Introduction by Daniel Almeida, ABS Executive Director and Americo Scotti, Professor, UFU.

The Brazilian Welding Society (ABS) and the Center for Research and Development of Welding Processes (LAPROSOLDA) at the Uberlandia Federal University (UFU), recently took up the challenge to show how they and the Brazilian welding industry were enhancing the country’s national welding capability as well as contributing to Brazil progressing the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This report co-authored by Chris Smallbone, International Institute of Welding (IIW) Fellow, and Luiz Paes, Professor, UFU, assesses how ABS, UFU and the welding industry have positively influenced the SDGs, and improved the quality of life of people and the environment in Brazil.
 

The report will also give ABS members the opportunity to assess their companies against the SDGs and their commitments to sustainability. For the future, it is the intention of ABS and UFU to draw up mutually beneficial strategies and action plans with the support of the Brazilian Government, industry and aid agencies for implementation to achieve significant progress in UN SDGs for which they and their members and the welding industry have the expertise.

ABS’s and UFU’s National Welding Capability Project

ABS and UFU, together with their members and networks, have worked for many years to improve the nation’s National Welding Capability (NWC).

https://www.scielo.br/j/si/a/tDWHcwCpMB3tFYY4xTXWZWt/?lang=en

Improving a country’s National Welding Capability can make a significant contribution to, and have a very positive effect on, many national and international programmes including the SDGs. Such initiatives include, amongst others, education, training, qualification and certification of personnel to both national and international standards, assisting companies to meet exacting standards of customers, R&D and technology transfer. ABS and UFU also assist in improving education and training to increase self-sufficiency and diversity in skilled personnel in Brazil and other regional countries.

ABS’s and UFU’s excellent national, regional and international networks of individuals and organisations, including the International Institute of Welding (IIW) and its members, universities, colleges, research organisations and companies involved in welding enables them to cooperate and collaborate with them and leverage many of the activities, including technologies, required to progress the NWC and various SDGs.

What are the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The United Nations (UN), has 193 countries as members and with the challenges of improving the quality of life in countries, in 2015, world leaders agreed for the UN to implement 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aimed at low and middle income countries. Each UN country is supposed to measure its progress on an annual basis against the targets and indicators set against each SDG to achieve the UN 2030 Agenda.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_Development_Goals

Brazil had been very successfuI in its achievements in the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) responsible for major advances in promoting human development during 2000-2015. In 2017, Brazil was part of the 2017 voluntary national review of the high-level UN political forum on sustainable development. By analyzing the relationship between the programmes, goals, targets and initiatives of Brazil’s 2016-2019 Pluriannual Plan and the 169 targets of the Sustainable Development Goals, it became possible to identify the current alignment between the UN 2030 Agenda and the Brazilian Government’s main planning instrument.

Brazil’s Voluntary National Review (VNR) Report 2017 has its central theme to eradicate poverty and promoting prosperity in a changing world. Brazil focused on SDGs 1,2,3,5,9,14 and 17 particularly since the levels of poverty, inequality and unemployment are high (national unemployment is currently over 11%) especially among the youth, women and black people. Along with many countries, the Covid-19 Pandemic has had a negative effect on the 2020-2021 period. Brazil is ranked 61 out of 165 countries which have reported as shown in the Global SDG Index link below. Voluntary National Review on the Sustainable Development Goals Brazil 2017 https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org>memberstates>brazil

The Way Forward

It is hoped that this report will stimulate ideas amongst the Brazilian welding community for feedback to Daniel Almeida, ABS Executive Director, d.almeida@abs-soldagem.org.br and Prof Luiz Paes, UFU, luiz.paes@ufu.br. 
 

The link https://asr.ro/documents/C.Smallbone2021.pdf?_t=1639211760 contains many examples and references to various initiatives across welding-related fields, which have been, or could be, introduced for all 17 UN SDGs.

The full report is available for download in the attachments link.