Sustainable Development Goals

Overview

Introduction

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by the United Nations are a set of 17 global interconnected goals that address most pressing economic, social, and environmental challenges faced by humanity, aiming to create a sustainable and inclusive future for all. We, as parts of the greater society, recognize that improvements to social, economic, and environmental issues can be effectively and efficiently made only if everyone us takes part and make a change. Therefore, it is urgent to contribute and call on action on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through our bio concrete project and in our local community.

Fig.1 UN Sustainable Development Goals

History

• In June 1992, In Brazil, more than 178 countries comprehended a plan to build a global partnership for sustainable development for humans and the planet world.
• In 2022, the plan prioritizes property and environment, built on Agenda 21, and emphasizes multilateral partnership.
• In 2012, established the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in Brazil.
• In 2013, the General Assembly set up 30 members to develop proposals on SDGs.
• In 2015, the General Assembly began to start the post-2015 development agenda with 17 SDGS.
• 2015, there are several crucial agreements made on disaster, finance, SDGs, and Climate change.
• Today, the Division for Sustainable Development Goals (DSDG) provides issues including climate, ocean, water, energy, etc. DSDG plays an important role in SDGs and aims to help facilitate these goals.

SDG goals seek to make the planet a better place through 17 Sustainable Development Goals and 169 targets. These aspects are balanced between economic, social, and environmental aspects.

Our General Aim

We started our biostone project inspired by the Turkey Earthquake. We were deeply shocked and saddened by the large number of deaths, injuries, and demolished buildings only 6000km away from us. We, thus, want to use synthetic biology to help our counterparts, improve the situation in Turkey, prevent similar catastrophes, and make our world a better place by targeting SDGs 9, 11, 13, and 17.

Our project mainly focuses on four SDGs goals: aiming to improve human-well-being by focusing on industry, innovation, and infrastructure; creating building materials that are safe by targeting sustainable through sustainable cities and communities; solving traditional concrete issues by using bio-concrete, mitigating climate change; and communicating with different stakeholders and parties by constantly reminding ourselves of partnerships for the goals.

Our project prioritizes improving the world environmentally. We designed our bioconcrete in mind of the SDG goals, reflected upon ourselves on positive and negative potential impacts, engaged our key stakeholders and educated the public in terms of our SDGs. As students, we may not make a huge change to the entire world, but we always keep the 17 Sustainable Development Goals in mind. Thus, by taking advantage of innovation in synthetic biology, we aim to prioritize the SDGs, place them at the central core and push the advancement of global sustainable development.

Targeted SDGs

SDG-9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

Fig.2 SDG 9

Introduction

Our Approach

Our bioconcrete project directly contributes to SDG-9 by addressing the need for sustainable infrastructure and innovative solutions within the concrete industry by focusing on enhancing the strength and sustainable practices of infrastructures.

By engineering cyanobacteria, our innovative bioconcrete offers a sustainable alternative to traditional concrete. This sealant can effectively fill cracks and, over time, the encapsulated cyanobacteria promote the precipitation of CaCO3, forming crystal structures that enhance compressive strength and facilitate material repair. By applying this bioconcrete to vulnerable infrastructure, we increase its compressive strength and extend its durability, contributing to the development of resilient and sustainable buildings.

SDG-11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

Fig.4 SDG 11

Introduction

Our Approach

Prompted by the Turkish-Syrian earthquake, our project centers on enhancing the strength of concrete in construction, contributing to the sustainable and efficient reconstruction of concrete buildings. Adverse environmental conditions can lead to cracks and erosion in concrete, causing a loss of compressive strength and rendering the material susceptible to external forces.

Our solution involves a cement-like sealant that can replace traditional sealants. This hydrogel mixture can be applied to visible cracks in aged concrete, effectively filling them. Encapsulated within this matrix are engineered cyanobacteria, which, over time, promote CaCO3 precipitation, forming crystal structures that enhance compressive strength and facilitate material repair (see more on our hardware page). Application of this innovative material to vulnerable infrastructure proves beneficial by increasing compressive strength and extending the durability of concrete within these structures.

