It's my biggest belief that free access to knowledge is the key factor for true sustainable development. Five of the seventeen goals set by the United Nations for 2030 sustainable development agenda are related to how we manufacture our products. To reach these goals, the industry has dedicated itself to develop new products, materials and technologies that will enable cleaner manufacturing methods, giving consumers and developers better alternatives. On the same path we’ve seen hundreds of certifications being created such as FSC, ISO, GBC, Cradle to Cradle, etc.

But are all these measures really leading us to a more sustainable and equal society? Are consumers being empowered with parameters to make conscious choices? Are all these innovations fostering a better industry or are we just creating an overpriced side industry?

By presenting two open source initiatives, MATERIABRASIL and POC21, I will reflect on the questions above and explore how open source technologies will enable true sustainable development.