Executive Summary
Executive Summary
The United Nations Organization (UNO) has mandated sustainable development as a goal for every country. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing - in a global partnership.
MetaCanopy equally supports all 17 SDGs; however, for this whitepaper, we’ve chosen to feature only a few and have categorized them into the areas of Humanitarian and Environmental Transformational Opportunities based primary focus. Agricultural Transformational Opportunities is included separately because it represents an opportunity to benefit other efforts to drive transformational change.
Humanitarian Transformational Opportunities
Slow and uneven progress on poverty reduction may leave hundreds of millions in extreme poverty.
Extreme poverty, currently defined as living on less than $2.15 per person per day at 2017 purchasing power parity, had experienced a significant decline in recent decades. However, COVID-19 reversed this positive trend. Even before the pandemic, the pace of poverty reduction was slowing, with extreme poverty falling from 10.8 per cent in 2015 to 8.4 per cent in 2019.
If current trends continue, 575 million people will still be living in extreme poverty and only one-third of countries will have halved their national poverty levels by 2030.
Despite the expansion of social protection during the COVID-19 crisis, over 4 billion people remain entirely unprotected. Many of the world’s vulnerable population groups, including the young and the elderly, remain uncovered by statutory social protection programs.
The share of government spending on essential services, such as education, health and social protection, is significantly higher in advanced economies than in emerging and developing economies.
A surge in action and investment to enhance economic opportunities, improve education and extend social protection to all, particularly the most excluded, is crucial to delivering on the central commitment to end poverty and leave no one behind.
In the face of a polycrisis, joint global efforts are urgently needed to address hunger and ensure food security.
In 2022, the prevalence of undernourishment remained unchanged compared to 2021, following a significant increase in 2020 due to the pandemic and a slower rise in 2021. The global population facing chronic hunger stood at 9.2 per cent in 2022, up from 7.9 per cent in 2019, affecting around 735 million people, which is a rise of 122 million since 2019. Moreover, an estimated 2.4 billion individuals, equivalent to 29.6 per cent of the world’s population, experienced moderate to severe food insecurity, meaning they did not have regular access to adequate food.
The number of people facing hunger and food insecurity has been rising since 2015, with the pandemic, conflict, climate change and growing inequalities exacerbating the situation. In 2022, about 9.2 per cent of the world population was facing chronic hunger, equivalent to about 735 million people – 122 million more than in 2019. An estimated 29.6 per cent of the global population – 2.4 billion people – were moderately or severely food insecure, meaning they did not have access to adequate food. This figure reflects an alarming 391 million more people than in 2019.
Despite global efforts, in 2022, an estimated 45 million children under the age of 5 suffered from wasting, 148 million had stunted growth and 37 million were overweight. A fundamental shift in trajectory is needed to achieve the 2030 nutrition targets.
To achieve zero hunger by 2030, urgent coordinated action and policy solutions are imperative to address entrenched inequalities, transform food systems, invest in sustainable agricultural practices, and reduce and mitigate the impact of conflict and the pandemic on global nutrition and food security.
Primary and secondary school completion is rising, but the pace is far too slow and uneven.
Between 2015 and 2021, worldwide primary school completion increased from 85 to 87 per cent, lower secondary completion rose from 74 to 77 per cent and upper secondary completion grew from 53 to 58 per cent. However, the pace of improvement was significantly slower than the 2000–2015 period. Most regions have primary completion rates of nearly 90 per cent or higher, except sub-Saharan Africa, where fewer than two-thirds of children complete primary school. In impoverished regions, poor learning outcomes lead to high drop-out rates and delayed completion.
Progress towards quality education was already slower than required before the pandemic, but COVID-19 has had devastating impacts on education, causing learning losses in four out of five of the 104 countries studied.
Without additional measures, only one in six countries will achieve the universal secondary school completion target by 2030, an estimated 84 million children and young people will still be out of school, and approximately 300 million students will lack the basic numeracy and literacy skills necessary for success in life.
