5 Reasons Mobile Is the Future of Sustainable Development

Zoe Fox | Mashable | June 18, 2012

Social media and technology hold a unique position when it comes to shaping sustainable solutions for the future or our planet. At the core of many of these possibilities for change are mobile phones. There are now 6.2 billion mobile phone subscriptions held by 4.2 billion mobile subscribers around the world — and that number is only increasing. By 2017, Ericsson forecasts 9 billion mobile subscriptions.

As mobile continues its rapid run toward global adoption, more people will access the Internet solely through mobile devices. Mobile phones are even replacing paper money, helping to provide a check on authority and improving rural health standards.

This week, government and thought leaders are convening in Rio de Janeiro to discuss the future of sustainable development. Mashable and our partners, the United Nations Foundations and the 92Y, are leading a conversation about ways social media and technology can present solutions to the world’s most challenging problems. Mobile phones are at the heart of many of these solutions. Here are five ways mobile is being used to ensure a sustainable future for our planet...