EEA indicator update: EU's material footprint stood at 14.3 tonnes/capita in 2025, down by 3.4% since 2010, including a recent dip of 8.4% from 2022 to 2023. The level of material footprint in the EU is considered unsustainable and above the global average. Based on historical trends and projections for future material use, it appears unlikely that the EU will significantly reduce its material footprint in the next decade. #sustainability #circulareconomyeea.europa.eu/en/analysis/indi

Next year's Yokohama Green Expo will showcase how cutting-edge tech can help solve the environmental issues of our time. But for other points of inspiration, the event will take a close look deep into Japan's past. japantimes.co.jp/environment/2 #environment #sustainability #yokohamagreenexpo #yokohama #gardening #flowers #kanagawa #micetourism #tourism #edoperiod

The lack of (financial) #sustainability of #opensource initiatives when some projects are famously holding the entire digital system on their shoulders is not a freak of human nature: The formal quid-pro-quo economy, built on top of monetary systems and legal contracts is 1) a flailing work-in-progress and 2) is not a pattern that fits everything important. Egregiously, the most vital of all human activities, namely parents (mothers) raising kids, is effectively outside the economic game.

As Japan experiences a tourism boom, emissions from the high-polluting sector are becoming a growing concern. But some destinations are finding their own solutions to reduce the industry's carbon footprint. japantimes.co.jp/environment/2 #environment #sustainability #tourism #sustainability #hokkaido #tokyo #niseko #emissions #climatechange

For decades, youth have been told they are the future. But when it comes to sustainability practices, are we truly listening to what they have to say? japantimes.co.jp/commentary/20 #commentary #worldnews #children #teens #sustainability #climatechange #un

I will be joining and speaking at the European Digital Sustainability Skills Conference on 30 September 2026 in Brussels, organised by the #Digital4Sustainability project. We’ll discuss the Digital4Sustainability Alliance Community, how it can empower digital professionals towards a sustainable digital future, the opportunities and how to get involved.Looking forward to the exchange with experts and stakeholders from across Europe!#DigitalSkills #TwinTransition #Sustainability

In a new post we start exploring how the #digital4sustainability competence framework can be expressed as a #semanticweb ontology.openriskmanagement.com/towardsWe review various relevant taxonomies (#GreenComp e-CF, #ESCO) and start shaping an OWL based ontology to model the knowledge base. A first version of the ontology is online here openriskmanual.org/ns/d4s/inde#sustainability

Exploration for oil in Brazilian near the border with French Guiana has been described as a "passport to the future," but Indigenous communities fear the impacts of construction and the risk of a spill. japantimes.co.jp/environment/2 #environment #sustainability #indigenouspeople #brazil #southamerica #environment #oil #fossilfuels

A good chef should strive to reduce waste. No one knows that better than Junko Watanuki, who helped run the kitchen at Japan's Antarctic research station. japantimes.co.jp/environment/2 #environment #sustainability #antarctica #junkowatanuki #food #environment

Momentum is growing for climate-resilient farming in Europe as the continent bakes under extreme warming. japantimes.co.jp/environment/2 #environment #sustainability #agriculture #farming #climatechange #climateresilience #regenerativefarming #drought #aberdeenangus

The Dutch, which designed their dikes, dams and vast waterworks to battle floods, must now rethink water management in the face of historic drought. japantimes.co.jp/environment/2 #environment #sustainability #drought #water #climatechange #europe #netherlands #heatwaves

RE: social.ftm.nl/@EricChrSmit/117#BigTech is an aberration and it is important to see it as that, rather than accepting "this is just how things are". Even in the context of our flawed democracies and economic systems the historically unprecedented concentration of power and influence in the hands of a tiny oligarchy is extraordinary.We actually have far worse and difficult #sustainability problems to solve, but we will simply not get there as long as big tech is the sole force shaping the digital sphere.