To achieve national Goal 4 benchmarks, which are reduced in ambition compared with the original Goal 4 targets, 79 low- and lower-middle income countries still face an average annual financing gap of $97 billion.
To deliver on Goal 4, education financing must become a national investment priority. Furthermore, measures such as making education free and compulsory, increasing the number of teachers, improving basic school infrastructure and embracing digital transformation are essential.
Access to drinking water, sanitation and hygiene improved significantly in rural areas, but stagnated or decreased in urban areas.
Between 2015 and 2022, the proportion of the world’s population with access to safely managed drinking water services increased from 69 to 73 per cent; safely managed sanitation services increased from 49 to 57 per cent; and basic hygiene services increased from 67 to 75 per cent. This progress signifies an additional 687 million, 911 million and 637 million people gaining access to these essential services, respectively. Open defecation decreased from 715 million to 419 million during this period. However, in 2022, 2.2 billion people still lacked safely managed drinking water, including 703 million without a basic water service; 3.5 billion people lacked safely managed sanitation, including 1.5 billion without basic sanitation services; and 2 billion lacked a basic handwashing facility with soap and water at home, including 653 million with no handwashing facility at all. Sub-Saharan Africa is furthest behind.
Despite great progress, billions of people still lack access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene. Achieving universal coverage by 2030 will require a substantial increase in current global rates of progress: sixfold for drinking water, fivefold for sanitation and threefold for hygiene.
Water use efficiency has risen by 9 per cent, but water stress and water scarcity remain a concern in many parts of the world. In 2020, 2.4 billion people lived in water-stressed countries. The challenges are compounded by conflicts and climate change.
Key strategies to get Goal 6 back on track include increasing sector-wide investment and capacity-building, promoting innovation and evidence based action, enhancing cross-sectoral coordination and cooperation among all stakeholders, and adopting a more integrated and holistic approach to water management.
Proportion of the World’s Population Living Below $2.15/day, 2015–2019 Realized and 2020–2030 Forecast and Projected (Percentage)
Environmental Transformational Opportunities
More people than ever have access to electricity, but the pace is lagging for least developed countries.
The global electricity access rate increased from 87 per cent in 2015 to 91 per cent in 2021, serving close to an additional 800 million people. However, 675 million people still lacked access to electricity in 2021, mostly located in LDCs. Despite steady progress in the last six years, the annual access growth rate of 0.6 percentage points between 2019 and 2021 lags behind the 0.8 percentage points observed in 2015–2019.
The world continues to advance towards sustainable energy targets – but not fast enough. At the current pace, about 660 million people will still lack access to electricity and close to 2 billion people will still rely on polluting fuels and technologies for cooking by 2030.
Renewable sources power nearly 30 per cent of energy consumption in the electricity sector, but challenges remain in heating and transport sectors. Developing countries experience 9.6 per cent annual growth in renewable energy installation, but despite enormous needs, international financial flows for clean energy continue to decline.
To ensure access to energy for all by 2030, we must accelerate electrification, increase investments in renewable energy, improve energy efficiency and develop enabling policies and regulatory frameworks.
Regional inequalities in material footprints highlight consumption disparities.
Between 2000 and 2019, global domestic material consumption– the amount of raw materials directly used for production processes in a country – increased by 66 per cent, tripling since the 1970s to reach 95.1 billion metric tons. In 2019, the corresponding material footprint – the amount of materials extracted to satisfy final consumption demand in a country – was 95.9 billion metric tons. While the total volumes are similar globally, comparisons reveal regional inequalities in the environmental impact. In Northern Africa and Western Asia, and in Europe and Northern America, the material footprint in 2019 exceeded domestic material consumption by 18 per cent and 14 per cent, respectively, while in Latin America and the Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa, the material footprint was lower than domestic material consumption by 17 per cent and 32 per cent, respectively. These differences highlight the unequal responsibilities and consumption disparities between import-oriented and export-oriented and generally high-income and low-income countries.