Furthermore, our product exhibits versatility, with potential applications in waste management and post-natural disaster reconstruction efforts. The sealant produced by our team can be employed to reassemble broken concrete fragments from damaged or destroyed buildings. By mixing these concrete pieces with the bio-sealant in a mold and allowing the cyanobacteria to facilitate CaCO3 precipitation, a new concrete block can be generated. This technique not only aids in managing waste materials from disaster sites but also accelerates building reconstruction using local resources in an environmentally friendly manner.

SDG-13: Climate Change

Fig.6 SDG 13

Introduction

Our Approach

Our project of bioconcrete offers a promising solution to mitigate climate change by aligning with SDG 13: Climate Action. Bioconcrete is a sustainable alternative to traditional concrete, incorporating the use of bio-based materials and innovative technologies to reduce carbon footprint and environmental impact through reducing traditional concrete us.

Our bioconcrete incorporates of the use of sustainable materials, including cyanobacteria and various natural raw materials such as sand. This approach addresses one of the key sources of CO2 emissions in the infrastructure industry, as cement manufacturing accounts for a significant portion of greenhouse gas emissions. Through the development and further potential promotion of this bio-based material, our project aims to reduce CO2 emissions associated with cement production, contributing directly to SDG 13 targets.

By our developing and promoting of the use of bioconcrete, we can make significant strides in contributing to SDG 13. The project not only directly reduces carbon emissions and addresses the environmental impact of concrete production but also supports sustainable consumption and production practices and promotes resilient and sustainable communities.

To fully align with SDG 13, we also promoted our bio concrete product and raised awareness on traditional concrete manufacturing environmental issues by engaging with the general public, our school community, experts, traditional concrete manufacturers, traditional concrete intermediary businesses, traditional concrete end users, and environmental organizations.

SDG-17: Partnerships for the Goals

Fig.8 SDG 17

Introduction

Our Approach

Science & Technology:

The science sector urges to strengthen the scientific basis for sustainable management and enhancing public’s scientific understanding, while the technology sector aims to foster innovation for affordable technological solutions to be disseminated.

Our project itself aims to create an eco-friendly, innovative approach to provide affordable sealant and bricks for construction. Not only is it able to provide another approach toward constructive material, but also with an additional capability of the conversion from carbon dioxide to calcium carbonate.

Our public education further enhances the public’s scientific understanding on synthetic biology and our project. Team KEYSTONE has hosted lectures and educational sessions toward children, in-campus students, and the public via different approaches (explained in detail in later sections) to reduce the public’s misunderstanding regarding bio-synthetic products, traditional concrete and cyanobacteria while advocating for our innovative product.

Multi-stakeholder Partnership:

The partnership section aims to encourage resourcing strategies of partnerships. In response, we hosted a series of collaborative projects with corporations, societal organizations, local communities, scholars, and fellow iGEM teams. Examples of such partnership include lectures in our local community, The 7th South China Regional iGEM meeting with a total 22 iGEM high school, undergrad and overgrad teams, Shenzhen meetup with four high school iGEM teams, and interviews with Dr. Chen (see more in our PE and HP page).

Fig.10-16 Collaborations to Foster Partnerships and Knowledge Exchange [scroll right to see more] (learn more on our HP page)

Implementing SDGs

	Events	Goal 9	Goal 11	Goal 13	Goal 17
PE	Social Platform	√	√	√	√
PE	Light & Love Lecture	√	√	√	√
PE	Charity Sale	√	√	√	√
PE	Coloring Book	√	√	√	√
PE	Head of School Meeting				√
HP	High School Regional iGEM Teams Offline Meet Up				√
HP	Cargill Company	√	√	√	√
HP	Zhenye Co., LTD	√		√	√
HP	China West Construction Goroup Co., LTD		√	√	√
HP	Beijing Zhongye Baocheng Building Restoration Technology Co., LTD.	√	√		√

Fig.17 Table Overview of Sustainable Development Events (learn more on our PE and HPpage)

Education the public on SDGs

In our commitment to educate the public about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and our project's contribution towards them, we have implemented initiatives targeting different age groups through various platforms and means of communication.

