Creating the future we want

Abstract

Although the world faces serious environmental, economic, and social challenges, we believe that a combination of science and innovation, effective governance, and public-private collaboration can help to overcome many of them and achieve sustainable development. Numerous government policies are now promoting sustainable management practices, while many people in the business and financial communities view sustainability as a means to reduce long-term risk, enhance competitiveness, and promote social well-being. Advances in science and technology are creating new economic opportunities and producing sustainable solutions, while expanded public access to global data and information is helping to shape business and government policies. Looking ahead, sustainability will be best pursued by building on these trends and encouraging new collaborative initiatives among governments, businesses, and the nonprofit sector. This article is an example of a collaboration that includes government, business, academic, nongovernmental, and international organizations.

Review of Automatic Feature Extraction from High-Resolution Optical Sensor Data for UAV-Based Cadastral Mapping

“…For cadastral mapping, numerous studies have demonstrated the potential of UAVs especially in terms of fast data capturing and high accuracy [40]. UAV-based cadastral mapping could contribute to contemporary initiatives such as the United Nations' sustainable development goals, as it allows a new economic, environmental and social approach to cadastral mapping [228]. With UAVs being able to rapidly map small areas, the cadastral map could be kept up-to-date at low-cost in a sustainable way.…”

The International Relations of the Green Economy in the Gulf

“…Businesses and industries are generally seen as the driving force of green economy transitions, while the role of governments is to guide these with effective policies and regulations, including support to innovation (Hecht et al 2012). It has been further noted that governments should systematically encourage and create sustainable industries covering all types of services and technologies, and promote sustainable consumption and production overall.…”

Solving the problems we face: the United States Environmental Protection Agency, sustainability, and the challenges of the twenty-first century

“…The conclave resulted in governments and businesses making over 700 pledges to action, amounting to approximately $500 billion. The outcome of this meeting clearly demonstrated the global business commitment to achieving sustainable practices, as well as the importance of business-government collaboration (Hecht et al 2012).…”