize socio-economic success, innovation and productivity growth, and even help slow Japan’s population decline? Evidence from Sweden suggests it might, write Anders Olshov, Noboru Konno and Jesper Edman in The Japan Times.
Read the article here.
Malmö and Lund are growing together into one city – an international business and research center. Residents from 186 countries, world-leading materials research and ten direct destinations to North America are lifting the city to a higher level. The scale is smaller, but the similarities with New York City’s formation in 1898 are there. The article was first published in a newsletter by the Swedish American Chambers of Commerce (SACC).
Read more here
The report “Scandinavia’s Sustainable Tech Banana Beckons Japan” describes Scandinavia as a world innovation leader, not only in tech and digitalisation, but also in social innovation, gender policy and sustainability. While doing so it examines the existing business, research and political relations between Japan and Scandinavia. It recommends Japan to collaborate more with Europe’s more sustainable version of California’s Silicon Valley, the so called ”Sustainable Tech Banana” due to its shape stretching from Helsinki to Malmö-Lund and Copenhagen. It also recommends the Scandinavian countries to collaborate more with Japan as it is the most developed country and Europe’s main strategic partner in Asia, and as such a crucial partner towards a sustainable development. The report can be downloaded here. It is translated to 北欧のサステナブル・テック・バナナから日本への招待状 by Intelligence Watch’s Japanese partner OSINTech and can be downloaded in Japanese here.