Our planet, and therefore our existence, faces several challenges: world population, food security, climate change, biodiversity loss, water scarcity/poor sanitation, energy resources. Sustainability is already at the forefront of many discussions at the international scene. The new Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda may well represent the best attempt at addressing sustainability issues at a global scale.
Education and awareness are the first key to the way forward; scientists can take a lead to help, for instance, with an advocacy effort to catalyse a reflection on sustainability.