The material footprint per capita in high-income countries is 10 times the level of low-income countries. The world is also seriously off track in its efforts to halve per capita food waste and losses by 2030.
Global crises triggered a resurgence in fossil fuel subsidies, nearly doubling from 2020 to 2021.
Reporting has increased on corporate sustainability and on public procurement policies, but has fallen when it comes to sustainable consumption and monitoring sustainable tourism.
Responsible consumption and production must be integral to recovery from the pandemic and to acceleration plans of the Sustainable Development Goals. It is crucial to implement policies that support a shift towards sustainable practices and decouple economic growth from resource use.
Urgent global greenhouse gas emission reductions are needed to avert 1.5°C tipping point.
The latest IPCC synthesis report unequivocally states that human activities, particularly over a century of burning fossil fuels, unsustainable energy and land use, and untenable consumption and production patterns, have caused global warming of 1.1°C above pre-industrial levels. This has led to a surge in extreme weather and climate events in every region, which is now the everyday face of climate change. Vulnerable communities, despite having contributed the least to climate change, are disproportionately affected. Between 2010 and 2020, highly vulnerable regions, home to approximately 3.3-3.6 billion people, experienced 15 times higher human mortality rates from floods, droughts and storms compared to regions with very low vulnerability. The adverse impacts of climate change have caused substantial damages and increasingly irreparable losses to ecosystems and human lives, triggering food shortages, loss of housing and infrastructure, migration of populations, and more.
With a climate cataclysm looming, the pace and scale of current climate action plans are wholly insufficient to effectively tackle climate change. Increasingly frequent and intense extreme weather events are already impacting every region on Earth. Rising temperatures will escalate these hazards further, posing grave risks.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) emphasizes that deep, rapid and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are essential in all sectors, beginning now and continuing throughout this decade. To limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, emissions must already be decreasing and need to be cut by almost half by 2030, just seven years away.
Urgent and transformative action is crucial, going beyond mere plans and promises. It requires raising ambition, covering entire economies and moving towards climate-resilient development, while outlining a clear path to achieve net-zero emissions. Time is running out, and immediate measures are necessary to avoid catastrophic consequences and secure a sustainable future for generations to come.
Deforestation and forest degradation remain major global threats
Forests are among the largest carbon and biodiversity reservoirs on Earth, crucial for mitigating climate change and providing essential goods, services and livelihoods. However, nearly 100 million hectares of net forest area have been lost over the past two decades. Global forest coverage decreased from 31.9 per cent in 2000 (4.2 billion hectares) to 31.2 per cent (4.1 billion hectares) in 2020. Agricultural expansion is the direct driver of almost 90 per cent of global deforestation (cropland accounts for 49.6 per cent and livestock grazing for 38.5 per cent). Oil palm harvesting alone accounted for 7 per cent of global deforestation from 2000 to 2018.
Terrestrial ecosystems are vital for sustaining human life, contributing to over half of global GDP and encompassing diverse cultural, spiritual, and economic values.
However, the world faces a triple crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss. Escalating trends of forest loss, land degradation and the extinction of species pose a severe threat to both the planet and people.
Despite some progress in sustainable forest management, protected areas, and the uptake of national biodiversity values and natural capital accounting, most improvements have been modest. The recently adopted Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework provides renewed impetus for Goal 15, outlining four outcome-oriented goals to be achieved by 2050 and 23 targets to be achieved by 2030.
To fulfil Goal 15, a fundamental shift in humanity’s relationship with nature is essential, along with accelerated action to address the root causes of these interconnected crises and better recognition of the tremendous value of nature.
Agricultural Transformational Opportunities
The worldwide industrial economy is confronted with many difficulties such as running out of non-renewable resources, environmental disparities, and geopolitical concerns. To tackle these challenges, it is essential to create fresh business models and financial technologies that are not limited by current restrictions, enviro-friendly, and enduring.
One of the most promising and rapidly growing sectors in this context is agriculture and sustainable development business models. Historically, these opportunities have been limited to large corporations, excluding small institutions and individuals.
