9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

SDG 9 is about fostering innovation, access to knowledge and research, sustainable construction and promoting sustainable investments. Infrastructure and innovation are important driving forces for a more sustainable economy. An economy that does not overshoot the ecosystem’s boundaries while safeguarding basic human needs. In order to find sustainable solutions for economic, social and environmental challenges, technological progress, sharing knowledge, sustainable infrastructure and sustainable investments are key. This starts with providing access to everyone to communication technology and research.

SDG 9 is closely related to other SDGs in the prosperity cluster, such as SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth) and 11 (sustainable communities). Students can contribute to SDG 9 by collaborating, speaking up and acting for positive economic change. In your classroom you can talk about subjects such as the circular economy and encourage students to think about how they can contribute to it. You can also teach them techniques to contribute to sustainable innovation, teaching them to think in a systematic way and working with scenarios. This will help them to identify opportunities in their own communities for greener and more resilient solutions and to ‘make smart choices’ in their own life. As an individual you can contribute to this SDG by “learning about plans for progress in your country, staying smart and kind online, supporting construction that benefits people and protects the planet, welcoming innovations that make the world a better place and demanding the benefits from progress are shared.” (Futerra Good Life Goals, 2018)

Targets ▼

9.1 Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including regional and transborder infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being, with a focus on affordable and equitable access for all
9.2 Promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and, by 2030, significantly raise industry’s share of employment and gross domestic product, in line with national circumstances, and double its share in least developed countries
9.3 Increase the access of small-scale industrial and other enterprises, in particular in developing countries, to financial services, including affordable credit, and their integration into value chains and markets
9.4 By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes, with all countries taking action in accordance with their respective capabilities
9.5 Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries, in particular developing countries, including, by 2030, encouraging innovation and substantially increasing the number of research and development workers per 1 million people and public and private research and development spending
9.a Facilitate sustainable and resilient infrastructure development in developing countries through enhanced financial, technological and technical support to African countries, least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing States
9.b Support domestic technology development, research and innovation in developing countries, including by ensuring a conducive policy environment for, inter alia, industrial diversification and value addition to commodities
9.c Significantly increase access to information and communications technology and strive to provide universal and affordable access to the Internet in least developed countries by 2020

Action Area

Sustainable innovation

In order to contribute to sustainable innovation, students should learn to think in a systematic way and to work with future scenarios. This allows them to understand how their personal choices influence sustainability on the global scale and in the long term. As an individual you can also contribute to SDG 9 by advocating for access to research and communication technologies for everybody in your community. This SDG is closely related to SDG 17 since open science and co-creation in partnerships with other stakeholders are crucial for sustainable research and innovation. As an individual you can contribute to sustainable research and innovation by reaching out to new organisations, by welcoming diversity and intercultural relationships and by being open to other people’s arguments and opinions.
Waste reduction

In order to promote sustainable industrialisation, circular business models should become the norm. As an individual you can try to implement the cradle to cradle and zero waste principles of the circular economy in your own life and home. Reducing the waste you produce has a big impact on your ecological footprint. Students should learn how to sort waste properly. As an individual you can also contribute by composting at home, repairing and reusing as often as possible and setting up a local network to share instead of buying new products.
Sustainable investing

The financial system has a very big impact on the global economy because of the type of businesses and projects they fund, funding for example the coal industry which is a big CO2 emitter. Many banks “have subsidiaries in tax havens, thus encouraging their clients to do the same and hide their fortune. Taxes on those huge amounts of money would solve many problems we are facing.” (demain-lefilm.com, 2014) As an individual you can make smart choices about the type of bank you choose. You can have a look at the corporate social responsibility (CSR) report of your own bank. As an alternative you can also use your savings to finance social or environmental projects or businesses through alternative financing such as crowdfunding or microfinancing. Another alternative is using or setting up a local currency which can only be used to buy products in your local community.

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Learning Objectives ▼

Cognitive ▼

The learner understands the concepts of sustainable infrastructure and industrialisation and society’s needs for a systemic approach to their development.
The learner understands the local, national and global challenges and conflicts in achieving sustainability in infrastructure and industrialisation.
The learner can define the term resilience in the context of infrastructure and spatial planning, understanding key concepts such as modularity and diversity, and apply it to their local community and nationwide.
The learner knows the pitfalls of unsustainable industrialisation and in contrast know examples of resilient, inclusive, sustainable industrial development and the need for contingency planning.
The learner is aware of new opportunities and markets for sustainability innovation, resilient infrastructure and industrial development.

Socio-emotional ▼

The learner is able to argue for sustainable, resilient and inclusive infrastructure in the local area.
The learner is able to encourage their communities to shift their infrastructure and industrial development toward more resilient and sustainable forms.
The learner is able to find collaborators to develop sustainable and contextual industries that responds to our shifting challenges and also to reach new markets;
The learner is able to recognise and reflect their own personal demands on the local infrastructure such as their carbon and water footprints and food miles.
The learner is able to understand that with changing resource availability (peak oil, peak everything) and other external shocks and stresses (e.g. natural hazards, conflicts) their own perspective and demands on infrastructure may need to shift radically regarding availability of renewable energy for ICT, transport options, sanitation options, etc.

Behavioural ▼

The learner is able to identify opportunities in their own culture and nation for greener and more resilient approaches to infrastructure, understanding their overall benefits for societies, especially with regard to disaster risk reduction.
The learner is able to evaluate various forms of industrialisation and compare their resilience.
The learner is able to innovate and develop sustainable enterprises to respond to their countries’ industrial needs.
The learner is able to access financial services such as loans or microfinance to support their own enterprises.
The learner is able to work with decision-makers to improve the uptake of sustainable infrastructure (including internet access)

Organisational Perspective ▼

Contributing to sustainable development by undertaking actions based on the SDGs should be a priority for all organisations.

For SDG 9 you should initiate an impact assessment of your infrastructure in order to make it more sustainable, resilient and inclusive. In order to do this we suggest to pay attention to your organisation’s use of energy and resources, your way of organising transport, logistics and catering, inspired by research innovations and new technologies. Undertaking actions to reduce negative ecological and social impacts benefits the environment and your organisation’s stakeholders. When you start adopting the principles of the circular economy such as zero waste and cradle to cradle, you provide a great example to your community. The sustainable transformation process of your organisation influences your stakeholders since experiencing sustainable practices has a positive impact on individual sustainable behavior.

We also suggest analysing the impact of your investments and your partnerships with other organisations such as your suppliers. The choice of your investments and investors (such as your bank) should be deliberate, taking into account the CSR policy of your bank and the organisations you work with.

Sustainable innovation is also a driving force for new business opportunities, creating partnerships with other organisations. As an organisation you can contribute to open-science innovation and research by being open to human diversity in the workplace and supporting intercultural and cross-border collaboration.

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Build infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation

Targets ▼

Action Area

Learning Objectives ▼

Cognitive ▼

Socio-emotional ▼

Behavioural ▼

Organisational Perspective ▼

Find out more

United Nations - SDG Knowledge - SDG9

United Nations - Facts & Figures - SDG9

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Build infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation

Action Area

Sustainable innovation

Waste reduction

Sustainable investing

Organisational Perspective ▼