#Goal9: #Industry, #Innovation and #Infrastructure
Updated: Nov 3, 2018
Image credit: Andrew Sutherland
If you have been paying attention to Australian politics since September last year, you might have heard the phrase “innovation nation” mentioned by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull only about a thousand times.
Well, the good news for the PM is that innovation is actually part of the Global Goals!
On Monday, I wrote about #Goal8: #DecentWork and #EconomicGrowth and the need for sustainable economic growth to achieve the Global Goals. Today, we’re focusing on Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure – methods to encourage economic growth.
"Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower."
– Steve Jobs
Target 9.1 aims to develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including regional and trans-border infrastructure to support economic development and human well-being, with a focus on affordable and equitable access for all.
Target 9.2 aims to promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and, by 2030, significantly raise industry’s share of employment and gross domestic product. In 2011, the share of employment in industry in Australia as a percentage of total employment was only 22.5% with economists estimating it has dropped since then with the introduction of additional automated technology. According to AusTrade’s Australian Benchmark Report, only 26.5% of Australian GDP comes from the industry sector.
Image credit: Lenny K Photography
Goal 9 also requires we increase the access of small-scale industrial and other enterprises to financial services, including affordable credit, and their integration into value chains and markets.
Target 9.4 aims we upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes. A great example of this is NAB’s recent switch to LED bulbs at their head office in Melbourne. The replacement of 4,000 light bulbs with LED bulbs delivered a 60% reduction in energy use across the tenancy as well as saving NAB approximately $14 million!
The last target to implement is Mr Turnbull’s favourite: enhancing scientific research, upgrading technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries and, by 2030, encouraging innovation and substantially increasing the number of research and development workers per 1 million people and public and private research and development spending.
Image credit: Thomas Hawk
While the Goal of the Triple I’s (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure) is important to achieve in Australia, there is also much work to be done overseas. The Global Goals mandates the facilitation of sustainable and resilient infrastructure development in developing countries through enhanced financial, technological and technical support. This also includes supporting domestic technology development, research and innovation in developing countries, including by ensuring a conducive policy environment for industrial diversification and value addition to commodities.
The final mandate of Goal 9 is to significantly increase access to information and communications technology and strive to provide universal and affordable access to the Internet in least developed countries by 2020.
If you are passionate about industry, innovation and infrastructure in Australia and in our neighbouring countries, check out “Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure” and head over to our “What Can I Do?” page to see how you can become involved in achieving the Global Goals!
This article was originally published on the Global Goals Australia Campaign website.