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Innovation & Technology

The latest products, services, design approaches and business models that are helping organizations of all sizes deliver on their sustainability ambitions and establish a new business as usual

Kickstarter, EDF Partner to Push for Better Product Development

Kickstarter PBC and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) today unveiled new features on Kickstarter aimed at helping innovators evaluate and reduce the environmental impact of their products from the concept stage. Kickstarter and EDF worked together to develop an information hub called the Environmental Resource Center, as well as a space where project creators are asked to publicly commit to environmental practices. These features will help thousands of people create sustainable products by embedding environmental considerations into the early planning stages.

Geomimicry: Reversing the Great Sequestration

This is the third in a four-part series on geomimicry by renowned author and George Mason University professor Dr. Gregory C. Unruh. Read parts one and two.

Meet the Plant-Based Protein Poised to Sustainabilize the Food Industry

Along with a wave of plant-based meat innovations from startups such as Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods and Right Treat, which are giving the meat industry a run for its resource-intensive money, a new plant protein solution could further revolutionize the food industry.

SAMBAZON, Ecology Center Seeking College Students with Purposeful Business Ideas

SAMBAZON — the first company to bring organic açaí to the U.S. — and The Ecology Center, a non-profit eco-educational center, have launched their second annual Greenhouse Initiative.

sonnen, Pearl Homes Launch First Affordable, Carbon-Free Housing Community

sonnen, a global market leader in smart residential energy storage, has partnered with Pearl Homes — the US leader in LEED residential development — and Google Home to bring their vision of a 'Net-Zero-Plus and Climate-Positive' community to life in Manatee County, Florida.

Targeting Energy Use Along Product Life Cycles: 4 Steps to Achieving SDG 7

20 percent of the world population lacks access to modern electricity, but access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy is crucial to achieving many of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), from poverty alleviation via advancements in health, education, water supply and industrialization to mitigating climate change.

Mimicking Nature, But Not as Nature Intended: An Introduction to Geomimicry

This is the first in a series of posts by Dr. Gregory Unruh about geomimicry and its implications for sustainability.

Trending: Nike, Native Shoes Projects Helping Shoe Industry Tread Lighter

Earlier this month, Nike announced the winners of its Circular Innovation Challenge, which called for new products using Nike Grind — Nike's ground-up post-factory and post-consumer materials — and new technologies to advance footwear recycling.

UPS Launching First-of-Its-Kind Urban Delivery Solution in Seattle

A growing number of forward-thinking companies have set about redesigning urban mobility solutions to meet the needs of modern cities and their citizens — from Lyft committing to providing carbon-neutral ride-sharing nationwide; to the growing popularity of electric bikes and scooters for personal mobility; to Ford’s work on everything from autonomous and connected vehicles to roads, parking and public transit solutions to

Q&A: YouNoodle on Why Startups Can Be Key to Your Sustainability Strategy

Well known as a technology engine — with a global network of 200,000+ startups that has powered a 1000+ innovation/startup competitions and challenges — YouNoodle might not be the first company you think of for advice on corporate sustainability strategy. But as the industrial era is replaced by a more entrepreneurial society, YouNoodle is helping brands and organizations keep up with disruptive innovation — and the sustainability space could certainly use more of that.

World's First Search Engine for Clean Drinking Water Also Fights Plastic Bottle Pollution

Consumers report that the prevailing reason why they buy bottled water is "convenience." Anyone can search online for the nearest gas station, coffee shop or nail salon, but when it comes to thirst, what options does one have? Open Google Maps and search “water fountain” — or ask Siri or Alexa, “Where can I fill up my water bottle?” No one has ever indexed the locations and prices of clean water around the world ... until now.

BMW Group, Northvolt, Umicore to Develop Closed-Loop System for EV Batteries

The project aims to continue the sustainable industrialization of battery cells in Europe and the associated acquisition of skills — from cell chemistry and development through to production and ultimately recycling.

Lime Green: A Commitment to Our Colors

Sustainability is at the core of Lime’s mission. Over the last 16 months, we’ve led an exciting mobility shift towards free-floating scooters and bikes in communities across the U.S. and Europe. The resulting 13+ million trips have underlined a growing demand worldwide for cleaner air, safer infrastructure and more sustainable mobility options. But rides alone are not enough. At a time when the transportation industry leads the world in CO2 emissions, we must all do more to support meaningful environmental stewardship.

Ag Innovation Showcase Highlights Beacons of Hope for the Future of Food

Feeding the world is no new challenge, but with an expanding global middle class, what has made the problem worse in recent years is a new appetite for rich, resource-intensive foods. The demand for protein is increasing in China and even in mostly vegetarian India, who account for much of the increasing strain on land, animal and water resources. Thus, the global food system must account not just for not only an increasing population, but also a growing class of consumers with demanding palettes and greater purchasing power.

How AI, Machine Learning Are Solving Global Problems

Cross-Posted from Artificial Intelligence for Sustainability. Although developments in the field of artificial intelligence began around the 1950s, its capacities have significantly increased in the recent years. Owing to factors such as the development of faster computers, availability of open-source software and the access to vast amounts of computational data, AI has now branched into machine learning (ML), probabilistic predictions, chaos theory and evolutionary computation. Investing in artificial intelligence courses, therefore, prepares people to undertake not just one, but many AI applications.

Q&A: How Boothster Is Redesigning the Exhibit Industry

The exhibit industry is one of the most wasteful on the planet. Just take a look at the end of most conferences and trade shows, and you’ll see floors and dumpsters filled with plastics, banners, janky aluminum and other non-sustainable materials. Back in March, the Sustainable Brands team saw a clever, sustainable booth-building system and reached out to the designer, Boothster, to collaborate on sustainable stage designs and booths for SB’18 Vancouver.

Q&A: Schneider Electric Banking on Science, Smarter Cities to Power a Sustainable Future

In the past few years, Schneider Electric — a global specialist in energy management and automation — has partnered with its customers around the world in various capacities to co-create smart solutions for a more sustainable future. It focuses its energy on prioritizing resource productivity and management, promoting energy efficiency and rethinking energy consumption. It has also adopted science-based emissions targets and helped its clients set their own. We spoke with Erik Mohn, Director of Americas Sustainability Services at Schneider Electric, to learn more about the company’s multi-pronged strategy to spread sustainability.

HPE, WEF Enlisting Tech Sector to Solve World Hunger by 2030

Today at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Sustainable Development Impact Summit, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and WEF committed to help solve world hunger by 2030 through the innovative application of technology. HPE and WEF are calling on public and private organizations to join them in an open collaboration to find solutions that will eliminate food insecurity; and sustainably, nutritiously and inclusively feed a growing population.

Dairies Resuming Home Deliveries: A Sustainable – and Sustainability – Strategy?

The milkman is making a come back. In a dozen or so communities around the U.S., dairy trucks sporting happy cows and nostalgic farm scenes are showing up at doorsteps to drop off fresh milk, cream, butter and eggs. Is that a sustainable strategy? And what does it do to promote sustainability?

Report: Scaling Circular Economy in China Could Save Businesses, Households ¥70T by 2040

New research from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF) finds that a transition to a circular economy in China’s cities could make goods and services more affordable for citizens while reducing the impacts normally associated with middle-class lifestyles. The findings are being presented today at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting of the New Champions in Tianjin, China.