THE NEXT ECONOMY -
The auto sector is facing a complete overhaul with technological disruption already well underway. In order to remain relevant in the low-carbon transition, automotive companies must rapidly adapt to address technological disruption and environmental regulation. This is the key finding of a new report from CDP, which analyzes 16 of the world’s largest publicly listed automotive companies with a total market capitalization of $790 billion.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
As we navigate our own private echo chambers day to day, it is tempting to allow oneself to be swept up in the positivity so prevalent in sustainable business circles right now. We have the technologies, ideas and business models to succeed and the time is now to right the world of its wrongs to create a resilient and sustainable society for all.
But the reality presents a frighteningly different picture, filled with huge challenges and a demand for ever more complex solutions.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
As the problems of microplastics and water scarcity persist, businesses are looking to new technologies to encourage greater consumer and corporate water stewardship.
Platform technology company Xeros Technologies has developed a washing machine component capable of removing microfibers from home laundry wastewater.
CLEANTECH -
Your bus shelter and web browser may soon be blanketed with ads promoting “The best phone you’ve never heard of," heralding the arrival of a new smartphone that has finally come to town. Who is this mysterious “newcomer”? None other than Chinese IT giant Huawei.
Huawei, which is already the world’s third-largest smartphone maker, announced this week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas the arrival of its flagship smartphone, the Mate 10 Pro, to the US market.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
Blockchain, the technology behind cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, has certainly earned its space as one of the most talked-about topics of 2017.
Regardless of whether one views these new 'currencies' as an investment opportunity or bubble waiting to burst, the underlying technology has already demonstrated the ability to rapidly and dramatically alter markets, and many in the sustainability sector are asking — and experimenting with — what will come next.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
Though widely known for its consumer electronics products, Panasonic is using its tech expertise to focus on a new venture: creating smart, sustainable cities of the future. Building on the success of its Sustainable Smart Town in Fujisawa, Japan — a factory turned thriving community complete with EV charging stations, IoT-enabled homes and businesses, and a renewable energy system providing a five-day storage of off-grid power — the company is bringing its
CLEANTECH -
Wind’s potential to fuel the next economy is no longer speculation, but rather fact. According to new research by Research & Markets, energy statistics from Denmark and a pledge made by the UK government to phase out coal by 2025, fossil fuels are officially on the decline.
The global market for wind turbines is rapidly expanding, as indicated by a new study from Research & Markets, which predicts annual industry growth of 6.7 percent to 2022. The report presents a comprehensive analysis of the current wind turbine market in four regions — North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC) and Rest of the World (ROW) — and its future direction.
WASTE NOT -
While food industry giants and software companies have played an important role in creating solutions for reducing food waste, local community members are proving to be just as critical in driving the movement forward.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
Roughly 60 percent of millennials want to increase sustainability efforts in business. Millennials make up the largest group of consumers besides baby boomers, and 72 percent are willing to pay more for products from businesses committed to sustainability.
CLEANTECH -
Though harmful greenhouse gases are charged with driving unprecedented — and dangerous — climate change, they’re proving to be an unlikely ally to researchers working on solutions to treat African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) and reduce the variability of renewable power.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
This New Year’s, retailers should make a resolution to get toxic chemicals out of their products and packaging.
At a time when the EPA is undermining the implementation of the nation’s new chemical safety law enacted just last year, it’s more critical than ever for retailers to step up and use their market clout to drive dangerous chemicals out of commerce and ensure substitutes are safe.
Over the past year, we’ve seen a growing number of retailers adopt new or expand sustainability policies to identify and remove chemicals that are harmful to public health.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
The Vatican might seem an unlikely backdrop for cutting-edge climate change technology, but Stephen Forte of Fresco Capital Fund and Imagine Ventures’ Eric Harr are helping turn the Holy See into a hub for sustainability through their fledgling Laudato Si startup accelerator.
CLEANTECH -
Sustainable isn’t a word often used to describe the cruise industry, which has historically received less than stellar grades for its environmental performance (although there have been signs of improvement). But Peace Boat, an NGO working to promote peace, human rights, sustainable development and respect for the environment, has unveiled a new ship worthy of the descriptor.
WASTE NOT -
Food waste may be on the rise, but startups across the globe are developing new solutions to drive waste — and costs — down to an all-time low.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
Cargill is betting on tech to future-fit the food system: the agricultural giant has partnered with Techstars and Ecolab to launch the Techstars Farm to Fork Accelerator in an effort to accelerate food industry innovation. Based in Minneapolis, MN, the Accelerator will kick off in the summer of 2018.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
Decentralized sharing economy platform The Bee Token has debuted a first look at Beenest, a short-term housing marketplace that uses a sophisticated blockchain technology to address the consumer-facing issues with today’s centralized business model.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
The food industry is in transition, with new technologies, programs and initiatives targeting everything from food waste to resource efficiency and traceability emerging almost daily to nudge the sector towards greater sustainability. Though symbols of progress, these advancements are just a drop in the ocean. Many consumers are still unaware of the issues affecting the global food system, which poses a considerable challenge to progress.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
Circularity is slowing making its way into the fashion industry, aiming to transform one of the most polluting sectors into a shining example of sustainability, but it still has a long way to go before it can truly shed its bad reputation. Technology has been an important driver of change, allowing brands to improve efficiencies and reduce impacts, but the sharing of resources and best practices is proving to be just as critical in nudging the industry forward towards a circular future.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
Between a growing global population — which is estimated to reach 9.5 billion by 2050 — rapid urbanization and climate change, shifting agricultural to a more sustainable model is essential for safeguarding the future of our food system. Startups in the United States and Singapore are ready to rise to the challenge, championing food sustainability through new technologies and infrastructure solutions designed with urban environments in mind.
CLEANTECH -
Scientists at the US Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory (INL) have developed a technology that could finally make it economically feasible for coal plants to curb their carbon emissions.