One of our impactful initiatives was the creation of a coloring book, designed for children and teenagers, featuring biology-related subjects accompanied by educational content about synthetic biology and the SDGs. Through this creative approach, we aimed to inspire young minds and foster a love for learning. To further raise awareness, we organized a charity sale within our school, offering the coloring book along with merchandise like keychains and mugs that featured our project logo. This event allowed us to engage the school community, educate them about iGEM and the SDGs, and raise funds for the United Nations crisis relief. The positive feedback we received affirmed the impact of combining education with real-world action. (see more on our PE page about charity sale & coloring book)

Expanding beyond the school setting, we registered official accounts on popular social media platforms like WeChat, Youtube, and Instagram. Through regular educational articles, we shared insights about our project and the SDGs. Our articles explored the scientific aspects of our project, explaining the biology behind our innovations and their potential to address SDGs such as Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure (SDG 9), Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11), and Climate Action (SDG 13). (see more on our PE page about social platform)

Additionally, we delivered a captivating lecture to grade 4-6 students at a charity school in our community. We introduced them to the fascinating world of synthetic biology, our Biostone project, and the UN SDGs. Through interactive activities like coloring and puzzles, we enhanced their understanding of synthetic biology and the SDGs while nurturing their creativity and problem-solving abilities. The positive feedback we received reflected their enthusiasm and engagement. (see more on our PE page about the light and love charity school lecture)

Our diverse range of educational initiatives, including the coloring book, charity sale, school presentations, and social media engagement, enabled us to reach a wide audience. We aimed to inspire collective action towards sustainable development by sharing our knowledge, research, and progress. We believe that through education and access to information, we can empower individuals to contribute to a shared sustainable future. Through these initiatives, we aimed to inspire a sense of shared responsibility and empower individuals to contribute to sustainable development.

Fig.18-31 PE Projects Engaging Sustainable Development Goals [scroll right to see more] (learn more on our PE page)

Engaging the stakeholders in our SDGs

Experts & Researchers

Scientific experts and researchers play a crucial role in advancing explorations, discussions, and progress towards the SDGs. Their special expertise can benefit the societal achievement of SDG in multiple facets—informing policy decisions to governments, guiding the general public’s sustainable practices, and so on. Our project’s emphasis on SDGs 9, 11, and 13 has been largely promoted by the opportunity to engage in academic discussions with a number of experts and researchers in the field of biological sciences. The feedback and suggestions we receive construct an effective loop that prompts us to make progress on our project’s approach to the SDGs.

Dr. Bednarczyk at the University of Chicago and Dr. Roberson at Johns Hopkins University highlighted the importance of structural rigidity in buildings and shared a common interest in our project’s potential to strengthen existing buildings’ structural intensity and the possible carbon sequestration feature of the biomaterial relating to SDG 9 and SDG 11. Among a variety of infrastructural issues such as increasing urban slums and access to public transport, lack of structural rigidity is a common problem that not only affects low-development countries but the whole world. Without effective reparation and fixation, many construction and even transportation structures (roads and bridges) face severe structural problems that threaten the lives of citizens, often due to natural catastrophes and inadequate engineering and use of materials.

The professors also emphasized the significance of carbon sequestration, as addressed by SDG 13. Carbon sequestration, or the removal of inorganic carbon (a greenhouse gas) from the atmosphere, is achievable in our project due to the chassis organism we use for biological engineering—cyanobacteria. Capable of performing photosynthesis like plants, the cyanobacteria we use might be able to remove some carbon dioxide from the environment while doing the job of calcium carbonate precipitation. This is a great bonus to our project, as it allows the construction industry to achieve a level of net zero carbon emissions.