It is telling that the #aibros shrug off - and even celebrate - dramatic societal disruption, like entire sectors going obsolete and are rewarded insane resources by "markets". [Whether it actually happens is not so relevant]But when one suggests required behavioral changes (e.g., less wanton consumption) that might gain us a modicum of #sustainability, its a total non-starter.Simply put: the collective decision making tools for allocating resources are broken exactly when we need them most.

Very happy to announce that #OpenRisk joined the #Digital4Sustainability Community, a European initiative dedicated to advancing digital and #sustainability skills required to accelerate the twin transition. The transparency and empowerment of #OpenSource and #OpenData are levers that can be used to great effect for social and economic transformation and sustainability requires both and urgently.More about D4S and the rationale for joining 👇openriskmanagement.com/joining

A remote village in Okayama is taking a committed approach toward forest health and biodiversity. Its success is already providing a blueprint for the rest of Japan. japantimes.co.jp/environment/2 #environment #sustainability #forests #okayama #trees

Rapid expansion of data centers has helped make ⁠South Africa the continent's biggest digital hub, but critics warn the industry's appetite for electricity and water could worsen shortages affecting millions of people. japantimes.co.jp/environment/2 #environment #sustainability #southafrica #datacenters #tech #ai #renewables #energy

RE: hachyderm.io/@thomasfuchs/1169The concept of the tragedy of the commons illustrated."when a resource is shared and can benefit the individual at a cost to the community, it is rational for the individual to overuse the resource, even though this collectively leads to the depletion of the resource for everyone"There is simply no way to reach #sustainability while society does not have effective mechanisms to prevent individuals and groups to to abuse the commons.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragedy_

"For people trying to understand AI's impact on water supplies, scale matters.Compared with many other demands on water nationwide, today's data centers consume relatively modest amounts. Americans use more water to irrigate lawns, flush toilets and produce food — especially meat — than all U.S. data centers consume combined.The comparison becomes even more striking when looking only at the share of data-center water usage attributed to AI.The portion of data centers' cooling water attributed to just AI processing is less than the water used for one year's worth of golf-course irrigation, vehicle washing, residential swimming pools and restaurant dishwashing, based on estimates derived by government and industry.Those comparisons do not include the additional water associated with generating electricity. Nor do they mean AI's water use is insignificant. They just help place data center water usage within the many ways Americans consume the resource every day."cbsnews.com/projects/2026/how-#AI #DataCenters #Water #WaterUsage #Sustainability

"Green curtains" made up of vines are taking root in Japan as an eco-friendly way to filter out the harsh rays of the sun and cool down homes without the use of electricity. japantimes.co.jp/environment/2 #environment #sustainability #environment #heatwaves #housing

#sustainabilitynetworkworld.com/article/41928

Temperatures are soaring across western Europe as the third major heat wave to hit the region this year fuels wildfire danger, strains water supplies and tests power grids. japantimes.co.jp/environment/2 #environment #climatechange #europe #energy #water #sustainability #heatwaves #climatechange #eu

People who think/wish that worsening climate fundamentals leading to #heatwave events will suddenly sensitize society to environmental #sustainability are probably counting themselves prematurely rich.Just a few years ago we had a planetary scale biological #pandemic risk event which is now almost forgotten. As soon as stress subsides prevalent cultures and mental models reassert themselves, like an elastic band that returns to its base stateReal change does happen but is infuriatingly slow

Can anyone suggest a good place for us to recycle Tetra-Pak in Pittsburgh? Our curbside recycler does not take it.#PGH #PA #recycling #sustainability #environment

"We economists have done the maths: ‘growth’ is a doomed strategy – there is a better way" - theguardian.com/commentisfree/#economics #sustainability #inequality

Financial markets are underestimating the economic risks of biodiversity loss, potentially exposing countries to sovereign debt crises and sharply higher borrowing costs, according to research published on Friday. japantimes.co.jp/environment/2 #environment #sustainability #debt #environment