Ragn-Sells CEO invited to speak at the UN SDG Business Forum 2018
The environmental company Ragn-Sells has been invited to participate in the UN meeting on the Global Sustainable Development Goals in New York on 17 July. There, the Group CEO Lars Lindén will present how phosphorus can be extracted from sewage sludge and returned as a toxic-free nutrient to farmland.
- Ragn-Sells is proud and happy to have been chosen by the UN as an example of how innovation can help achieve the global goals. At the meeting we will highlight the importance of the world taking better care of its resources and talk about our technology for extracting pure phosphorus from sewage sludge, says Lars Lindén.
At the UN annual High Level Political Forum, member states report on their work on the Global Sustainable Development Goals. A part of this is the SDG Business Forum, where the business community is also participating. In this forum, Ragn-Sells CEO Lars Lindén is invited as a speaker in a session together with Erik Solheim, head of the UN Environment program, UNEP. The focus is on how innovation can create solutions that make it possible to achieve the Global goals by 2030.
Ragn-Sells is particularly invited to share knowledge about one of the major global sustainability issues: recycling of phosphorus. Without phosphorus as a nutrient in the fields, the world's food production would be reduced by half. Despite this, the predominant part of the phosphorous resource that sewage sludge represents is wasted. With Ragn-Sells technology Ash2®Phos, pure phosphorus can be recovered and reused through combustion of the sludge, while virtually all pollutants are removed from the cycle.
- Today, the world's largest phosphor deposits in Western Sahara are polluted by different types of heavy metals and toxic substances. At the same time there are huge amounts of phosphorus in our sewage sludge, a resource that we must start to use and reuse instead of just throwing it away, says Lars Lindén.
Lars Lindén, Group CEO, Ragn-Sells
Phosphorus recovery is necessary to achieve the global goal aimed at eradicating hunger in the world by 2030 (SDG goal number two).
- It's simply about everyone having food on the table. On the day when we can not supply phosphorus as a nutrient to agriculture, half the world's population will be starving, says Lars Lindén.
The UN High Level Political Forum (HLPF), to which the SDG Business Forum belongs, will be held under the theme of "Transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies". SDG Business Forum 2018 is organized by UNDESA - the UN body responsible for the Global goals - as well as the International Chamber of Commerce, ICC, and the UN Global Compact.
For more information, please contact:
Cecilia Zarbell, Communications Director, Ragn-Sells
+46 70 927 24 00, cecilia.zarbell@ragnsells.com
Read more about SDG Business Forum on the website.
Facts: Leadership and innovation for the Global goals
The session that Lars Lindén participates in explores "innovative and leading solutions" for the Global goals that are the focus of this year's HLPF. The issues discussed are, for example, how changed legislation can enable more powerful business efforts to speed up the implementation of the Global goals.
Facts: The Global goals for sustainable development
The Global Sustainable Development Goals were adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2015 as part of the Agenda 2030 Framework. The aim is to create environmentally, socially and economically sustainable development in the world until 2030. There are 17 goals that in turn consist of 169 sub goals. The report of the implementation of the goals is being done each year at the High Level Political Forum in New York.
The following goals are especially the focus of this year's High Level Political Forum:
Goal 6: Clean water and sanitation
Goal 7: Affordable and clean energy
Goal 11: Sustainable cities and communities
Goal 12: Responsible consumption and production
Goal 15: Life on land
Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals