Sub-Saharan Africa’s Questions: One of the main problems Caribbean countries face is the global structure of the economy and power dynamics. Is this a problem Caribbean countries can combat, or must it start from social/political movements within the world's strongest countries? The Unreasonable Promises article mentioned the struggles of lack of sustainable planning from the government. I read another article that said only 6 of the 33 countries dedicated more than 0.1% of their GDP to recovery spending, with 7.4 billion of the spending going to unsustainable sectors. How can the Caribbean progress sustainably without government backing and commitment? Do you agree that the SDGs are westernized? If so how can the SDGs be reworded or restructured to meet the needs of the Caribbean while also making sure that the world progresses in a necessary fashion? How has sustainable tourism contributed to progress in the Caribbean? On the other hand, has the Caribbean suffered sustainability due to the large number of tourists that frequent the land and are unaware of the surroundings and best land practices? Do you believe that the Caribbean should work to preserve the natural resources they have or build infrastructure to prevent possible harm that will come with rising ocean levels? Usually larger countries are blamed for hurting places like the Caribbean where sea levels rise and the countries suffer from marine pollution. Is the Caribbean government relying primarily on their own efforts to progress with the SDGs, or are they expecting help from outside countries?

Sub-Saharan Africa Group Does it depend on our relations with that specific nation to do so? Any ideas on how you implement an effective strategy to manage shared water resources amongst different nations? A lot of SDG’s are mentioned in the role of youth in sustainable development… which SDG do you find most important to improve in this region? I find it interesting that the article argues for the youth realizing its productive potential in order to help other SDG’s… Do you think this is the most efficient way to address them? When a country has strong heritage and local knowledge that helps allow for greater sustainability, is it their responsibility to protect themselves from climate change? We discussed in class how investment in female youth education/employment would benefit society as a whole. How can we fix this issue most affectively in South Asia. In the role of youth in sustainable development article, it suggests implementing private-sector corporate social responsibility initiatives. Do you think that this is the best approach for youth success? Is there a tension in South Asia at the moment that has stemmed from the water issue? What is South Asia doing to help combat the water crisis politically?

(From All Members of the Sub-Saharan Africa Group) Question 1 Bond's report says that improving the energy efficiency of buildings is the quickest and most cost-effective way of reducing GHGs. Is the quickest way the most sustainable? Or is it better to make smaller changes at a slower pace that may have a better long-term impact? A building can become "carbon neutral" faster by purchasing offset credits. Is it better to buy credits and become carbon neutral earlier, or slowly progress without buying the credits to eventually become carbon neutral? You will not be able to receive the benefits of certifications and investments as quickly if you extend the process longer, but you will also likely provide a greater good in the long term if your building is not releasing any carbon into the atmosphere. Question 2 Did Australia meet the 2020 goal of sourcing 20% of all energy from renewables? Question 3 Generally is it more cost-efficient to tear down old buildings and rebuild a more sustainable one or just remodel old buildings with sustainable features? Question 4 If sustainable practices are economically beneficial, why aren’t more Chinese politicians pushing for reform? Question 5 How will politicians promote sustainable legislature if they are not in office for a while? (in the article it said that they were promoted often) Question 6 Do you think the four policy recommendations they make are feasible to be put into practice? If the four recommendations are put in place, would it improve sustainable development in China? Some more so than others? Do y’all really think urban sustainable development can occur in these cities that are insanely populated to a productive enough extent? Question 7 It seems like Australia has the opportunity to be leaders in the property industry department to address climate change and be sustainable… can they realistically get past the barriers to do so? What makes Australia a place that can be leaders in this field rather than elsewhere? Question 8 For the policy analysis in China, is it easier to amend policies to make them more effective, or implement new policies?