(See more about the experts & researchers stakeholder on our HP page)

Fig.32-35 Experts & Researchers Involved in our Project [scroll right to see more] (learn more on our HP page)

Producers

In our context, we refer to the producer stakeholders as companies and experts who take part in the production stage of the traditional concrete. Through the human practice interviews, we were able to get in touch with a particular company that produces concrete-based materials and products, China West Construction Group Co. Ltd., a service provider in the building materials’ industry that is involved in industrial chains such as cement and admixtures (see more on our HP page). The interviewee as well as the producer stakeholder of concrete pointed out two main SDG-related problems that the current concrete industry possesses and provided us with useful feedback on our bio-concrete-based product.

Firstly, the interviewee has identified that, relating to SDG goal 11 of sustainable cities and communities, a lot of companies and concrete industries are concerned about the amount of CO2 emissions that they produce with their traditional red and other common bricks, worrying that it would exceed the country’s CO2-related regulations and hinder the development of a more sustainable city and community. While China West Construction Company intended to decrease emissions by optimizing the ratio of cement from 200 to 180 kg, this did not reflect well on the performance of their product. Therefore, as the interviewee stated, our bio-based concrete product provides a potential solution for the concrete industry to consider that would promote the development of SDG goal 11 of a more sustainable community while maintaining the overall quality of concrete as it does not require an excess or even a lot of CO2 emissions during the process and is overall resilient and strong.

Furthermore, the interviewee of China West Construction Company identified a crucial problem in SDG Goal 9, "industry, innovation and infrastructure", that bio-brick industries are currently encountering. In specific, while innovation should be promoted as part of the goal, it is sometimes hard for companies to promote bio-concrete-based brick due to concerns about its strength and ability to support the road. However, as the interviewee pointed out, our idea of making the bio-based material to also be a sealant for other concrete-based products is a very smart innovation idea since concrete can crack easily because of erosion or temperature changes and is hard to repair on its own; hence, it would benefit from being repaired by the self-healing bio-concrete material.

Fig.36 Interview with China West Construction Goroup Co., LTD (learn more on our HP page)

Intermediary Entities

In this context, we are referring to intermediary entities as stakeholders between the producers and end users within the traditional concrete cycle. We were very privileged to interview the ZhenYe company, a real estate company falling into the category of intermediary entity stakeholders. During our insightful interview with ZhenYe company, Mr. Cai highlighted the potential of bio concrete to not only reduce waste generated during the production process but also enhance the overall durability of concrete structures (see more on our HP page). This information underscores the the potential for our project to align closely with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), targeting SDGs 9 and 13.

The acknowledgment by Mr. Cai regarding the popularity of concrete as a building material indirectly aligns with the principles of SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure). His recognition of concrete's significance in modern construction underlines the need for sustainable solutions within the industry. This suggests that the conventional methods of concrete production and usage may not adequately address the sustainability challenges outlined in SDG 9. In this context, our bioconcrete project becomes highly relevant as it offers a sustainable alternative that promotes resilient infrastructure, fosters innovation, and supports sustainable industrial practices in line with SDG 9.

Moreover, Mr. Cai's interest in our bioconcrete's potential to reduce waste and enhance durability directly corresponds to SDG 13 and highlights the significance of our project in addressing this goal. He acknowledges the importance of mitigating climate change and its adverse effects and recognizes our bioconcrete as a solution that minimizes environmental impact. By developing a sustainable alternative to traditional concrete production, we actively contribute to the objectives of SDG 13, which revolve around climate action. Mr. Cai's endorsement of our bioconcrete's ability to reduce waste and increase durability further emphasizes its potential to lower greenhouse gas emissions and promote a more sustainable and resilient built environment. This aligns with our commitment to supporting global efforts in combating climate change and promoting responsible resource management through our innovative bioconcrete solution, in line with SDG 13.

Fig.37-38 Interview with Zhenye Co., LTD (learn more on our HP page)

End users

In this context, "end users" are referring to the final stakeholders in the lifecycle of traditional concrete. These individuals and entities play a crucial role as they utilize concrete materials as foundational components for diverse infrastructure projects such as residential buildings, bridges, and energy infrastructures. Understanding the perspectives of end users regarding the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is of utmost significance as our bioconcrete presents a potential alternative to traditional concrete, directly influencing their daily lives and the sustainability of their projects.

