Covid 19 My field of interest

Roadblocks to face, solutions to embrace

When it comes to solving major societal issues through innovation, new business models or global agreements, many experts agree the problem is not technical; it’s political and cultural.

Just look at the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change. The main hurdles to the agreement, as well as the main challenges and victories in the years since, are primarily political and cultural. After all, solutions such as renewable energy and other environmentally friendly innovations are already available and continue to advance rapidly. Still, the world is not on track to limit the temperature rise to 2°C. Those countries and regions with global leaders who have decided to act quickly, share ideas and seek counsel across borders – not to mention business opportunities – are the ones who have managed to reduce or slow rates of greenhouse gas emissions. The Carbon Pricing in the Americas initiative, struck between governments from Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Mexico and the US states of California and Washington, is also a promising sign. Clearly, cross-cultural collaboration is key when it comes to progress. Equally clear is that we need more of it to solve the major issues of our time.