5 Tips to Innovate Sustainably
Why sustainability is the foundation for innovation.
Before thinking about how to innovate or develop sustainably, one must first understand how to think about sustainability in the context of business. Sustainable development is nothing new, nor is sustainable innovation. Sustainable Development is “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Unfortunately, the planet isn’t in a place that we want to sustain, we need to regenerate to get to a world that we want to sustain. As such, we need innovation that helps to bring the world back to a state which is healthier and more viable for the future.
When you’re reading these tips and see “sustainability”, keep these terms at the front of your mind as well: social responsibility, climate justice, regeneration, positive impact, equality and inclusivity.
1. Build sustainability principles into your business operations
Don’t think about sustainability purely as environmental. Sustainable innovation (development) has four dimensions — society, environment, culture and economy — and they are intertwined, not separate.
Understanding the interdependence and that everything is inherently interconnected is imperative to innovating sustainably. Familiarise yourself with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and understand which your product and company can build for. Building and operating a purpose-driven organisation will naturally influence your product build for the better. Using resources like B Corp’s Impact Assessment (BIA) will help in building out responsible business practices.
2. Listen, learn and change the narrative
Don’t operate in the silo of your business, listen to the community and to your users. Listen to the concerns of your kids at the dinner table. Being environmentally conscious is no longer just for the “hippies”. Political and corporate-led change is integral to changing the narrative, however, paying attention to developing individual consumer, bottom-up behaviour will help you to innovate further and push the boundaries to create.
Keep listening and keep learning. Listen to your users, understand your audience, do user research and read a lot of reports. Thinking outside the box is a given, but you can’t think outside the box if you live in one.
3. Do no harm
Innovate ethically by thinking about the potential environmental and social impacts of your products and designing them to have a positive impact. Remember, sustainable innovation is inclusive not only of its environmental impact but also its impact on society as a whole. Just because your solution doesn’t have a direct positive impact on a community does not mean that it doesn’t have an indirect negative one. By thinking about the entire lifecycle of your product or service you have a greater potential to avoid a negative impact.
4. Necessity is the mother of invention
What is more necessary than ensuring we have a viable planet to live on and leave for future generations? Innovation is nothing new and you’re reading this because you either a) think you can do something positive; or b) are interested in learning how to do something positive. Embedding sustainability into new innovation isn’t just relevant now — it’s necessary from now on. Think about moving forward, understand where we are now, and (sure) capitalise on the failings — but do it to make a positive difference.
The latest IPCC report highlights Adaptation and Climate Resilient Development, speaking to the need to globally implement adaptation policies/technologies because they can reduce climate risks and that there is still room for innovation to mitigate and provide resilience against what is yet to come. “Adaptation plays a key role in reducing exposure and vulnerability to climate change” but it will take effort from everyone, because “climate resilient development is enabled when governments, civil society and the private sector make inclusive development choices that prioritise risk reduction, equity and justice, and when decision-making processes, finance and actions are integrated across governance levels, sectors and timeframes”.
Sustainable Innovation is now a necessity.
5. Practice what you preach
Become a purpose-driven company, not just a mission-driven organisation. Purpose-driven companies work to make a positive impact on society, often by creating a more ethical, equitable and sustainable world. Their reason for existence relates to the greater good. Create a strategy for becoming purpose-driven and building something sustainable, but don’t let it gather virtual dust — create actions from it and do them! Shout about what you’re doing and become a positive influence to your network(s). Influence those who are on the edge of doing something good but not sure where to go next. Be the snowball.
Yes, you should do all of this because it is the right thing to do but, of course, there are a multitude of benefits to becoming a responsible company innovating sustainably. Being a sustainable business provides a competitive advantage, increases your talent pool, improves your attrition rate, saves you money and ultimately positively impacts your bottom line.
The future of innovation is for those who focus on sustainability. Will you be one of them?
This post first appeared online as an article on BeYourOwn.
For more information about Metta and the work we do, head to our website. Check out our podcast Metta Talks to hear the latest about startups, innovation, and sustainability. The team is also on Twitter — reach out to us @mettatalks.
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Heather Baden — heather@metta.partners | linkedin.com/in/heatherbaden