This disparity can be attributed to:
Difficulties in securing land and funds;
Lack of expertise and time for effective cultivation and long-term maintenance; Resistance to adopting advanced systems and development methods;
Limited exploration of financial technology protocols and growth management models; Outdated marketing strategies;
Challenges in accessing global markets due to cross-border limitations; Unattractive growth models; and
Lack of trust and transparency.
It is essential to overcome these limitations to encourage diversity and increase financial and developmental possibilities. Through the implementation of a systematic production approach and financial technology tools that allow nations, financial organizations, and individuals to participate in agricultural and sustainable development ventures, such as supporting group farming programs or providing digital shared ownership opportunities, transparent asset growth portfolio platforms, and simplified processes, we can enhance engagement and promote necessary progress in these sectors.
Agro Opportunity Timeframe
Over the past few years, there has been a substantial increase in the popularity and implementation of sustainable agriculture practices and environmentally conscious development initiatives. The following are examples of key commercial statistics and projections for future business scalability:
The Global Sustainable Agriculture Market size is valued at 13.32 billion in 2022 and is predicted to reach 31.35 billion by the year 2031 at a 10.17% CAGR during the forecast period for 2023-2031 [2].
Agriculture is the world's largest industry. It employs more than one billion people and generates over $1.3 trillion-dollar worth of food annually [3].
Agricultural development is one of the most powerful tools to end extreme poverty, boost shared prosperity, and feed a projected 9.7 billion people by 2050. Growth in the agriculture sector is two to four times more effective in raising incomes among the poorest compared to other sectors. Agriculture is also crucial to economic growth: accounting for 4% of global gross domestic product (GDP) and in some least-developed countries, it can account for more than 25% of GDP [4].
The global agriculture market witnessed growth from $12,245.63 billion in 2022 to $13,398.79 billion in 2023, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.4% [5].
As of 2023, the global AgTech market is worth $21.89 billion. Historical data shows that smart agriculture has grown from $9.58 billion in 2017 to $12.4 billion in 2020. And according to BIS Research, the market is expected to grow to $34.1 billion by 2026. The worldwide AgTech market was valued at $18.12 billion in 2021. The market is expected to reach $43.37 billion by 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.2% [6].
The global renewable energy market size was valued at USD 1.1 trillion in 2022 and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.9% from 2023 to 2030 [7].
As of 2020, China leads with wind energy with an installed capacity of 221 GW followed by the U.S. with 96.4 GW, Germany with 59.3, India with 35 GW, and Spain with 23 GW [7].
The U.S. leads the world's geothermal energy capacity with 3.7 GW. Furthermore, the largest geothermal plant in the world is located in California, and with strong industry adoption, geothermal energy is expected to meet 10% of the U.S. electricity demand in the near future [7]
The industrial segment led the market in 2022 and accounted for a share of 62.17% of the revenue. Growing demand for clean electricity is expected to increase the number of utility projects and fuel the PV modules market growth across the industrial sector. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, there are over 37 GW of power plants in operation in the U.S. as of 2020, with an additional 112 GW in development. These factors are expected to drive the demand for solar PV panels in the industrial application segment over the forecast period [7].
The global solar power market is estimated to grow from $234.86 billion in 2022 to $373.84 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 6.9% [7].
The Global Wind Energy market is anticipated to be valued at around US$ 174.75 billion by 2030, with a CAGR of 9.4% from 2022 to 2030 [8].
The global organic food market experienced growth from $259.06 billion in 2022 to $294.54 billion in 2023, with a CAGR of 13.7% [9].
FAO estimates the gross value of global (primary) agricultural production at just over $5 trillion. The World Bank estimates the primary agricultural value-added at approximately $3.2 trillion.
The food system generates 2 to 5 times as much value as farm production itself. For every $1 spent on food by the US consumer, a mere 11 cents are accounted for by economic activity on farms while the rest accrues to numerous activities associated with transforming, delivering, or processing the food Americans enjoy on a daily basis. Likewise, the United Kingdom where agriculture accounts for only 10 percent of the value of the food system. Since the post-farm to farm ratio of value in the food system is much lower in developing countries, the estimated value of the global food system is roughly $8 trillion, or 10 percent of the $80 trillion global economy [11].
