CONFERENCE REPORT
national information about existing markets and
a future perspective for bio-based products,”
opines Versari.
Educating people in both the private and
public sectors about materials, in particular
their potential scarcity, is a subject that crops
up again and again.
“Material scarcity is a strong market and
innovation driver,” says Arnold Black, network
driver with the Resource Efficiency Knowledge
Transfer Network.
He points to the current surge in demand
for copper, lead, iron and steel (led by China’s
insatiable construction industry).
“One church had the lead off its roof stolen
14 times in 12 months,” recounts Black.
While a lot of energy is being expended on
a paper thin, flexible solar panel charges a battery pack inside the noon Solar bags.
developing the recycling sector; where iron
and steel has a mature advanced recycling change is a risk and risk should be priced when it clear policies at EU level that create a positive
market but with complicated material flows comes to financing.” environment for renewable energy companies.”
and by comparison plastics is an immature Unsurprisingly, Dennis Pamlin, global policy So what is the next step? How should
and fragmented recycling market with heavy advisor with the WWF, says: “I think this is the entrepreneurs be supported?
contamination material flows; Black believes best thing to happy to sustainable innovation. Professor Magnus Klofsten, director of the
that “end of life should be thought of at the start Now we can really look at what society needs. Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at
of the process”. For instance, put more money into Ericsson and Linkoping University in Sweden points out there
Black voices disappointment in large not Volvo, namely, video conferencing rather are already mechanisms to support the early
corporations who are investing huge amounts than transport.” stages of entrepreneurial businesses.
of money in product development and by Pamlin goes on to voice a popular concern. These include training start-ups; new venture
comparison very little on R&D. “Where is the leadership? Is it to come from the financing (although venture capitalists are quite
But the question occupying many people’s business or the public sector? Young policy- rare with approximately 7% of new projects in
thoughts at the moment with regard to makers may talk about sustainable innovation Sweden being supported by VCs) and incubator
sustainability and the financial meltdown is: but the old ones are stuck in the old system. This and science parks.
How will the current credit crisis affect growth is a good time to differentiate between the arm The director emphasises that sustainable
in the lower carbon economy and the future of wavers and those who make a real difference.” issues should be embedded in the early business
sustainable design? For good measure, Hinnells throws in a rider process and not be treated separately and also
In the mind of Lars Mortensen, head of about how the current situation will see a change suggests the use of qualitative indicators when
group, sustainable consumption and production in world leadership. analysing the performance of sustainable issues
at the European Environment Agency, there’s “This financial crisis marks a change between in businesses.
obviously going to be a negative effect in the China and the US. The US could no longer be Finally, he throws in the rider of why should
short term. the powerhouse of the globe,” he predicts. “In entrepreneurs always be described as ‘young’.
However, Arnold Black from the Resource the West, we make the disconnection between “People might be old chronologically
Efficiency Knowledge Transfer Network, who the environment and making money. In the West, but young in terms of entrepreneurship,” he
confesses to being an optimist, believes the credit the environment is seen as a luxury while in the chides. “Perhaps we should say ‘first time
crisis should be seen as an opportunity. East there are projects to encourage people to entrepreneurs’? There has been a dramatic
“It gives us the chance to take a bigger risk. profit from innovation.” increase in sustainability with people starting
For example, a supply chain mechanism might With his business hat on, Marco Versari businesses in their 50s and 60s. However, the
be not to buy a new product but to hire one says that: “Businesses need a level playing field one downside of this is that the finance side
instead? My mum and dad used to hire a TV and clear standards for European companies want to see growth and therefore see it in young
when I was a child. Why don’t we consider along with those in China and India. We need people.”
doing that again?”
Dr Mark Hinnells of Oxford University’s
Key points:
Environmental Change Institute, points out that
n How visionaries such as Jules Verne (who inspired Jacques Cousteau to invent the
cash is worth eight times today what it was a scuba tank) can help society make radical changes
year ago.
n Sustainable innovation needs encouragement from the public sector with tax reforms;
“It is an opportunity to reconsider the
leadership from entrepreneurs within the private sector and changes from the
relationship between the state and private sector,”
consumer’s point of view in how resources are used
he declares before adding that: “We’ll start
n the credit crisis should be seen as an opportunity to redefine the relationship between
public and private sectors
to price risk differently. For example, climate
SuStainable SolutionS December/January 2009 47
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