With shelter becoming a fundamental living criterion for virtually all global citizens, we therefore see an immense group of end users for our novel construction material made with synthetic biology. With its function as a sealant and an unprecedented carbon sequestration feature, our product not only constructs more robust structures for global citizens (SDG 9 and 11) but also reduces their per capita carbon footprint on having a shelter (SDG 13), greatly benefiting their standards of living in a sustainable way.

In June, we sent out a survey that aimed to collect the general public’s opinion on our BioStone product via social media platforms in China (see more on our HP page). Most people’s opinions on our product are centred on SDG 9 (Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation) and SDG 11 (Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable). Namely, the biggest doubt appears to be, “Can you really make a sealant out of bacteria and use it to strengthen my house?”

Through the various tests we carried out on our product prototypes, our bacteria-sand-hydrogel matrix without enzyme added has already been shown to successfully resist a high level of pressure at normal conditions, and the addition of carbonic anhydrase that induces calcium carbonate precipitation on the surface of bacterial cells makes the entire structure even harder (see more on our hardware page). Thereby, we take a sanguine view on the real application of our BioStone in construction. The Microbial-Induced Calcium Carbonate Precipitation (MICP) has the potential to reform the construction industry, with substantial progress towards SDGs 9 and 11.

Besides SDG 9 and 11, a number of respondents of the survey also paid high attention to the environmental benefit brought by our product, which is pertinent to SDG 13 (Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts). Our survey reveals that most people lack knowledge of how the current construction industry substantially contributes to global carbon emissions. This finding prompts us to redesign our project’s Human Practices and Public Education framework to incorporate more educational elements that inform our audience of the impacts of the current mode of construction and the need to change (see more on our education and human practice page). It turns out that our project not only brings new possibilities to the construction industry but also provides a great opportunity to educate our end users about the need to make a difference in the choice of building material. Undoubtedly, this is an advance towards SDG 13.

Engaging with end users and other stakeholders is an ongoing priority in our project, as we strive to commercialize our product in alignment with SDGs 9, 11, and 13. As we progress, we actively seek feedback from a global audience, expanding beyond our home country of China. By fostering a diverse dialogue with end user and stakeholders, we aim to gain valuable insights that drive us closer to our ultimate objective of advancing sustainable industry, building resilient communities, and taking meaningful climate action.

Fig.39 Survey Conducted to End Users (learn more on our HP page)

Conclusion

Overall, we actively targeted Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 9, 11, 13, and 17, namely Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure; Sustainable Cities and Communities; Climate Change; and Partnership for the Goals.By developing and promoting bioconcrete, we aim to provide an innovative solution to the construction industry and contribute to sustainable and resilient infrastructure development.

Simultaneously, we implemented the SDGs via the public education and stakeholder engagement. Through educational initiatives, we raised awareness about the significance of sustainable development and inspire action among the public. Additionally, by collaborating with stakeholders, including experts, producers, intermediary entities, and end users, we foster partnerships to drive collective efforts towards achieving these sustainable goals.

By leveraging synthetic biology, we committed to targeting and implementing SDGs 9, 11, 13, and 17; advocated our comprehensive and impactful approach to address pressing social and environmental challenges; brought the SDGs as central focus; and fostered the advancement of global sustainable development.

Fig.42 Our Targeted SDGs

References

1. 2023 Turkey-Syria Earthquake. (2023, September 22). Center for Disaster Philanthropy. https://disasterphilanthropy.org/disasters/2023-turkey-syria-earthquake/
2. Ahmed, I. (2023). Key Building Design and Construction Lessons from the 2023 Türkiye–Syria Earthquakes. Architecture, 3(1), 104–106. https://doi.org/10.3390/architecture3010007
3. Goal 11 | Department of Economic and Social Affairs. (2023). United Nations. https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal11
4. Goal 13 | Department of Economic and Social Affairs. (2023). Un.org. https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal13
5. THE 17 GOALS | Sustainable Development. (2015). Un.org. https://sdgs.un.org/goals
6. UNDP. (2016, October 31). Sustainable Development Goals. Wikimedia.org. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sustainable_Development_Goals.jpg