The United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals offer a strong entry point for students to consider real-world challenges, and the World of 7 Billion video contest is a unique way for your students to engage with them in a meaningful, in-depth fashion. This year’s contest topics are: Preserving Biodiversity, Sustainable Resource Use, and Human Rights.
So, how do the World of 7 Billion video topics connect with SDGs?
Preserving Biodiversity
Human activity is currently driving the largest loss of biodiversity since the extinction of the dinosaurs, over 65 million years ago. The transportation of invasive species, usage of pest and herbicides, deforestation, and overall warming of the planet have culminated in the extinction of thousands of species, the endangerment of thousands more, and the destabilization of Earth’s many diverse ecosystems. Preserving the biodiversity of our flora and fauna is essential to human health and the health of our planet.
Related SDGs:
#13 Climate Action
#14 Life Below Water
#15 Life on Land
Sustainable Resource Use
Today’s global economy is built on mass consumption, single-use products, and plastics, all powered by non-renewable energy sources. While the renewable energy market is growing, it still accounts for only a small portion of total energy consumption. Although there are still vast disparities in the levels of energy consumption by country, more people are leading lives of heavy consumption as our world continues to develop. As energy usage increases, it is essential for it to be obtained through renewable, sustainable sources like wind, solar, hydropower, and geothermal.
Related SDGs:
#7 Affordable and Clean Energy
#11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
#12 Responsible Consumption and Production
Human Rights
Human rights are those which each person is entitled to in order to live a life of dignity, equity, and respect. As such, human rights encompass a wide variety of issues, from poverty to education and economic opportunity. Because many of these issues are deeply interconnected, there cannot be sustainable progress while some remain stagnant. The SDGs address a wide range of issues related to human rights, hoping to tackle the root causes of many of today’s global social issues.
Related SDGs:
#1 No Poverty
#2 Zero Hunger
#4 Quality Education
#5 Gender Equality
#8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
#10 Reduced Inequalities
#16 Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
