Goal 12. Responsible Consumption and Production
The Problem
Pollution and environmental degradation is proving to be an existential risk. This has led to global warming and has exacerbated climate change. The impact of this is already felt around the world with extreme hot and cold temperatures, severe droughts and flooding, and other atypical weather conditions. For underdeveloped countries, the impact of these is worse. From the loss of property and lives to displacement, the world is struggling to resettle an unprecedented number of environmental refugees. These uncertainties and displacement often bring with it an interruption to progress being made to combat environmental disasters. They also result in loss of equipment, findings, and reports of some scientific endeavors. In cases where scientists and engineers are lost, this often leads to the end of such innovation, or an enforced break that delays innovations and breakthroughs that could have advanced humanity.
The amount of man-hours and expertise that is lost due to these disasters is also one that is difficult to aggregate. If a program developer is forced to flee Yemen for Germany due to incessant flooding and spends three years on that journey, those years will turn out to be unproductive for her. If she is unable to practice within those years, she could get to her destination only to discover that there have been significant changes in her industry. Her programming language could be outdated, making it difficult for her to secure employment, or even measure up to her peers. By implementing measures that ensure sustainable and responsible production, our planet is protected, and we buy more time to fix long-term challenges that threaten our existence. This would also ensure to brilliant minds, by remaining in their local community can identify environmental changes before they become disasters and proffer and implement remedies that rectify them.
Our Approach
At Zarttalent, we encourage sustainable production by ensuring devices and equipment purchased are sourced as environmentally friendly as possible. By providing accommodation for students, we cut down on their carbon footprint and ensure their meals and other needs are met ethically. Recruiting people to work remotely also ensures they do not commute to work and contribute to environmental pollution.
They are also able to remain as contributing members of their societies, spotting and coming up with solutions to challenges before they become irreparable. More importantly, by remaining close to their families and friends, they can pass on values of environmental consciousness, ensuring children are aware of steps they can take to ensure inhabitable earth for future generations.
