OPINION

Saving the planet, making profit: a 'nexus' approach

News, Venkatachalam Anbumozhi, Published on 11/06/2018

» Asean has put together an ambitious sustainable development agenda with its 2025 community vision. It has also played an important role in shaping the United Nations 2020 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Agenda. If the 17 SDGs, especially SDG2 on food security, SDG 6 on water security, SF7 on energy security, SDG 12 responsible consumption and production and SDG 13 on combating climate change, are achieved, this will combine with the impact of global trends such as climate change to intensify the competition for resources -- energy, water, raw materials and land. There is a need for large scale investment and significant improvement in services in order to address supply shortages, increase general welfare and make profit. After all, there are 65 million people across the region with no access to modern energy sources, 48 million people Asean-wide with no access to clean drinking water, and another 78 million without adequate sanitation facilities.