Innovation Themes
Better for Business, Better for the Environment We aim to support innovation and growth in a truly sustainable manner. Only by doing this can we lower carbon emissions in line with the UK Government Clean Growth Strategy. The Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) has highlighted the effects of climate change and the urgent need to act now and in all sectors. This represents opportunities for business to develop new low carbon products and services for mitigation of and adaptation to climate change. The Centre for Global Eco-Innovation collaborates with partner institutions and businesses to deliver innovations across several key themes:
Water
With global water demand projected to increase by at least 50% by 2050, encouraging efficiencies in the supply, treatment and use of water across industrial, agricultural and domestic sectors is critical to ensuring global access to safe and sustainable supplies.
Energy
Global energy demand rose by 2.3% in 2018, its fastest pace in a decade. Solutions for energy efficiency, reduced consumption, renewable generation, transformation and distribution are essential and apply across industries.
Waste
Each year across the globe we use 70 billion tonnes of material, which is around 1.6 times what the world can produce annually. Through R&D we can support improvements in the way in which waste materials are managed and disposed of, as well as deriving additional value from ‘waste’ to prolong it’s lifespan.
Natural Capital
Growing populations, changes in land use, bioenergy production and infrastructuredevelopment all contribute to habitat fragmentation and biodiversity loss. Byimproving understanding of natural processes and resources we can better support and value our natural assets.
Resource Efficiency
Growing populations and industries demand more resources, but how can we produce more while using less? Only by creating responsible supply chains and supporting a circular economy can we achieve true sustainable growth.
Food
Providing the world’s growing population with a sustainable supply of safe, nutritious and affordable food is a critical global challenge. In the context of climate change, this also needs to be achieved with limited water and land resources. Eco-innovation must be embedded across the whole food supply chain.