Innovation in Sustainability
As the importance of sustainability continues to increase, so does the need to incorporate innovation into sustainable practices. Innovation is vital for growth, and organisations that do not adopt innovation are very likely to fall behind in the competitive business world. Sustainable innovation allows companies to not only innovate their products and services but also do their part for the environment – by having unintended environmental impact. In a world where 90% of Gen X consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable products, now is the time to take action and prioritise sustainable innovation.
Andrew Hughes
Visual Artist & Photographer, Environmental Activist & Sustainable Earth Institute Creative Associates Award WinnerChris Ramsey
Founder of Plug in Adventure & First person to drive an electric vehicle from Magnetic North Pole to South PoleAyana Elizabeth Johnson
Marine Biologist, Policy Expert, Writer, and Co-Founder of Urban Ocean LabArzu Tekir
Thought Leader in Smart and Sustainable Cities, General Partner at Treeo VC & Founder of Urbanite VentureRebecca Hosking
BBC Wildlife Filmmaker, Regenerative Farmer, Awarded MBE for Services to Environmental SustainabilityBJ Cummings
National River Hero, Former Executive Director of Sustainable Seattle & Clearwater Award WinnerTracy Nilsson
Sustainability Executive, Global Sustainability at Novo Nordisk, & Former Regional Sustainability Manager at IKEAAmelia Womack
Former Deputy Leader of the Green Party & Senior EU Campaigner at CHEM TrustVandana Shiva
Known as the "Gandhi of Grain", Founder of the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology, & AuthorDr Jan Rosenow
Advocate for Sustainable Energy, Member of the World Economic Forum Advisory Group, & Research Associate at Oxford and Cambridge UniversitiesSustainable innovation is the practice of making intentional changes to products and services, that in the long term have an impact both socially and environmentally – whilst also having economic benefits for a company. Sustainable innovation can involve developing novel products or changing operational processes to ones that prioritise sustainability – such as reducing waste or emissions. With 38% of executives already acknowledging that sustainability is a top priority and 86% of organisations having a sustainability strategy in place, now is the time to act and prioritise innovation in sustainability today.
What are Examples of Sustainable Innovation?
- Public electric transport – Public transport has been innovated to have a sustainable and environmental impact, through the use of electric vehicles. Such transport is better for the environment as it reduces the emissions being generated, such as CO2 and NOx.
- Plastic recycling – The plastic industry has encouraged sustainable innovation through recycling, moving away from their ‘take, make and dispose’ methods to ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’. By innovating their processes to include recycling, they are helping contribute to a circular economy.
- Bio-fuel – Companies have innovated their processes by turning waste products into biofuels, such as the company Bio-bean which has turned their waste coffee into fuel to help power London double-decker buses.
How Can I Achieve Sustainable Innovation?
Ultimately, to achieve sustainable innovation you must innovate your services and processes whilst having a positive impact on the environment. This can be achieved by:
- Reducing the use of natural resources in manufacturing and distribution processes
- Reducing the production of waste
- Introducing the opportunity to reuse and recycle products
- Using more efficient and environmentally friendly packaging
Source: Network for Business Sustainability, Forbes, IBM Institute for Business Value & McKinsey
