Life below water
In our education we are using teaching cases, assignments and videos to highlight the issues as well as the business challenges posed by the SDGs, and confront students with the complexities of working with the SDGs. Here we share these materials per SDG, showcasing material that is most directly relevant. Explore the other SDGs.
Oceans and seas comprise the largest ecosystem on Earth. But sea temperatures are rising, and marine populations suffer from overfishing, growing ocean acidification and worsening coastal wildlife. Most visible is the pollution from plastics and micro plastics in particular. As a result, we are seeing alarming drops in the biodiversity of the world’s marine ecosystems.
Therefore, it’s imperative that we conserve and use oceans and seas sustainably; this is the focus of SDG 14 Life below water.
Videos
Emanuele Canino is a student in RSM’s MSc Management of Innovation. He stresses the crucial role of businesses, thanks to new business models and modes of production, in mitigating the increasing pressures of climate change, irresponsible shipping activities and misuse of resources such as disposable plastics.
Dr Mallory Flowers is an academic researcher in the department of strategic management and entrepreneurship at RSM. She explains how individuals and companies affect ocean life through externalities, and how to mitigate these externalities.
Brenda de Swart is head of sustainability at Rabobank Chile and Cristina Torres is marine program manager for WWF Chile. Together, they describe how WWF and Rabobank contribute to SDG 14 Life below water using the WWF-Rabobank partnership for sustainable salmon production in Chile.
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Positive change in action
Want to start applying your knowledge? Here are easy tips related to SDG 14:
- Reduce unnecessary plastic waste that often end up in oceans.
- Practice responsible tourism that do not harm marine wildlife.
- Don’t buy jewelry and items made from e.g. coral and tortoise.
Want to do more? Here are the Good Life Goals.
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Read more
You might also be interested in:
- Business and the Sustainable Development Goals – a framework for effective corporate involvement, a short book by Prof. Rob van Tulder.
- Read more about partnerships for radical innovations in the world’s food production and distribution sector in the Summer 2018 issue of RSM Outlook magazine.
- Follow our MOOC on business model innovation for sustainable landscape restoration: www.rsm.nl/enable