The global electric vehicle market is valued at USD 193.55 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach a value of USD 693.70 billion by 2030 at a CAGR of 17.30% over the forecast period [12].
Due to a rise in demand for electric cars, Europe will have the highest CAGR of 29.8% between 2020 and 2027. The electric vehicle gearbox market is also being driven by the quick regional expansion of electric vehicle components production [13].
The green technology and sustainability market was valued at roughly USD 35.5 billion in 2021, and it is predicted to reach USD 417.35 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 21.6% from 2022 to 2030 [14].
The green technology and sustainability industry is expected to grow as environmental awareness and concern about global warming rise among organizations and individuals. According to the World Economic Forum, the launch of Ethereum 2.0 and the transition from a proof of work (PoW) to a proof of stake (PoS) consensus model for blockchain is expected to consume 99.0% less energy. PoS requires lesser hardware than PoW, and the amount of energy needed to support safe transactions will decrease [7].
MetaCanopy has a great chance to boost market expansion in the worldwide sustainable farming, clean energy, and eco-friendly technology fields. Given that the agriculture sector holds immense value and provides employment to a vast number of individuals, MetaCanopy can utilize its innovative farming methods and strategies to enhance crop production and help in meeting the food needs of a continuously global population.
The market for sustainable energy sources like wind energy, solar power, and electric is growing quickly, creating chances for MetaCanopy to back eco-friendly energy initiatives and encourage the use of clean energy. Moreover, the market for green technology and sustainability is seeing significant expansion, presenting MetaCanopy with the opportunity to help protect the environment and address climate change using inventive solutions and blockchain technology.
MetaCanopy aims to stimulate market expansion, boost the global economy, and foster a sustainable future by concentrating on these sectors and providing cutting-edge technologies, financial assistance, and clear-cut solutions.
Sources
United Nations Organization - The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023: Special Edition https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2023/
Insight Ace Analytic - Global Sustainable Agriculture Market Research Report https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/report/sustainable-agriculture-market/1661
World Wildlife Fund - Sustainable Agriculture https://www.worldwildlife.org/industries/sustainable-agriculture
The World Bank - Agriculture and Food https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/agriculture/overview
The Business Research Company - Agriculture Global Market Report 2024 https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/report/agriculture-global-market-report
Exploding Topics - Global AgTech Market Size, Growth, & Trends (2024-2031) https://explodingtopics.com/blog/agtech-market
Grandview Research - Renewable Energy Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/renewable-energy-market
Fortune Business Insights - Solar Power Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/solar-power-market-100764
Global Newswire - Top News: Wind Energy Market is expected to grow at a 9.4% CAGR & is Expected to cross 174.75 billion by year 2030 https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2023/01/06/2584179/0/en/Top-News-Wind-Energy-Market-is-expected-to-grow-at-a-9-4-CAGR-is-Expected-to-cross-174-75-billion-by-year-2030-Data-by-Contrive-Datum-Insights-Pvt-Ltd.html
The Business Research Company - Organic Food Global Market Report 2024 https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/report/organic-food-global-market-report
World Bank Blogs - Do the costs of the global food system outweigh its monetary value? https://blogs.worldbank.org/voices/do-costs-global-food-system-outweigh-its-monetary-value
Vantage Market Research - Electric Vehicle Market - Global Industry Assessment & Forecast https://www.vantagemarketresearch.com/industry-report/electric-vehicle-ev-market-1853
Allied Market Research - Electric Vehicle (EV) Transmission Market Expected to Reach $20.08 Billion by 2027 https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/electric-vehicle-transmission-market
Statistica - Green technology and sustainability market size worldwide from 2022 to 2030 https://www.statista.com/statistics/1319996/green-technology-and-sustainability-market-size-worldwide/
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