Dates: 11 & 12 May 2024

Overview: The Sustainability Education Lab, an inclusive space focused on advancing sustainability education and innovation through multidisciplinary approaches, hosted a virtual forum to address pressing sustainability issues. Professionals from diverse fields such as software development, agriculture, biopharmaceutics, sales tech, research, and government advisory discussed their unique challenges and potential solutions.

Moderator: Tamanna Sharma, SustainEd Lab

Participants:

• Varchasva Gupta, Bangarmau (Uttar Pradesh)
• Maansi Shah, Nagpur (Maharashtra)
• Vigneshvar V, Chennai (Tamil Nadu)
• Anie K Lal, New Delhi (Delhi NCR)
• Hemanth Dhananjayan, Bengaluru (Karnataka)
• Yash Karmarkar, Kalyan (Maharashtra)

Key Themes and Commonalities:

• Technological Integration
• Regulatory Challenges
• Community Engagement
• Sustainability Practices

Domain-Specific Insights:

1. Software Development:
   • Challenges: Electronic waste, misinformation.
   • Solutions: Educational apps, secure cyber environments.
2. Agriculture (Wheat Processing):
   • Challenges: Urban pollution, plastic residue, waste segregation.
   • Solutions: Sustainable farming, education on zero-pesticide techniques.
3. Biopharmaceutics:
   • Challenges: High costs, regulatory hurdles.
   • Solutions: Bioprocess intensification, AI for efficiency, circular economy.
4. Sales Technology (AI SaaS):
   • Challenges: Carbon emissions, server usage.
   • Solutions: AI for operational optimization, resource management.
5. Government Advisory for WaSH:
   • Challenges: Short-term focus, centralised management.
   • Solutions: Decentralised management, community interventions, long-term goals.
6. Research Scholar (Centre for Atmospheric Sciences):
   • Challenges: Gap between research and practical application.
   • Solutions: Bridging initiatives, promoting personal accountability.

Potential Collaborations:

• Technology & Agriculture: Educational apps and AI for sustainable farming.
• Biopharmaceutics & Software Development: AI to optimize bioprocesses, secure data.
• WaSH Advisory & Technology: Technological solutions for community-based resource management.
• Sales Technology Across Domains: AI-driven solutions for efficiency and sustainability.

Challenges in Collaboration:

• Technological Integration: Resistance due to cost and complexity.
• Regulatory Barriers: Lagging frameworks.
• Data Security and Privacy: Ensuring safety in collaborative projects.
• Stakeholder Alignment: Aligning diverse goals and interests.

Practical Ways to Build Collaboration:

• Cross-Sector Workshops: Knowledge sharing and brainstorming.
• Joint Research and Development: Leveraging strengths of multiple domains.
• Policy Advocacy: Pushing for regulatory reforms.
• Community Engagement: Tailoring solutions to local needs.

Summary of Findings: The forum highlighted the interconnectedness of sustainability efforts across various sectors. Key themes such as technological integration, regulatory challenges, and community engagement emerged, pointing to the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration for sustainable outcomes.

Implications for Practice: Organizations can leverage collaborative opportunities to drive innovation and promote sustainability. Policymakers can use these insights to inform regulatory reforms supporting cross-sector collaboration.

Forum Summary prepared by Team SustainEd Lab.